After giving birth, you can be a bit... tender. Your feelings may be close to the surface and you’re likely exhausted and recovering from an enormous physical feat. It can sometimes be overwhelming, and you deserve a lot of credit, a lot of rest, and a lot of pampering. But worry not, moms-to-be! It’s not a cause for concern, as women are amazing and resilient, and everything is going to be fine. (We repeat: your body just did something miraculous - you MADE AND BROUGHT FORTH A PERSON - and you *are* going to recover.)
Take advantage of the few weeks before birthing day (hello, nesting instinct!) and create a recovery pack – or, if you know a new mom but are at a loss as to what to get her or do for her, these suggestions will help. (Note to gift-givers: these are all things you can easily do or pool together with other people, as they range from “practically free” to a little more extravagant.)
For many new moms, TV is going to get old, fast. Binge watching has its draws, but after 47 hours of Downton Abbey, one may be craving something a little less visual. Plus, the blue light from devices isn’t great for sleep and if you set up camp in a living area for the day, you’ll need a break. How about something that is soothing and fun but won’t bore you senseless?
An audiobook or subscription is a great idea and you can pipe the often-soothing words through a Bluetooth speaker – and it can even help lull you both into a nap! (Try an old favourite like one of the Harry Potter series, for example). The best audio books for this purpose are fiction and read by actors who basically perform one-person plays straight to your ears. Subscription services run about $15 a month with one book credit included each round OR can be found for free online.
You know the saying “It’s not how you feel, it’s how you look?” That saying is wrong and needs to fall in a hole. It is how you feel, and how you will feel in a pair of pull-on pants and a zip-up easy access hoodie is cozy and comfy.
Jeans? Post birth early days? NOPE. HARD PASS.
Take some time off from pants with buttons.
You need to eat, and you need to eat well. Eat foods that will nourish your body, mind, and spirit and that were not 100% handed to you through a drive-up window. Friends and family may think they’re helping by dropping off casseroles and heat-and-eat meals but if we’re being honest, we never much liked Aunt Joan’s tuna casserole and you’ve seen your neighbours’ adorable toddler put his sticky fingers into one too many of her baking creations to be comfy eating them yourself. Meal kit deliveries are a boon for several reasons: you control the meal that comes, they come straight to your door, and they are fixed very quickly. This allows you to get into the kitchen for 20 minutes IF YOU WANT TO, and if you don’t? They’re easy enough for even the most bumbling of chefs or helpers to put together.
If you’re gifting this to a family, make sure you know their tastes and possible allergies, something catered specifically for them, ready to assemble. That way, there’s no pressure on mom to figure out anything, all she has to do is enjoy your thoughtful gift.
Childbirth is a marathon of sorts and you know what happens after marathons? The runners tend to themselves with items built for that purpose. After the equivalent-marathon of childbirth, you should also have the best soothing options available to you - and the number one thing you need to have are Tucks Personal Cleansing Pads.
Hit up your ouchy parts with Tucks and harness the natural witch hazel element of the pads, which effectively provide immediate relief from burning and itching due to hemorrhoids (a frequent problem for moms during pregnancy and following delivery). They’re also straight up amazing for daily use when cleansing genital areas, not to mention that they’re a fantastic option as a moist compress for inflamed tissue post-delivery. Ice packs can be inconvenient and messy, and at times, just plain uncomfortable. Tucks Cleansing Pads are a valuable and effective alternative for soothing relief, and you can keep them in the bathroom or in your purse or diaper bag.
Tucks are so easy to give, because they’re available at most drug and grocery stores and you can get them in the same place you’re already buying the CONGRATULATIONS card for mom! (And while she’ll appreciate the card, trust us, she’ll appreciate Tucks a lot more).
Family photo shoots in parks, against old buildings, or in piles of fall leaves are beautiful and calm and more of the same…. What YOU will want years from now is a gorgeous but real representation of life in the early days after baby. Hire – or gift – a personal photographer specializing in home visits and who can truly capture the hazy peace that falls on a home with a new baby. Nursing or feeding photos will be treasured long after those days have passed and looking back at your baby’s room will be a delight. Hiring or gifting a photographer ensures all parties get featured, because too many parents are missing from baby books across the land, owing to the fact that they’re the ones holding the camera! If you’re a great shutterbug yourself, you can offer up your services for free, making this a unique gift for a budget-watcher.
New parents commonly bunk down for a few days – or weeks – after baby is home. That first trip in the car after settling in at home can be a stark reminder of the state you left it in, and it’s common to have a car in the driveway out of gas, with no fluid in the dispensers, and coffee cups strewn all over the place. All that time caring about getting the infant seat installed correctly (it is a bit of a science and an art, after all) came maybe at the detriment to the cleanliness. Splurging (or gifting) a car detailing service and full tank of gas will make the first trip out for a new family a fresh, clean, inspired one, and a gift that will not be soon forgotten. It’s totally splurge- worthy!
If this gift is something that sounds great but is beyond your gift-budget, “borrow” mom’s car for an afternoon and set your kids on it with some car soap and a hose while you vacuum the interior. An investment of an hour or so of work and you’re returning it better than it’s looked in months. (It’s hard keeping cars clean when you’ve got a new passenger with lots of baggage).
This is proudly sponsored by our friends at Tucks.
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