When a new mom comes home from the hospital, the last thing she is thinking about is herself.
She is consumed by a magical new baby that needs all of her attention, but in reality, she is going through recovery herself.
In fact, a study performed by Orlando Health confirmed that 63% of new moms (including those who are not first time moms) are concerned for their own health, yet only 37% of moms say they aren’t prepared to manage their own healthcare postpartum.
THAT’S LESS THAN 50%!
Even worse, many of those new moms don’t seek medical advice because they’re embarrassed and more than ⅓ of these women feel embarrassed about what their own bodies are going through postpartum.
If that’s not overwhelming enough, the same study also showed that 40% of new moms feel depressed, anxious and overwhelmed in the weeks following delivery.
Yall, new moms have it ROUGH!
Yet we still don’t normalize these things in our society.
So guess who suffers?
Those same women from the study.
To help new moms with their recovery, I’ve put together this list for new mom care package ideas.
These items are both helpful for the new mom’s physical and mental health.
There’s probably a lot of items she doesn’t even know she needs in a care package to help her through postpartum recovery.
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Don’t Ask, Just Make the New Mom a Care Package
What woman, let alone a new mom, is going to ask for help?
Hardly any, to be honest.
The best thing to do for a family member or friend who just had a baby is just do the things. Make her the damn care package.
Don’t ask. She needs the help and may not be ready to ask for it.
She will thank you later.
Be Mindful
According to an organization called Postpartum Depression, approximately 70% to 80% of women will experience, at a minimum, ‘baby blues’ and many of these same women will experience the more severe condition of postpartum depression.
The reported rate of clinical postpartum depression among new mothers is between 10% to 20%.
One recent study found that 1 in 7 women may experience PPD in the year after giving birth. With approximately 4 million live births occurring each year in the United States, this equates to almost 600,000 postpartum depression diagnoses.
Keeping these statistics in mind, new moms may not be ready for personal connection when you’re ready to drop off the care package.
Be mindful and just text the new mom and say you want to drop something off on their doorstep or have something delivered.
This makes them feel comfortable without having to open up too soon, but still provides them with the help they won’t ask for.
Now, let’s jump into 16 new mom care package ideas!
1. The Gift of Time
The number one gift all new moms need is the gift of time. They want to snuggle on their new baby and spend time with their family during the first few weeks postpartum. Cleaning can start to become overwhelming as dishes pile up and mama is left feeling like she just doesn’t have enough time.
Offer to help out around the house or offer to help watch the kids while she takes a nap!
Another amazing option is this family command center that will help her gain some control by using a centralized communication center for her and her family. This thing was a life saver for my home and I wish I had known about it sooner.
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2. Lactation Products
If you know the new mom is breastfeeding or is trying to, add some lactation cookies, lactation tea or lactation chocolate milk to the care package.
Some moms struggle to get their milk supply to come in or their supply may drop during the first few months. Watching your milk decline and scrambling to find products to help increase it is pressure enough.
These products are great for a quick boost and maintenance of milk supply.
They also taste amazing and are a nice sweet treat!
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3. Postpartum Care Products
Oh how I wish someone would have sent these products to me!
Frida Mom has an amazing line of postpartum care products that would have been the biggest lifesaver during both of my postpartum journeys.
These products are specifically designed for postpartum care and are designed by people who understand what new moms need.
I can honestly say that these products were what I was missing both during a C-Section recovery and a VBAC recovery.
Postpartum Essentials Kit
This Frida Mom Essentials Kit has everything a new mom could need for postpartum recovery. If you’re unsure which specific items to include in a care package, this is the best option.
Medicated Witch Hazel Cooling Pad Liners
Witch Hazel is another way to help make the healing process easier. These cooling pad liners can just be added on top of the maxi pads for an added healing benefit.
Comfort Donut Cushion
This Frida Mom donut cushion makes sitting on the couch, a bed or a rocking chair a lot more comfortable and it keeps the new mom a bit more elevated so it’s easier to get up as well.
All-Natural Herbal + Epsom Salt Sitz Bath Tablets
These epsom salt bath tablets are a great option for postpartum recovery and self care for any new mom.
Disposable Postpartum Underwear
We have all heard about the horrendous underwear they give you in the hospital. The Frida Mom disposable underwear has a much more flattering and realistic version that makes you feel somewhat normal as a new mom.
Upside Down Peri Bottle
This peri bottle helps with both vaginal and C-section deliveries. I used a peri bottle during both recoveries and it really does help when it hurts to move.
The bottle the hospital provides doesn’t have the same bent neck which makes this a lot easier to use and takes the hassle out for the new mom.
Postpartum Ice Maxi Pads
The hospital may give a new mom some version of these, but they don’t always give them extra to take home and they are giant and uncomfortable.
However, these ice maxi pads help soothe the discomfort that comes from a vaginal delivery. I couldn’t believe what a difference the cooling feature helped with the pain.
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4. Bring Her Dinner!
A first time mom may have had time to plan ahead and make some freezer meals, but a second or third-time mom probably didn’t even have the time to think about it.
Whether you deliver a fresh, homemade meal, send a meal service for a few months, order take out or start a meal train for the new mom, it’s all appreciated and she’ll never openly ask for help in this area.
It’s best to just make the dinner, plan the meal train, schedule the delivery, etc. and tell the new mom when she should expect dinner to arrive.
She doesn’t even know she needs this kind of help, but once she gets it, you’re her new BFF for life.
Best part is, if you’re ever a new mom she’ll remember this kind gesture and will return the favor.
5. Self Care for Her
One of the most common feelings a new mom goes through is not feeling herself at all.
If she’s a first time mom, she’s dealing with how to step into this new role in life.
If she’s already a mom, she’s still having to learn and navigate adding new kiddos to the family mix.
You’re also never guaranteed how postpartum depression, baby blues, etc. will play a role each time and you’re navigating a ton of hormonal changes.
Oh, fun side note…her hair may start falling out, she may experience pain she’s never felt before, she may get a rash down there (yup, I’m talking about myself here), she’s learning how to poop again (uh-huh, that’s real too) and that’s not even the half of it.
Needless to say, new moms are already struggling with feeling like themselves so any kind of self care can help her feel a bit normal again.
Here’s a bunch of ideas for self care products in a care package for new moms:
A Journal to Document the Journey & Her Feelings
An All Natural Candle
Face Mask Pack
Essential Oil Bath Bombs
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6. A Fun Water Bottle
It’s already hard enough to remember to drink half your weight in water each day. Throw a new baby into the mix and this notion gets thrown out the window.
If the new mom is breastfeeding or pumping she actually needs to drink even more water each day. According to experts, she needs to drink 128 oz. of water per day!
Having a large water bottle like this one makes it easy for a new mom to make sure she’s staying hydrated.
The less times she has to fill the water bottle, the better.
This bottle also has fun reminders right on the bottle to remind mom when to drink up!
7. Dry Shampoo
Ok, even before kiddos, dry shampoo is life.
But, after kiddos, dry shampoo is the ultimate lifesaver when you’ve forgotten to shower for 5 days (raising my hand over here) postpartum.
This is a small product that you can add to the care package for a new mom that will make a HUGE difference in how she feels about herself.
These two are my absolute favorites and I’m a dry shampoo expert!
8. Maid Service
Can I get a hollllller? Yes, please. Hell yeah.
I mean, this sounds so fancy…a maid service?
But let’s be real, a new mom just needs a one time cleaning service during the first few weeks postpartum and it will make all the difference.
She will feel so damn fancy and it really doesn’t even have to cost an arm and a leg.
You can totally offer to be the maid and clean up around her house, but most likely she doesn’t want you poking around her shit.
However, even coming over to clean her kitchen, fold her laundry, clean the bathrooms, or pickup the kid’s rooms would be an amazing gesture.
You can always hire a cleaning service to do a one time deep clean and it will typically cost anywhere from $150-200 depending on where the new mom lives and how big her house is. You can look up a service near the new mom on Thumbtack for an accurate estimate.
A few people can go in on this service and it can really bring the cost down to make it super affordable.
9. Essential Oils/Diffuser
The smell of poop and throw up will get old very quickly.
I don’t care how cute the kid is. Poop smells like shit.
Get her a nice essential oil diffuser if she’s already into essential oils or buy her a set of oils and a diffuser if she’s brand new to the game.
This will not only help cover up the smell of all the nasty diapers and dirty dishes, but it will purify the air and create a calming environment.
I prefer to use DoTerra for my essential oils.
10. Nursing Friendly PJs
I can’t stress comfort enough. New moms need to feel comfortable all the time.
New moms also want to somewhat feel cute while they’re not really getting dressed each day.
A new set of PJs that are nursing friendly will help the new mom feel put together and she’ll be comfortable all day.
New moms also tend to be warm since they’re always moving so a dress or short set option would be great.
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11. Weighted Sleeping Mask/Blanket
Sleep is definitely limited as a new mom so getting the best quality sleep you can get is a must. A weighted sleeping mask or weighted blanket can provide that extra level of comfort to help mama drift off quickly and stay asleep through full sleep cycles.
12. Audiobooks
Most new moms would never think to turn on an audiobook during the day as a form of self care.
Maybe you have a favorite book you could recommend or check out these book options below for new moms.
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13. Gift Cards
Who doesn’t love money to spend on whatever they want/need?
Gift cards are an easy way to show your support. yet give a new mom the freedom to buy what she needs/wants at the time.
Amazon gift cards are always a great option if you aren’t sure what the new mom needs!
14. Spa Day!
We already talked about the fact that new moms are usually riding the hormonal wave and aren’t taking good enough care of themselves.
Why not find a local spa and set the new mom up with a hair appointment, mani/pedi day or postpartum massage?
She will love you to death! Especially if you are willing to watch the new baby while she’s enjoying a day of pampering or you set the whole thing up with her partner ahead of time so they can watch baby!
15. Mom Jewelry
This is one of my favorites! New moms love to show off how proud they are of taking on this new role and they can never have enough jewelry sporting their new baby’s initials!
16. A Quality Swaddle for the Little One
If a new mom is expected to get any kind of quality sleep, that means the new baby also needs to get some good, quality sleep in.
Swaddles are not all created equal, but I’ve used both of these brands below and they are awesome!
Both of them provide swaddles that transition with the baby until they no longer need a swaddle to get good sleep.
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FAQs for New Mom Care Packages
What should I bring a new mom?
New moms will not ask for enough help so the most important thing really isn’t what should you bring a new mom, but just do something for her without asking. She will be happy with any of the ideas listed above!
What is the best gift for a new mom?
Really anything that will help her get more sleep, clean her house for her, make all the dinners, make her feel like herself again, etc. It comes down to anything practical.
Should I bring the new baby a gift when I visit?
Sure! If that’s something you’d like to do then of course. Just make sure it’s practical and it’s something the baby actually needs. Maybe ask the partner or relative ahead of time so you know it’s something the family is missing.
What do new parents really want?
It’s all about making the parents feel comfortable and giving them things that provide them with time. Time is something they can’t get back and it’s also the most important thing they want to focus on with the new baby.
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