So here we are…I made it through the first week with my husband back at work since Apple was born!
And now she’s 4 weeks old, which doesn’t seem possible, because oh my goodness wasn’t she just born…the way these past few weeks have whizzed by kinda makes me want to cry. Snuggly newborns are just the best…and they grow up so fast!!!
I’ve been blessed, both this time around and previously, with friends and family who’ve been awesome at helping me out in these sleep-deprived, wonderful-but-exhausting days with a newborn (plus older kids who also need extra TLC as they’re dealing with all the changes). Having been so blessed myself, I thought I’d share some of the things that have been super helpful and/or totally made my day! 🙂
1. Take a meal. By which I mean…don’t just tell the mom to let you know if she needs food because that requires her to take the initiative to call you up and ask if you really meant it, and she probably won’t ever actually do that…tell her you’d like to bring dinner and ask her if 6:00 is a good time to drop it off.
2. Entertain the older kids for an afternoon. Again, don’t tell her you’d be happy to help out with the older kids “sometime.” Text her that you’d like to pick her kids up and take them to the park that afternoon.
3. Pamper her. Gifts for the baby are always appreciated…but a gift for the mom is a super rare treat guaranteed to make her smile. My parents came over the day before Easter with a nice meal and gave my an Easter basket filled with girly, pampering things like pretty hand lotion and bath salts! It was awesome-sauce!
4. Stop by with coffee. IF you’re close enough friends that you know she won’t care that you see her house while it’s a wreck, call her from the nearest Starbucks, ask her what drink she’s in the mood for, and let her know you’ll be there with it in 15 minutes. Then hold her baby and chat for a bit, sometimes contact with another adult is just the best.
5. Send a care package. If you don’t live close enough to actually visit, send a little love in the mail. Ideas for super helpful care packages include an assortment of easy to grab snacks for when she’s starving from all the nursing but can’t actually set her baby down to make herself food (snacks are also great for distracting an upset toddler), an awesome non-spill travel mug so she can drink her coffee while pacing the house with a fussy newborn, or paper plates and bowls, plastic cups, and plastic utensils so she can get a break from the dishes she really doesn’t have the time and energy for right now.
6. Give a Stitch Fix gift card. One of the hardest things after having a baby is trying to find something to wear that you feel even remotely pretty in. Even if some of your pre-pregnancy clothes fit, they may not feel as flattering since your body has changed. And if you’re breastfeeding you have to take into consideration whether the outfit has easy access for that, which may rule out some of the outfits that were previous favorites.But going to the mall and trying on new clothes is probably not at the top of your list of things that sound like fun, either…especially with 4 kids in tow. Just sayin’
With Stitch Fix, a new mom can either tell her personal stylist exactly what type of items she’s craving, or simply that she just had a baby and needs some flattering items for a postpartum body (if she needs them to be breastfeeding friendly she can include that info as well) and then she’ll receive specially selected clothing (plus shoes and accessories if she wants) that she gets to try on at home with no hassle.
Obviously there are other ways to be a blessing as well, these are just some that I can tell you from experience are super awesome! One more tip — and this may be just me but whatever — text, don’t call. I mean that’s always true for me, but it’s especially applicable when the baby might have just finally fallen asleep.
Speaking of sleeping babies, mine just woke up. AND I need more coffee, so it’s time for me to jet! Thanks for stopping by, have a great day! 😀
(Post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated — as in, if you decide you’d love to give someone a Stitch Fix gift card, it would be awesome if you used my link to do so which will give me a small commission, thus helping out this new mom. 😉 )
Good stuff, Heather!
Thanks! 😀