With Mother’s Day having just passed, we’ve all likely been thinking about how to show the mothers in our lives that they are appreciated and much loved. But spare a thought particularly for new moms, who experienced their first Mother’s Day possibly feeling a little overwhelmed, tired and particularly stressed. If you know a first-time mom, whether she’s your partner, sister or friend, here are some creative ways the team at Fedhealth thinks you should spoil her beyond Mother’s Day:
- Tackle her to-do list
This may not seem the most obvious gift but trust us, the one thing that new moms have in extremely short supply is time, and the one thing they have way too much of, is tasks to tick off. Ask her what’s on her list of things to do, whether it’s grocery shopping, taking out the recycling, cleaning the house, or even servicing and washing the car – and offer to do it for her. This will lighten her mental load considerably, so she can focus on taking care of baby, and herself. If she has any concerns or questions, it’s good to know that some medical aids like Fedhealth offer specialist advice over the phone as part of their maternity benefits (available 24 hours a day), so she can get both feedback and peace of mind.
- Say it with food
New moms need excellent nutrition more than anyone as they may be breastfeeding and always hungry, with little time to prepare delicious meals or snacks. So make up a basket of healthy and indulgent snacks she can eat easily in between taking care of her newborn, as well as preprepared meals that are easy to stick in the oven. You know her best – maybe she’s a fan of pretzels and biltong, or ice cream and custard? Now’s the time to give her things she finds pampering and delicious, as well as a few healthy options of course. It’s all about the thought that goes into it – if your gift is packed with her favourite things, she’ll appreciate it even more!
- Help her document this time
It’s all a haze for her at this point. She has no idea what time of the day it is half the time, all she is focused on is keeping her baby healthy and happy. But these are precious days, days she will look back at one day with such fondness, and it would be a special idea to help her document them in some way. We’re not suggesting a photo shoot of the black rings under her eyes, as that may fill her with terror! No, rather the idea of gifting her a personal journal that she can complete each day, where she can express her feelings. Baby books are also a great idea, especially in this digital age where we don’t often print out photos. Having a baby book to document your child’s first year encourages you to be more deliberate about storing these memories, whether it’s recalling their favourite toy, printing a photo of them finally sitting on their own, or recording their first steps. When her child is older, they will also love paging through their special book.
- Make sleeping luxurious
Sleep is a complete luxury at this point, so why not ramp it up a notch? Buy her some silk pyjamas, a special pillow, lavender linen scent to spritz around the room, a beautiful eye mask to wear when napping in the day, a fluffy blanket for the end of her bed. Anything to help her get good quality shut eye will be much appreciated.
New mothers can feel very isolated as they adjust to a completely new life as a parent, so your support means more than you’ll ever know. Small gestures like the gifts above can go a long way to helping a new mom feel that she’s truly part of a village, one who will have her back and be there to help whenever she needs it.
