How to give the gift of help to a New Mum
Gifts for new mums
Someone close to you has had a baby and all you want to do is help. Even though most new mums would appreciate the gift of help it’s not always practical to help them in person. It would be great to be able to clean up and make lunch for them but that could be overstepping some boundaries. Or you just live too far away for helping in person. So how can you give the gift of help to a new mum?
We think a beautiful and thoughtful way is by sending a care package, either to the hospital or home. There are many special items you can add and your gift will be well-received if it’s tailored to exactly what she’ll need at the time.
So we’ve curated a few items for you, firstly for new mum in hospital and then for ones that is home.
How to help a new mum in hospital
Before giving birth, expectant mums spend a lot of time focusing on what their baby will need and often show up to hospital with plenty of things for the baby but they’ve neglected themselves a little, or they haven’t thought about some things that’ll be handy in hospital.
Here are some thoughtful and useful items that a new mum may have forgotten to pack…
Nipple cream
Both mum and baby are learning to breastfeed. This can result in sore, cracked or chapped nipples, which can stop a new mum enjoying the much-needed mother-baby bonding while breastfeeding. A nipple cream hydrates the skin and promotes healing. We love the MooGoo Natural Nipple Balm. It’s made with antioxidant-rich oils like Grape See and Sunflower Oil and hydrating and soothing ingredients like Shea Butter and Natural Vitamin E.
Caffeine free tea
The hospital will supply enough of the caffeinated variety but some caffeine free tea can help improve sleep and mood. The more hydration a new mum gets the better, not just for breastfeeding but also for organ function, temperature and to prevent infections.
Sleep Spray
Talking about sleep, the Bosisto’s Sleep Aroma Mist is infused with the pure essential oils of Lavender, Chamomile and Jojoba to help calm the nerves and lessen the ‘hospital’ smell.
Sleeping Eye Mask
Is it ever dark enough in hospital? A sleeping eye mask can help bring comfort and sleep during the night and day. These Luxury Sleeping Eye Masks from Tonic Australia are so comfortable and luxurious with a velvet front and satin back.
Healthy Snacks
They may need to keep up their energy between meals. A Koja Protein bar or Oat bar is a good idea or some Belgium Milk Chocolate Buttons as a treat.
Lip Balm
The air-con dry out a person’s lips, so a natural one like the MooGoo Tingling Honey lip balm is good. It’s made from edible ingredients.
Socks
These aren’t included in our new mum care packages but are great to add. The air-con in hospitals can be a bit chilly sometimes. Our Joode Socks are quite cute and can bring a smile to their faces every time they see their feet.
You’ll find the socks and a lot of the above products on our Extras page.
How to give the gift of help to a new mum once she’s home
It doesn’t matter how much advice a new family receives beforehand, the arrival a newborn can send shockwaves through a household, even when there’s already a child or two at home.
The first and greatest shock is the lack of time and lack of sleep. A lot of the items already mentioned work really well for a new mum at home, particularly, sleep spray, nipple cream and snacks.
Here a few more you might like to add to the package
Dry Shampoo
There’ll definitely be days when she won’t get time for a shower but she needs to get to the supermarket, doctor or Early Childhood Clinic. This is when dry shampoo comes in handy. The Batiste brand is a best seller.
Vitamins
If she’s breast feeding some Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption to maintain healthy bones and teeth, and support the immune system. We like the VOOST brand.
Bath Salts
And even though a new mum lacks time, occasionally she’ll want some me time to help her feel special. Our Beau Bright Calm Bath Soak is popular. The Chamomile and Lavender will help relieve stress and good soak will also aid in her recovery.
Body Lotion
Not just for after the bath, but as often as she can while her body recovers. The MooGoo Skin Milk Body Lotion smells delicious, is non-greasy and easily soaks in with skin repair ingredients. Milk protein is added to help keep the skin supple and elastic.
Snacks
A new mum will still need plenty of snacks at home. Apart from the healthy snacks above a snack to keep her energy up would be Smoothie Bombs. They’re so quick to make, just crumble a bomb, add a piece of fruit, a cup of liquid and blend!
Milestone Cards
A new mum will want to be ready to capture every moment from Week 1 to Year 1. The Milkweek Milestone Cards are beautiful watercolour artworks, that will look gorgeous in photos.
Of course, you can still add things for the baby as they’ll always be appreciated. Take a look these Swan Teethers or the JellyCat Bashful Koala.
You’ll find some beautiful care packages on our New Mum & Baby page including the above items and more. They’ve been carefully curated to include quality gifts that are thoughtful and useful.