Our most recent support group topic was how to support other moms. We got a lot of great feedback and ideas and wanted to share this advice from our support group moms!
Supporting Pregnant/Postpartum Moms:
— Hospital naps: (post covid) for closest friends and family, offer to come stay in their hospital room so the new parents can sleep or shower.
— Groceries stocked: Get a shopping list from the new parents and stock their fridge so they don’t have to go to the store right away. You could also do a gift card to a grocery delivery service.
— Freezer Meals: make easy to reheat meals for new parents to store in their freezer for nights when they don’t feel like thinking about dinner!
— Dog sitting/house sitting: watch over the house or pup while the family is in the hospital. One less thing to worry about!
— Offering to stay: for closest friends and family, offer to stay in the beginning to do whatever necessary: cook, clean, hold the baby, TAKE THE NIGHT SHIFTS!
— Swap maternity clothes: share your resources. These kinds of things can be expensive and you don’t wear them long. So, if you know someone who might need them, pass them on!
Supporting All Moms:
—Encouraging words (especially at random times): my sister recently messaged me out of the blue to let me know she saw that I was a good mom and it really meant the world to me!
—Support groups: let us know if you want to join our monthly support group or find one local to you! We have a lot of fun and learn a lot from the act other. This was true about the local breastfeeding group I joined as well!
—Group texts: start a group text with your mom friends. They may not be the best at responding, it may be all advice and questions one day and all memes the next. But we could all use both when we finally get a break to check our phones!
—-Share your story honestly: don’t sugar coat things when talking to new and expectant mothers. It’s so important to share your journey. New moms need to know it’s okay if they don’t feel exactly how they expected to, or if it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. Your honesty, gives them permission to be honest and feel less alone.
— Share resources: be sure to share apps, books, Instagram accounts and any other resources that helped you.
Lastly, don’t assume moms are already overwhelmed with help, company and support. Find practical ways to offer. If you can make them feel like it’s not an inconvenience, even better! I’m at Starbucks, can I drop a coffee off for you on the way home. I can just leave it in the porch if that’s best! Let us know your favorite ways to support moms you love!