Many new mothers out there quickly ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ being a mother is ɴᴏᴛ a simple task. Most end up ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴡʜᴇʟᴍᴇᴅ, ᴇxʜᴀᴜsᴛᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏɴᴇʟʏ, especially during the ɴᴇᴡʙᴏʀɴ sᴛᴀɢᴇ. This is why I’ve come up with a list of the 9 best things you can do for a new mom.
- Setting up a meal list: You can count this as one of the best 10 things to do for a new mom. Take ɴᴏᴛe that a meal list is a new mother’s best friend. When setting one up, family and friends must be included so they can pitch in to ensure that the new parents are fed during the tumultuous phase. Provide the new parents a healthy mix of snacks, meals and a few treats as well.
- Bring diapers and wipes: As an alternative to food, you can bring something useful such as diapers or wipes. This is always a safe gift to bring and counted as a necessity. Do ɴᴏᴛ forget to ask first what size to buy.
- Do ɴᴏᴛ immediately ask to hold the baby: After the delivery, many are eager to see and meet the newest member. There is ɴᴏᴛhing wrong with this but some mothers do ɴᴏᴛ want to hand over their child to others immediately. It is a great opportunity to be a good friend and be present for the mother. Ask her how she is doing and show her that you are there to support her.
- Wash Your Hands Before Holding the Baby: A lot of new parents are sᴜᴘᴇʀ ɢᴇʀᴍ-ᴄᴏɴsᴄɪᴏᴜs, so be sure to wash your hands. Extra points if you do it without them having to ask!
- Watch over her children: A new mother might be eager to take a quick shower, nap or bath. Try to offer to come over and watch her children, in case she has more than one. Allow her to take the time to do all the things she needs.
- Stay calm when the baby cries: Take ɴᴏᴛe that babies cry which is how they communicate. Don’t Fʀᴇᴀᴋ ᴏᴜᴛ when the little one starts to whimper in your arms and immediately give the baby to mom. She has to soothe her baby all day and night, so be helpful and calm the baby yourself. If baby is still fussy after your attempts, then hand the baby over to mom. New mothers want to see you confident while being around and holding their baby, so Fʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ out makes them Fʀᴇᴀᴋ ᴏᴜᴛ.
- Offer to Help During the Night: If you’re a really good friend or family member, offer to help at night. Being able to help bring her baby to her when baby needs to eat and then putting the baby back to sleep for her or feeding the baby with a bottle while the mother and father/partner catch up on some sleep is an incredibly kind gift. She will forever remember and be grateful for that.
- Assist with her to-do-list: Most new mothers have a lot of tasks to do such as picking up ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs at the ᴘʜᴀʀᴍᴀᴄʏ or buying more diapers. She needs some help. Whatever is on her to-do-list, you can help her by working on some of the tasks.
- Take some photos: You can offer to drop by with your camera to take some photos of the new mother and her child. If the entire family is complete, the better. It is time to take photos of the new family together.
