Having a baby is one of the most joyous moments in a woman’s life. Every new mom is in love with their newborn, but it’s still normal to feel challenged from time to time. Whether your friend or family member is a first-time mother, experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression or is simply having a tough week, there is plenty you can do to boost her up and make her feel more positive.
Try one of these ideas to watch a new mom smile and feel more supported. Each activity is inspiring, easy to do and won’t cost much. Once you’re done, you’ll feel better knowing you’ve made life better for mom and baby.
Offer to Visit
During the newborn stage, many moms spend their days alone with their little one. You can help to break up the naps and feeding sessions with some much-needed adult time. The next time you chat with the new parent, ask when you can visit. Avoid showing up unannounced, which can increase mom’s stress and disrupt the baby’s schedule.
Don’t come empty-handed. A new mother can definitely use a warm cup of coffee, hot breakfast or frozen casserole for dinner. Once you arrive, ask how she’s doing. Listen for as long as she needs, but resist offering advice. Too much information can make a new mom feel overwhelmed, especially if she’s lacking in confidence about her new role. Instead, stick to supporting her and only offer tips if she asks for them.
Give Her a Break
In the early days, it can be difficult for mom to eat a full meal, brush her teeth or take a shower. Consider offering her 10-20 minutes of alone time. Hold the baby, feed him or her a bottle or play with them on a blanket. She’ll be grateful that she was able to freshen up and feel more like herself.
You can also offer to babysit. While most new mothers will want to stay close to their baby, it can be a relief to attend professional appointments or checkups at the OB-GYN without the little one in tow. You can also give mom a mental and emotional boost by watching the baby monitor while she gets a drive-thru snack or takes a walk around the block.
Pick Up Some Baby Supplies
New moms get a ton of infant supplies at their baby shower, but they’ll start to dwindle quickly. After a month or two, she could always use more diapers, new burp cloths or bibs or a fresh pack of baby bodysuits. Drop them off while you visit or send them in the mail. If you don’t have extra money in your budget, you can also consider offering quality hand-me-downs.
A set of plush blankets, a box of gently used clothing or a set of almost-new toys are all excellent choices. Some seasoned parents even have brand new clothing that’s already too small for their children. Think about what you can offer that will provide value to mom instead of giving her something else to throw away. Avoid gifting any used car seats, bassinets or cribs, which could be under recall or have safety issues.
Encourage Self-Care
Self-care is essential to every mom’s physical and emotional health. Unfortunately, new mothers don’t have much time or energy to spare. Encourage her to care for herself by gifting her relaxation or skin care products. A facial mask, nail polish or set of body lotions is an inexpensive and effective present that she can use while baby sleeps or naps.
Other ways to inspire a new mom’s self-care routine include buying her bubble bath, giving her a set of kid-safe aromatherapy roll-ons to wear on her skin or buying her a gift card for a haircut. You could also schedule her a massage, babysit while she takes an exercise class or show her an app featuring yoga tutorials or meditation videos. If she expresses guilt about spending time alone, remind her that self-care helps her stay energized, present and positive for the baby.
Be Uplifting and Positive
One of the easiest and most effective ways to boost up a new mom is to help her feel and think more positively. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s possible to replace negative thoughts with positive messages in order to reduce stress quickly. On a difficult or tiring day, positive energy and self-talk can also reduce feelings of depression, provide better resistance to illness and, over time, even increase a person’s overall lifespan.
Assist mom in feeling better using uplifting language in your text messages, emails and social communications. You should also be positive and smile often during your visits. Compliment mom on how she looks, how the baby is growing and the milestones they’re both achieving. Remind her of all she’s learned and accomplished in such a short time.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can gift her a book of inspirational quotes or share a few mantras. Some of the best mantras for new moms include “Today is a new day,” “I’m never a bad mom, just a good mom having a bad day” or “It will all get done eventually.” Repeating these sayings over and over again can help mom think more positively
A Happy Mom Is a Healthy Mom
Mental health is directly tied to physical well-being. The more that new moms take care of their emotional wellness and stress relief, the better they will be able to handle the challenges of parenting. The encouragement you provide the new mother will give her the confidence to move through the newborn phase and start a new chapter in her family.
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