Gifts for a brand-new mama?

[*Devon*]

Hi!

I am a postpartum doula, and I am putting together a little gift basket for my clients.

So far, I'm thinking:

~Nursing tea handmade by a friend
~Eye pillow with lavender (not that they have time for it but it's nice to think about) made by me
~Arnica for post-birth soreness

What else can you suggest to pamper the mamas? Anything etsy or WAHM-made especially would be awesome! I want to support lots of handcrafters Anything you could possibly think of is great - I'm brainstorming!

[GoGoGirl]

Cool idea! Here are some things I thought of.

An herbal sitz bath.

Homemade granola bars, or some kind of shelf-stable snack they can keep near their nursing station.

Sleep mask for the partners--I had to keep a lamp on to latch DD during the first week of night feedings, and DH had a really hard time sleeping without complete darkness.

Compile a little book of poetry about motherhood/motherlove to read while nursing. I always needed something to read while I was nursing. And I was so blown away by the love I felt for DD; I would have loved to read something from women feeling similar emotions.

[jimblejamble]

Massage? I turned one down (my MIL was going to schedule one for me) because usually I don't like people touching me but now I am kicking myself. To quote The Golden Girls, "I'm wound up tighter than a girdle on a Baptist minister's wife at an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast" and I would keeeellllll for a massage now!!!

[*Devon*]

Originally Posted by GoGoGirl

An herbal sitz bath.

Homemade granola bars, or some kind of shelf-stable snack they can keep near their nursing station.

Sleep mask for the partners--I had to keep a lamp on to latch DD during the first week of night feedings, and DH had a really hard time sleeping without complete darkness.

Compile a little book of poetry about motherhood/motherlove to read while nursing. I always needed something to read while I was nursing. And I was so blown away by the love I felt for DD; I would have loved to read something from women feeling similar emotions.

I love these ideas! And I actually put together a book like that for my bff's Blessing, I can dig the file up on my computer.

And I love the idea of homemade granola/bars/ trail mix. I am also planning to bring over a lasagne or soup or something, but the snacks are so important too!

Originally Posted by JessicaRenee

Massage? I turned one down (my MIL was going to schedule one for me) because usually I don't like people touching me but now I am kicking myself. To quote The Golden Girls, "I'm wound up tighter than a girdle on a Baptist minister's wife at an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast" and I would keeeellllll for a massage now!!!

: Unfortunately, a massage for every client is a little out of my price range, but I'll definitely keep it in mind as a gift idea for friends!

[Boot]

I felt so smelly and oozy for weeks after giving birth that I have sworn to give all new mamas a nice shower gel or soap. Also, a simple elasticated bracelet to remind them which side they nursed on last would be good. I'm using one a little kid made me.

[crunchy_mommy]

Maybe a reusable water bottle... a book/magazine... relaxation CD...

[*Devon*]

Ooo, an issue of Mothering! Great idea!

[jess5377]

I really like the granola bar idea and the bracelet to remind them which side they last nursed on.

It's not homemade, but my $10 bite-valve Camelbak water bottle is my greatest nursing accessory. I can kick it across the floor, pick it up with my toes, toss it in the bed, drink hands-free. You could use it as your "basket" and put all the other items inside.

[bender]

nursing tea?

[Friendlee]

LOVE the ideas of granola bars and sitz bath and nursing tea. I was researched out by the time I had the baby and wanted some sort of sitz bath but just didn't know what stuff to use or where to get it. I would have loved both of those things.

And, now I'm convinced that I need a camelback for the next baby!

And, I would kill for a massage now too, 5 months post partum. But I remember my mom offering one when earlier on and I cringed at the thought of laying down on my boobs! Maybe they do it some special way for newly nursing mothers?

Anything aromatherapy or meditation related would be great I would think.

If you look at Etsy, you can find those knit beanie hats that are so versatile because they allow you to clip on any bow or ostrich feathers or some other adorable poof. If the client has a girl, that'd be a fun thing to include for future photo shoots.

And, this isn't homemade, but I always really wanted those gel tubes (Earth Mama, Angel Baby I think) that you can freeze and lay around the nipple instead of on the nipple. Often I just laid in bed at night quietly in pain and wondered if those would have helped. I was too exhausted at the time to remember to ask my dh or my mom to run out and get them during waking hours.

[jdg]

Originally Posted by *Devon*

: Unfortunately, a massage for every client is a little out of my price range, but I'll definitely keep it in mind as a gift idea for friends!

You could try approaching local massage therapists, telling them about the gift basket, and see if they would be willing to donate coupons for one reduced-fee massage per new mama. MTs are usually looking to build their client base, so offering specials for new clients is not unusual. A coupon isn't as good as a free massage, but it might give those new moms the "excuse" they need to splurge on themselves!

You could also do the same with a local yoga studio - coupons for free or reduced-fee trial sessions would let new mamas stretch out.

[*Devon*]

Ooo, great idea! I bet I could do that for natural parenting stores too, see if they'd give a discount coupon for baby carriers or something. Hmmm...