Supporting a New Family
Everyone says they can't wait to hold your new baby when you are pregnant - but nobody says they can't wait to do all the practical stuff so you can focus on holding your new baby!
There is so much to fit in on top of your existing responsibilities when you bring a newborn into your household and less time and energy to do any of it.
If people really want to help and not just sit on the couch getting newborn snuggles, here's a list to keep pinned on your fridge or at the front door!
Process some laundry: wash, dry, sort, fold, put away … pick one or more.
Do some waste management: empty bins in the kitchen, empty the compost container, gather recyclables. Pop round on bin night or the next day to put bins out or bring them in.
Learn how to assemble the baby's cloth nappies and do a bundle while you visit.
Meal prep: breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks. Cut up fruit and vegetables. Buy fruit and vegetables. Cook a meal for the freezer. Defrost a meal from the freezer.
Do a quick tidy of bathrooms. Hang up fresh towels. Refill the toilet paper. Check there is enough toothpaste, shampoo etc and offer to add some to your shopping list.
If the new parent feels comfortable, offer hold the baby while they shower, nap, get dressed or have a cup of tea outside. Suggest you both go for a walk with the baby or offer to sit with the sleeping baby while they go for a short walk.
Order food for delivery and send them a text so they know it will be coming. Offer a delivery for lunch, as this can be overlooked. Or arrive bearing fresh sandwiches, salad, fresh fruit etc. Living on freezer meals can get repetitive!
Instead of expensive flower arrangements which quickly fade or soft toys the baby won't remember, offer a cleaner for a couple of hours to do the kitchen, bathrooms and floors.
Invite the new mother to come out for coffee with you there to help her make it less overwhelming. Going out on your own with a baby is overwhelming at first, so offer to help get them both ready, travel together and be there when the pram won't fold up properly!
An End to Endless Frozen Lasagne!
While everyone appreciates a stash of frozen meals, there is only so much lasagna or pumpkin soup you can eat before you start to dread meal times! A new approach to supporting family and friends with fresh meals is the idea of a Meal Train.
Meals can be planned and prepared within a group of people using technology to coordinate and ensure variety and freshness.
Meal Train has been operating since it began in Vermont USA in 2010. Find out how it works at mealtrain.com
In Australia, Nourishin provides a service designed for families living in Australia and New Zealand. Established in 2022, the app evens allows you to use a meal delivery service if life or distance means you can’t prepare a meal yourself.
Here at Nourishin, we are looking to bridge the gap when it comes to the expectation / reality of practical support needed for families.
Navigating the world when a newborn baby arrives, facing loss and managing an injury or illness – alongside cooking, grocery shopping, parenting, cleaning, coordinating visitors/help and keeping people in the loop can be an insurmountable list, even if everything else “goes to plan”. We know that loved ones are often left wondering how they can help – but often don’t actually get involved.
Nourishin is more than just an app; it embodies a set of core values that lie at the heart of its mission. We hope to make supporting and caring for loved ones in your life a seamless and meaningful experience, even in an increasingly disconnected world.
Similar services are available in other parts of the world. Some post-natal doulas also offer meal preparation services for new parents.
Nappy Wash Services
Some grandparents will recall services in the past who provided a delivery of clean cloth nappies twice a week, with soiled nappies taken away and washed in commercial laundries.
For parents using modern cloth nappies, its still an option in many places to have this kind of service. It makes a great gift and can relieve the workload of new parents.
In Melbourne Australia, Botanic Baby has been around since the early days of Southern Natural Parenting Network. We are happy to recommend this service . Similar services can be found in other states of Australia as well as the USA and other countries.
