If you are a friend of a new mum, here are some tips for ways you can really help while their body recovers from the birth, and they settle in with their new baby.
It takes energy for a new mum to give you a task to do, so offer to do practical things. You might say something like:
“Hey, I have some free time, I’d like to come over and help out. Can I do some vacuuming, change the beds, pick up some shopping or bring you a meal? Would any of those things help?”
Bake or buy muffins/ cookies/ energy balls – these are easy to eat with one hand.
Make them sweet or savoury, depending on the new Mum’s preferences. You can bake in a bit of extra tastiness and nutrition by including hemp seeds, chia seeds, LSA (ground linseeds, almond, flaxseed) or flax seeds.
Cook some healthy meals and freeze them into easy-to-heat portions and drop them over to your friend’s home.
Offer to hold the baby while your friend goes for a 20 minute nap, shower, walk or whatever they need.
Put on a load of washing when you arrive, stay for a cuppa and hang out the washing before you go.
Deliver a few healthy, easy-to-eat grocery items to surprise your friend. Fruit and veg like apples, strawberries, bananas, cut-up carrots, celery and cucumber are all easy to eat with one hand.
Other things that might be appreciated are muesli bars, frozen portioned meals, a cooked chicken, bread rolls, a dip or pre-made salads.
Mum might also love a smoothie, kombucha or coffee, which you could grab on your way over.
