I’ll never forget the support I received after welcoming a new baby to our family after coming home from the hospital. Each time was a different experience and each time I needed different amounts of support. Here are a few ways to support your friend who is adjusting to life with a new little baby!

Make her a meal

I don’t know why preparing food when you have a newborn is so daunting, but it is! It’s hard enough to feed yourself and the baby but add in feeding the rest of your family and it feels like an impossible task in those early days! Meals were the best help I could have received during those first few days/weeks home from the hospital. In particular after having my 3rd, I suffered from a spinal headache that left me laying on the couch and unable to do much of anything besides nurse my baby. Not having to worry about what we all would eat each day was the biggest blessing as I healed and adjusted to life with a newborn. Welcoming a new baby can be challenging, figuring out what to feed your family shouldn’t be something that is adding stress to your life.

If you aren’t one for cooking, then you can send gift card to a local restaurant or even order them a pizza. Anything helps!

Gift her something for herself

When you bring home a new baby it can be physically and emotionally draining. Often you don’t get a moment to yourself in what feels like forever. Motherhood is so worth it, but let’s be honest, it is hard. I loved being at home with my babies but sometimes getting out was just what I needed. Maybe a gift card to a local coffee shop would be a nice little treat for a new mom. It will give her a reason to get out of the house. A latte and a little caffeine brightens anyone’s day!

Hold her baby so she can nap or shower!

Yes, this is huge and so simple. Nothing feels better than a shower when you have a newborn in the house. However, this little task feels daunting and hard to attain when your little baby is not having it. Check in with your friend and see if you can swing by for an hour to let her shower and maybe even help her do some laundry. I don’t know about you but that would have made my day!

Check in with her after welcoming a new baby

This is definitely the most important tip! After the birth of my first child I suffered from postpartum depression/anxiety for a good 4 months. I didn’t know at the time that this was something that could happen, but now I know it is so common. I knew something was off but I didn’t know what or how to fix it. Loneliness crept in as the sun went down and I remember becoming really sad and panicky. I will never forget a good friend of mine that would text me late in the day/evening, just to check on me. Just having a friend to text with that understood what I was going through was so incredibly comforting. I will always be grateful to her for that. If you have a friend that you think is suffering from postpartum depression, make sure she knows there is help. Here is a great resource to pass along.

Welcoming a new baby into your home is hard. As someone that has done this four separate times, I will always be grateful to those that helped me. What was something that someone did for you that stands out to you from those early days?