Pregnancy is one thing, but childbirth is another thing, and post pregnancy is another level. First time mom-to-be doesn’t know what to expect, and therefore everything is going to be a surprise and a new road to thread. She’ll need a lot of emotional support on top of all the support she’ll need preparing the essentials for her and her baby.
If you are planning for a baby shower gift, I say go beyond the gift registry if you can afford to. Gift her something aside from what’s on her registry and aside from baby related or pregnancy or mommyhood related items.
First time moms need to feel loved and cared for, they need to know and feel the support of their family and friends. So yes, gift her baby crib or strollers if you can afford them or gift her something like diapers, baby wipes and other essentials that she’ll need plenty of. You can even gift her pregnancy and post pregnancy items like maternity dresses, nursing bras, comfy sleepwear and the likes.
But on top of all those material things that are indeed essential, she will need emotional support. First time mom, even those who are already moms go thru certain level of stress and psychological and emotional difficulty during and after pregnancy.
Baby shower on the other hand is just a couple of hours of party, just a moment of showing love and support to the mom-to-be. But, when the party is over, reality kicks in. What she need is consistency, atleast. Here are some ideas to help your mom-to-be friend get thru the challenges of her journey to mommyhood:
1. Organize a night out or dinner with the girls. You can either book a fancy restaurant or prepare dinner and get together at one of the girls’ place. Do this once a week or every other week if you can manage.
2. Sleepover or pajama party where she can have some quality conversation with her friends while having fun. You can either binge watch chick flicks or sing karaoke or anything you can think of.
3. Book her for some mom-to-be counseling where she can meet expecting moms too and make new friends. She’ll feel a lot more confortable knowing there many who share the same experience.
4. Cooking lessons where she can learn how to prepare baby foods and also food for expecting moms and after pregnancy – a diet that can keep her nourished and healthy.
5. Fitness session for expecting moms and/or especially post pregnancy to help her get back in shape
These are just some ideas you and the mom-to-be’s girlfriends can do for her. Now more than ever, she needs her friends around. Because although pregnancy affects the dad-to-be, it really takes more toll on the mom-to-be. Hence, she’ll need her friends and families’ support and understanding.