If you have never had a baby it is hard to imagine what new parents might need.  Many people assume that down time and guest free rest time is most important the first few months after a baby is born and we avoid calling or visiting in order to give the new parents time to adjust to life with baby.  What many don’t realize is that new parents need lots of support.  They are exhausted, often running on 2-3 hours of unbroken sleep and having to adjust their lives to meet the needs of their little one.  There are a lot of ways you can help smooth the transition from pregnant to parent, here are a few:

1. Limit visits to 1 hour or less.  This is especially important in the first few weeks after the birth as Mom is not only recovering from her birth but also adjusting to baby’s schedule.
2. Be understanding if phone calls aren’t returned quickly – it is often surprising how much time caring for a newborn takes, days slip by quickly and phone calls pile up fast
3. Help with the housework - often basic chores fall to the wayside because the new parents are exhausted and a little overwhelmed.  They can use the help, often they don’t think to ask for it so take some time and volunteer to do it for them.
   1. Do The Dishes – it only takes a minute but it helps a lot
   2. Do a load of laundry – babies generate an immense volume of laundry, this can be overwhelming for a mom who is not as mobile as she is used to being.
   3. Clean House – dedicate some time to straightening up, dusting, vacuum, put fresh sheets on the bed, scrub the tub and toilets
   4. Grocery Shop – get the list and go for them, errands can be daunting when you don’t feel well
4. Bring Food – who wants to cook when you’re tired and recovering?  Find out what the family enjoys and if they have any dietary restrictions, then coordinate with friends and family so that someone is bringing dinner to them every other night for those first few weeks.  This is a great thing to start at the baby shower where everyone can share their contact information and begin volunteering for meals.  More and more groups of women are teaming up to support each other this way, it’s a beautiful and much appreciated way of nurturing the new family.  Reach out to your friends and family, everyone likes to feel useful, you may be surprised how many people volunteer.

Meal Train

This website helps you set up a “meal train”.  What this means is, it simplifies the process of setting up a volunteer meal calender for after you deliver your baby.  The first few weeks after your baby comes are often overwhelmingly full and tiring.  Not having to worry about where your next meal is going to come from makes a world of difference.  Besides, people love to help and if you give them a way to support you they will feel great because they know they did something good.

(Download this document as a pdf file here)