Food for a new Mum
Parenting

What every new Mum wants after having a baby (and no, it’s not flowers)

Picture this. You’ve just had a baby. You’re home from hospital. All you want to do it sleep, rest and bond with your newborn baby. At the same time you’ll be bombarded with gifts for the baby, and flowers for you. You’ve already got a baby to look after, and the last thing that you want is to look after a million bunches of flowers. Don’t get me wrong flowers are lovely,  but I know that I personally would prefer food and sleep, rather than having something else to care for. So here’s my ultimate list of what every new Mum wants after a having a baby.

Sleep

This is by far the most important thing a new Mum could want or ask for. It’s hard work delivering a baby, and if they have spent a few days in hospital they are likely to not have slept at all. So help a new Mum out by offering to watch the baby for a while whilst Mum takes a nap. She will thank you for it, and feel so much better for it. It’s also really important for her sanity to rest as much as possible too!

Food

Before I had my first baby, I spent hours batch cooking and freezing. This was an absolute lifesaver, and meant that I didn’t have to worry about what to cook for dinner when you’re sleep deprived with a baby who won’t stop feeding. Any new Mum would be extremely grateful if you prepared a home cooked meal for them, purchased them a one off food delivery, or bought a couple of meals from companies such as Hello Fresh or Gousto.

Alcohol (wine or gin)

Now I’m not encouraging drinking here, but someone who has just had a baby may love a glass of wine or a G and T. Remember they have had 40 weeks of not drinking, and I’m sure that they would really appreciate this gift. You could get them a wine or gin subscription, or send them a bottle of prosecco in the post from one of the many mail order companies. Whatever you get them, they are bound to appreciate it, and will be toasting the little one’s arrival.

Gin and Tonic for a new Mum

Tell her she’s doing ok

Any new Mum or first time Mum will worry about everything. They will worry that the baby is not getting enough food, is the baby getting enough sleep, be feeling bad about giving a formula top-up, or worrying that they may never sleep ever again. The last thing that you can do is criticise any new Mum, remember that they are full of hormones, and any negative comment has the ability to do more than it’s worth. So give a new Mum a break, and tell her that she is doing great!

Chocolate

There really is nothing better than chocolate, and when I had my daughter I received chocolate in the post from two of my friends. They sent it as they found it a god send when they had their children. If the Mum is breastfeeding they need all the food and calories that they can get, and chocolate is an easy thing to eat if they have a sleeping baby in their arms. Don’t worry about buying this for a new Mum, and don’t worry that it’s not the most healthiest of gifts, I can guarantee that they will appreciate it.

Chocolate for a new Mum

Someone to do the household chores

As a new Mum three years ago, I really worried about the house being a mess. I know for certain that I did too much too soon, especially because I had a C-Section. I remember emptying the dishwasher and doing the washing the day after getting home from hospital. One of the best things you can do to help a new Mum is to offer to do the washing, ironing, hoovering. It will take away their worry about having a messy home, and make life at home a little easier for them.

Good book or magazine

You may think that they won’t have time to read with a newborn. However it is likely that they will be spending hours feeding and sitting on the sofa. So get them a good book or a cheesy magazine to read, and it will definitely help them to while away the hours, instead of binge watching NetFlix.

Having had my daughter three years ago, I know what I would love to receive after having a baby, and I hope that this list has given you inspiration for a gift, or help to offer a new Mum. If you’re stuck for ideas the team at Don’t Buy Her Flowers also provide a range of brilliant gifts for a new parent.

Is there anything else that you would like to see on this list?

Claire x

The ultimate list of what to buy a new Mum (and no, it's not flowers)

7 Comments

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Spam prevention powered by Akismet