The first weeks postpartum are some of the craziest of your whole life, whether it is your first, second, or eighth kid. Your emotions are on a hormone-fueled roller coaster: you’re euphoric that your baby has arrived, happy that the discomfort of pregnancy is over, mildly horrified at the state of your postpartum body, exhausted from delivery, delighted to share the news with family, angry that you aren’t getting sleep, overwhelmed by demands from the baby, loved ones, and your other family members. Oh and you are hungry. So. Extremely. Hungry.
If you have a newly postpartum mom in your life and are wondering how to help them, here are 6 great gift ideas postpartum moms both want and need.
- Amazon gift card: Even if you planned the most perfect baby registry of all time, you are sure to need something postpartum that you forgot to acquire before the baby arrived. I just had my third baby and after ransacking all the usual places I couldn’t find our trusty Nosefrieda to help her with some congestion. It was such a relief to have received an Amazon gift card so I could Prime one of those suckers to our house the next day. The mom in your life might need a new size of nursing bra, diapers, a sound machine, or something she would rather not send someone else to the store to pick up {I’m looking at you stool softener and jumbo pads!}. You can always use an Amazon {or Walmart or Target} gift card.
- Nourishment: The first thing I’ve always done after having a baby is EAT. Especially if you are breastfeeding, your body needs a lot of calories to recover after childbirth and you likely don’t have any time to cook the healthy meals your body craves. A postpartum mom would love gift cards for nearby restaurants, grocery gift cards, or for you to drop off a home-cooked meal. She might also appreciate you setting up a meal train for her for a few weeks so that well-wishers can bring food in an orderly manner. If you are cooking for a new mom, try to avoid dairy-heavy meals if she is nursing as sometimes dairy can make a new baby extra gassy. The food I appreciated the most postpartum was cut-up fruits and vegetables and a big bag of trail mix! When you are ravenous during those first weeks it’s easy to eat, say, a whole container of M&M’s or 7 cookies {speaking from experience here!} – so having healthy, snack-able options around are a gift. Also, a bottle of wine never hurts – pregnant mamas haven’t had a drink in 9 months and could probably use one!
- Personalized Diapers: One of my friends gifted me a package of diapers recently and when I started using them I realized she had hand-written funny sayings on all of them! It truly made me smile during every diaper change while I used these. Even if you don’t personalize them, a new mom needs an incredible amount of diapers and would always welcome them as a gift!
- Free Babysitting: Arguably the toughest thing for me to handle postpartum is going to doctor appointments for the new baby with my other children in tow. Right after having a baby, you probably aren’t in the mood to leave the house much, but it is so helpful to have someone around to watch your other children while you recover and effort those appointments. Even if you don’t have other children, it would be useful to have someone around to help you watch the baby while you shower or even just to be around for company – an infant is cute, but not a great conversationalist!
- Maid service: I have immensely appreciated when my mother-in-law and mom have visited postpartum and helped me clean the house, but there was always a part of me that was a bit embarrassed at the dirty state of things that they had to clean. Even as I write this at 6 weeks postpartum, I would kill for a maid to come right now! If you can afford it, giving the gift of a one-time cleaning service would be a luxury like none other for the postpartum mom you love {or any mom for that matter!}.
- Check-Ins: They say the best things in life are free and I believe that is true. The postpartum period can be a difficult time, even for moms who don’t suffer from classic Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders {PMADS}. Hormones, sleep deprivation, coping with recovery, and dealing with the major change of adding a new member to the family can leave moms feeling overwhelmed. Because moms are moms and we usually feel like we can {or should be able to} do everything ourselves, we aren’t always good at asking for the help or support we need. I have always been grateful for the friends and family members who call or text me to ask, “How are you feeling?” “Are you adjusting okay?” “Is there anything you need that I can help you with?” “Can I pray for anything for you?” Being given the chance to ask for support, to vent, or to have someone pray for me is invaluable – and free! Check on your new mom friends and then check in again. They might not ever tell you they appreciated it, but I bet they do.
What sorts of gifts have you been grateful for postpartum?
