How To Support New Parents
From meal deliveries to gifts, diaper drop offs to yard work assistance, house cleaning help to email/text check-ins, we’ve been wonderfully spoiled with new baby support and love from family and friends.
Living through the whirlwind of bringing a newborn home has me thinking about all this and other ways to help out new parents. Here are some ideas and tips for showering a new parent you may know with love.
Food
Ready to go meals have been a huge help to us. I’ve especially appreciated meals that include fruit and vegetables. At one point our fridge was packed, but now that’s dwindling a bit. If you want to gift new parents with food consider bringing something over 2-4 weeks out and including things like wine, coffee, lactation cookies and easy-to-grab snacks.
Your presence
Are you free to go on a walk with mom and baby? Can you hold and rock a drowsy newborn while mom takes a break? I look forward to visitors just for the sake of adult company. So many of our friends and family don’t live nearby and I’m equally as grateful for text and email check-ins. You can never ask “how’s it going?” or send “you got this!” texts too many times.
Baby keepsake items
Stamps and stationary with baby’s name would be a thoughtful and practical gift. I found a Michigan woman who makes stuffed animal keepsakes from baby’s hospital swaddle blankets [https://stitchesbynatalie.com/]. Personalized gifts like this are really special.
Birth announcements
I knew I wanted to mail birth announcements to family who wouldn’t otherwise see a social media post. If this is of interest to new parent you know you could work with them to get an address list and even design picked out ahead of time, then send out the announcements on their behalf.
Newborn photoshoot
I hemmed and hawed on the idea of a newborn photoshoot. To be honest, it’s expensive I couldn’t justify the cost in addition to other baby costs. That said, if this is something new parents you know are interested in it would be a lovely gift to go in on with a group.
Massage for mom
Labor is a very physical feat. So is holding, soothing and caring for baby when you get home. When Ben offered to make me a massage appointment soon after Cameron was born I basically blew up with joy. It was such an amazing hour to myself.
My bottom line when it comes to helping new parents? Talk to them. Propose options and ask them what would be best for them. Everyone and every baby is different but feeling encouraged and loved goes a long way.
Living through the whirlwind of bringing a newborn home has me thinking about all this and other ways to help out new parents. Here are some ideas and tips for showering a new parent you may know with love.
Food
Ready to go meals have been a huge help to us. I’ve especially appreciated meals that include fruit and vegetables. At one point our fridge was packed, but now that’s dwindling a bit. If you want to gift new parents with food consider bringing something over 2-4 weeks out and including things like wine, coffee, lactation cookies and easy-to-grab snacks.
Your presence
Are you free to go on a walk with mom and baby? Can you hold and rock a drowsy newborn while mom takes a break? I look forward to visitors just for the sake of adult company. So many of our friends and family don’t live nearby and I’m equally as grateful for text and email check-ins. You can never ask “how’s it going?” or send “you got this!” texts too many times.
Baby keepsake items
Stamps and stationary with baby’s name would be a thoughtful and practical gift. I found a Michigan woman who makes stuffed animal keepsakes from baby’s hospital swaddle blankets [https://stitchesbynatalie.com/]. Personalized gifts like this are really special.
Birth announcements
I knew I wanted to mail birth announcements to family who wouldn’t otherwise see a social media post. If this is of interest to new parent you know you could work with them to get an address list and even design picked out ahead of time, then send out the announcements on their behalf.
Newborn photoshoot
I hemmed and hawed on the idea of a newborn photoshoot. To be honest, it’s expensive I couldn’t justify the cost in addition to other baby costs. That said, if this is something new parents you know are interested in it would be a lovely gift to go in on with a group.
Massage for mom
Labor is a very physical feat. So is holding, soothing and caring for baby when you get home. When Ben offered to make me a massage appointment soon after Cameron was born I basically blew up with joy. It was such an amazing hour to myself.
My bottom line when it comes to helping new parents? Talk to them. Propose options and ask them what would be best for them. Everyone and every baby is different but feeling encouraged and loved goes a long way.