When new mom’s give birth, it can be an exciting time for family and friends. New parents will unquestionably be inundated with baby gifts, flowers, and more. But, although physical gifts are thoughtful and many times needed, you can never have enough burp cloths and diapers, there are other things that you can do for new mothers.
In an interview with HuffPost.com, YouTuber Kallie Branciforte, who runs the YouTube channel “But First, Coffee,” gave HuffPost a few suggestions on how to support new mothers that will unquestionably make their smiles turn even brighter.
Cook the family dinner
Getting used to feeding schedules, diaper changes, lack of sleep, etc. etc., preparing a home-cooked meal for a new mom is more likely than not a daunting task. To help out your new mom friend, deliver a home-cooked meal or get a group together to purchase a membership to a meal prep/grocery delivery service. This will definitely be appreciated and take one more thing off of her list.
Verbally let her know that she is doing a great job
This is especially true for first-time new mothers. They may be extremely apprehensive about everything that they do, but letting them know that they are rocking this new mom gig will help lift a little bit of that self-doubt and put their minds at ease. Nothing is better than cheering on your friends.
In the immortal words of Nike, “Just do it!”
Don’t ask new moms “what can you do or bring,” just do it! They have so much on their plates, taking time to actually think about it and give you an answer may cause a river of tears instead. So, a better way to ask them exactly what they need is, “Can I come over and help you clean? Can I do the dishes for you? Would you like me to take the other little ones out for a movie or dinner so that you can rest?” Guaranteed, the answer will be “yes, yes, and yes!”
Get specific about emotions
If you have had a baby, you know that hormones are all over the board and new moms may not be dealing with it all very well. Take time to ask your friend how she is doing and not necessarily just the baby. Check-in on her emotions and make sure that she is okay.
Whatever you do, just make sure that you are a support because your new mom friend will unquestionably need you until they get the swing of things. Even if they are a first-time new mom or if they have multiples, every woman that gives birth, needs an unshakable support system!
