The newborn period is tough, pandemic or no pandemic! A postpartum mother is recovering from birth while dealing with sleep deprivation, major hormone fluctuations, and caring for a newborn baby round the clock!
Traditionally after coming home from the hospital, new moms receive support from visitors who would help her with cooking, cleaning, or holding the baby while she showers or naps. But during a pandemic, visits probably aren’t an option anymore, especially with a newborn who doesn’t have an established immune system yet. So how can you give her support when you can’t physically be there?!
Here are 5 ways you can support a postpartum mom when you can’t visit!
1. Meal subscription gift card
Under normal circumstances, friends and family might bring cooked meals to a postpartum mama. Since you can’t visit in person, instead, send them a gift card to a meal subscription service! Save her from the task of meal planning, grocery shopping, and send her healthy meals right to her door.
A great meal service option is Freshly. Freshly is a weekly subscription that delivers fresh and healthy meals. They’re fully cooked, so all she needs to do is reheat in the microwave.
Follow this link to get $40 off Freshly!
2. Restaurant delivery gift card
Another great option to take away the burden of cooking is: restaurant delivery! Send her a gift card to a local food delivery service. Postmates, GrubHub, DoorDash, or Uber Eats are a few examples.
This will be very convenient for her for the next time the question “what’s for dinner?” comes up and she doesn’t have the time or energy to prepare it.
3. Video call with her!
Being at home with a baby can be very lonely. Now, during a pandemic where there is risk with even leaving home or having visitors, the isolation can be overwhelming.
Offer to video call or FaceTime with her! Since you can’t visit in person, chatting with her and admiring the new baby through video is the next best thing. Share in the joy and struggles of new motherhood with her.
A little socialization can go a long way for a new mom. She needs a village!
4. Buy remaining items from her registry
Maybe you already sent something for her baby shower. Now after having the baby, she may still need some items. Check if there is anything left on her registry that you could have shipped directly to her.
You could ask her “Are there items for the baby or yourself that you wish you had?” There is a good chance that there are baby items that she did not foresee that she would need (especially if she’s a first time mom).
For example, when I was pregnant, I only included one kind of swaddle on my registry. Once my baby was here and I was desperate to get him to sleep longer stretches, I needed to experiment with a few different kinds to find out what worked best for my baby. I ended up purchasing the SwaddleMe, and the Zipadee-zip in addition to the swaddles I had already received!
She will appreciate the gift even more now that the baby is here.
5. Keep checking in – even after the newborn period!
After the first few weeks after birth, it’s easy to forget that a new mama still needs support! Remember to check in with her in the following months to see how she is doing and if there is anything she needs, even if it is just someone to talk with. It can mean a lot just to know that someone is thinking of you!
Conclusion
Having a baby in a pandemic was probably never part of her plan! It’s good to know that there are still ways we can stay connected with new mamas and show that we love and care for them from afar.
The fact that you are reading this post means you’re a thoughtful person in her life!
Let me know in the comments how you’re going to support a new mama!
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