New Mommy Survival - a Welcome Home Kit

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Welcome home! Your sister, best friend or neighbor has just returned from the hospital with new baby in tow and you want to surprise her with some basics she’ll want/need for her new life as mommy.

Be sure to fill your welcome kit with essentials like diapers, wipes, baby lotion, pacifiers, hand sanitizer and burp rags. Then add some extras that will pamper and celebrate mom, too. She just worked really hard to make a baby.

Rather than just presenting all the goodies in a boring box or gift bag, consider a container that has more than one purpose. You can fill a cute laundry bag (she’ll definitely find use for that), a plastic storage bin on wheels, a pretty basket she can store and tote the things she needs when nursing, or even a color-coordinated garbage pail that will match the baby’s room.

Here are some practical and fun ideas to fill a new mommy survival kit:

• Some yummy snacks because a nursing mom needs fuel. Think healthy nutrition bars and bags of dried fruit and nuts she can grab on the go.
• Elastic hair ties or a fun headband so she’ll look pulled together, because who has time to fix their hair with a new baby around?
• Chapstick to keep mom’s lips from drying out.
• Hand cream because she’ll be washing her hands a lot.
• Vouchers for babysitting, cleaning, cooking, even printing out photos of baby or other things you are willing to do to help. Make sure she actually redeems these.
• A collection of coupons for diapers, wipes, formula and other household items you know a new mom will need lots of in the days ahead.
• An assortment of teas and honey to help her through those middle of the night feedings.
• A CD or audiobook by her favorite author so she can listen while feeding baby.
• Some of the latest gossip rags or a subscription to a parenting magazine.
A comfy nursing nighty. She may not have thought of this herself, but it’s sure to be appreciated.
• A blank journal and pen for her to keep track of her thoughts, write down baby’s schedule and more. Add a special note on the first page and, if you’re already a mother, some words of wisdom you’d like to share.

Don’t forget to hang a “Welcome Home” banner or sign on the front door when you drop off your gift to recognize the arrival of mom and baby. What new mom could ask for more?