A friend of mine is due to have her first baby any day! Eeee! Very exciting!
In all the excitement and preparation of having baby #1 people are often very generous when it comes to baby gear.
Many are also pretty quick to dole out their well-meaning advice on how to care for said new baby.
Those first few days and weeks require a lot of recovery time and TLC for the new mama as well.
I wanted to send my friend (who lives 5 hours away) a care package just for her.
So I put together the things that I did or would have found comforting in my postpartum days. Because I'm still getting the hang of this blogging thing, I neglected to take a photo of the actual package. Ooops.
Here's what I included:
Earth Mama Angel Baby New Mama Bottom Spray
I'm not sure where I read about this little life-saver. But I had it packed in my hospital bag and boy, am I glad I did! This stuff is Ahh-mazing! It's packed with cucumber, witch hazel and other soothing elements. It's cooling effects really provide some much-needed refreshment on those "down-there" regions during every postpartum potty trip. Plus, the cucumber smell is just very uplifting.
Snacks
I was not prepared for how ravenously hungry I was postpartum after my milk came in and that rapidly growing newborn relied on me every 2 hours for his sustenance. I included trail mix packets and instructed my friend to be prepared to meet hunger like she's never known head-on!
Milk Supply Tea and a Confidence-boosting Mug
In my postpartum days I definitely had times when my mood and self-esteem needed some pep talks. I wanted my friend to feel encouraged, supported and healthy in her early breastfeeding and mothering days.
Fuzzy Socks
My friend's baby is due in the middle of January. She'll be doing a lot of sitting around holding her snuggly, little bundle. She'll want cozy feet.
I love to research and did an enormous amount reading up on "how to have a beautiful (birth, newborn, breastfeeding, etc.) experience." Nothing prepares you for the real thing. But of course there are some helpful resources out there. In the note I included with the package I passed along my thoughts about not feeling overwhelmed with the plethora of information out there, taking what's good and doing what you feel is best. Here are the books I included:
Beyond the Sling by Mayim Bialik
I read this one after Brady was about 6 months old and I began to associate myself with the "attachment parenting" niche. I found her honesty, humor and laid-back approach to parenting extremely refreshing. She provides confidence in doing what works best for your family despite cultural pressures, norms or stereotypes. I also appreciated her ability to discuss the benefits of the attachment parenting philosophy from a brain development point of view.
The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley
I read this shortly after Brady was born and not surprisingly he was waking often. Well, he still wakes often. Turns out I don't believe much in sleep training and/or I'm just too tired in the middle of the night to do it. So, we co-sleep most of the night. I do love the suggestions in this book and I really appreciate that they're given without judgement for a variety of different sleep scenarios from crib sleeping in a separate room to co-sleeping. My best advice that I told my friend about infant sleep was, "Do what works best for you. And be reserved with who you talk with it about."
The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D.
This book provides great perspective on why babies cry during the 1st three months (or the "4th trimester") and how to comfort them. I love that it outlines specific steps to take to calm crying while respecting baby's needs for closeness in those early months.
I was so pleased and humbled when I heard from my friend that she was impressed by the thoughtfulness of this package I put together for her. I hope that other mamas-to-be can find these resources helpful. After all, we'll all be better at this parenting journey if we work together and share what we know!
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