Moms-to-be and those who love them, take note: you’ll really want your family and friends to have read this! Try to find a sly way to send it to them, like perhaps sending them to my blog under the guise of seeing a cute baby? hehe.

Once you get the news that the baby is born, remember that the new parents will be very, very busy! Contact a close family member if you can, instead of the couple, to schedule your visit. (Parents-to-be: assign this person!) As it’s cold and flu season now, there will be a waiting period before you should see baby. Here are my guidelines:

• Be patient. It is an overwhelming time. Try to be understanding.
• Don’t wait for an invitation: they are busy! Offer to come over and be flexible if your assigned time doesn’t work out.
• Bring food! They won’t have time to cook or buy anything, and meals are so appreciated. Tips for what to make are below. [We got a gift card to a nearby eatery as well, which was awesome!]
• Alternatively, offer to help with something around the house. If you don’t want to cook (or can’t) you can always offer to vacuum, make a grocery run, or throw in some laundry. [Offers to hold the baby might be appreciated, but most likely that’s not a problem the new parents have. 🙂 In other words, that may not be “helpful.”]
• Try not to be “helpful” in a way that requires them to call you back – this might not happen – or do something at a certain time. It’s hard to know if baby will be visit-able at a given time.
• Generally don’t expect phone calls or email to be returned.
• Keep it short. Newborns eat every 1.5 to 3 hours. Mine doesn’t usually last much longer than 2 hours, and he can’t be kept waiting!
• Oh yeah, this is obvious, but wash your hands and be mindful of germs. If a newborn has an elevated temperature AT ALL they have to be taken directly to the ER. This would be unpleasant. So wash up and keep the baby away from your face/breath/mouth. If you are feeling at all differently than usual, postpone your visit.
• If you have advice for mommy, (and this doesn’t bother me at all because I’m fine taking advice and deciding what to do with it) expect that it may not be taken. Don’t be forceful. This is one I hear from a lot of moms. Try not to say anything remotely judgmental or critical – it’s an overly critical time already!

Cooking for new mothers (who are breastfeeding)

• Nothing spicy, tangy or overly seasoned
• Avoid tomatoes, strawberries
• Nothing gassy–this includes cruciferous vegetables (ex: cauliflower, broccoli), beans
• Salad lettuce (greens in general) are very hard to digest–this is probably not a problem for mom, but could be for baby
• Good ideas are simple, bland proteins, easily digestible veggies, and carbohydrates: potatoes, carrots, green beans, pasta (with olive oil or alfredo sauce), roasted chicken, a roast, bread, avocados

Your reward for reading this!