People are unbelievably generous when you’ve just had a baby. I could not believe the outpouring of love, encouragement, and food we received after Colton was born. Whether family members or acquaintances we had people pitching in from all corners to help and support. Now that I’m somewhat removed from that ‘new mom’ stage I’ve gotten a lot of questions about what was most appreciated. So today I wanted to put together this list of new mother gifts that are both thoughtful as well as practical.
- Newborn Size Clothing — no one buys these for your shower because they think you won’t use them. and while it may be true you won’t use them for long, every mom I know has had to make desperate Target runs because their newborn is drowning in 0-3M clothes.
- Snacks — the breastfeeding + recovery hunger is very real. and while casserole dishes or full meals are hugely appreciated, it’s nice to have some munchable items as well. for instance, i kept a box of Cheerios by my bed for a month (when Colton had his every-hour-on-the-hour feedings, so did i).
- Water Bottle — i know this may seem odd but it goes along with the above. i’ve never experienced thirst like i did those first days of nursing. i bought multiple (massive) cups and bottles to have all around the house. whenever i sat down to feed Colton, i made sure to have a full glass myself. so it’s a bit of added convenience to offer that new mom.
- MediHoney — this was my lifesaver a million times over. here’s a little TMI: i learned a bad latching technique in the hospital and it left me with a cracked and bleeding nipple. that was excruciating and this stuff was recommended by a lactation consultant. NOTE: i only recommend this specific brand because the honey has been treated to be safe for baby.
- Baby Body Essentials — this trio of goodies both pampers and soothes baby. they’re made from purely clean ingredients and calm everything from diaper rash to eczema. new mothers are so cautious about what goes in and on their little one that offering a totally safe solution makes for real peace of mind.
- Lactation Treats — nursing is the most ‘natural’ thing in the world and yet it feels difficult, painful, and often frustrating. in my experience, all new mothers worry about their supply or baby’s intake to some degree. so supporting their efforts with tea or delicious cookies is always appreciated.
- Infant Care Items — starting from day one there are a few things we routinely used. and I never would have had them on hand unless a sweet friend first gifted them to me. being a new mom herself, she shared an entire box of necessities that came in handy right away.
- Gas Drops
- Saline
- Vaseline (NOTE: in general i do not use/like petroleum jelly products; however, for things such as healing circumcisions, this was doctor recommended and i felt it was important to stick with their advise)
- Infants’ Tylenol
What else would you add to my new mother gifts list? What things did you find to be helpful for those first few months?
