Becoming a mother is a trip even if you've been down that road before. It's an amazing absolutely consuming event. It is crazy hard, beautiful, and tiring. I've been a mother for almost five years now and I still haven't had a day when I don't feel tired. There are also so many surprises that come along with becoming a parent and one of the loveliest is how many other people are willing to help if you let them.
It really is an amazing thing. People you hardly speak to or relatives you forgot you had will come bearing gifts and if they can't they will ship those gifts. It's actually a very humbling thing and makes you feel unbelievably good.
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Having said that, sometimes people don't know what to get a new mom and when they ask the new mom she might not know what she actually wants or needs, so she'll say something nice like, Oh you don't have to get me anything, but if you do, whatever it is will be fine.
That's sweet and all, but now that I've become a mother twice over, I can tell you what I would have really loved to get as gifts and I know I'm not alone. Here are my picks for the five best gifts for new moms EVER.
Image via photosavvy/Flickr
House cleaning
A quick internet search will help you find cleaning services in your location and you can adjust the services fit your budget. Any new mom will be happy to give up bathroom cleaning duties even if only for a week.
Food
Hook a new mother and her family up with food. Use an online service like Meal Train and get a bunch of friends together to plan out and deliver a week to month worth of meals. New mamás are tired and hungry, help feed them.
Image via 3liz4/Flcikr
Nook
Get her a Nook. Oh how I wish I had a Nook when I had both of my girls. All those hours spent in the dark either nursing or trying to get them to sleep. I couldn't read because the lights had to be off or I only had one free hand, my phone was too small. A Nook would have been a much welcome gift. Barnes & Noble, $199-$269
Sleep
New mothers are told to sleep whenever the baby sleeps, what a load of baloney. It doesn't work. You try, but there are dishes to be done or it's the only time you will get to yourself, or your baby wakes up the second you fall asleep. Go over to a new mami's home and as soon as her baby has been fed, you give that mami a two hour nap break with no interruptions.
Mom necklace
I still want one of these necklaces. Hint, hint! This sterling silver necklace has customizable charms and if more kids come later, more charms can be added. Etsy, $34
