Did your bestie just gave birth to an awesome and super cute baby? And are you very excited for her... but also wondering what you can do to HELP her during this transition time?
Here's 5 ways that I found super helpful when I was home with my own new baby :
1. Ask the new mum the BEST TIME to visit - Yes, you are excited and wanted to see the baby right away, but your best friend may just need a bit more time to settle down and recover from the birth itself...
Also, it is a little bit overwhelming if a LOT of people visit at the same time, and this people doesn't necessarily know each other - this will make it extra job for the new mum to talk to every body (awkward....)
2. Bring FOOD (yes, lots and lots of it!!) - New mum wont have time to cook so if there is something ready made in her fridge that she can easily microwave in the 2 minutes her baby is asleep in the cot - then YES, perfect!! Think: pasta / sushi / friend noodles / fried rice / subs etc
3. Offer to HOLD THE BABY - if the new parent say no then don't be offended, but if they say yes go for it! If you are very close to the new mum, if the baby is settled in your arm, then suggest maybe she wanted to have a bath or shave her legs or whatever to rest and relax a little bit. Honestly this was basically the time I can have to take a bath 😂
If the baby cries, either give it back or you can try to settle the baby a little bit (see reaction from the parents of course)
4. Do this - "Im at the shop, do you need xxx" some people wont accept help even if its offered over and over again, so instead of asking new mum what they need, be specific!! I remember that this helps a lot when I need like milk / wipes / chocolate things like that
5. Don't overstay, but do comeback - the general rule of staying is around half hour - 45 minutes (max 60 minutes) but preferably not more than that - unless of course you are holding the baby while the mum is resting hehehe BUT do come back again!!
Oh and bonus tips : IF your bestie has an older child, it would be a really great idea to help take care of them too! maybe take them on play date or paying attention to them so your bestie doesn't need to run in a million direction taking care of BOTH the baby and the elder child
:)
💕💕💕