Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
Welcoming a new addition to the family into your home can be a wonderful, challenging, sleep-deprived and exciting time in your life.
New parents plan the nursery months ahead and start stocking up on all the baby essentials such as nappies, wipes, toiletries and the big-ticket items such as strollers, car seats and a crib or cot. Researching which baby formula is the closes to breastmilk in South Africa may be a priority.
Most new moms have a rough idea of what needs to go into the hospital bag but often don’t think about these basic items.
A wonderful and thoughtful baby shower gift that you can consider is a new Mom survival kit. This kit is basically a hamper filled with essential and non-essential items that can make a new Mommy’s life a whole lot easier.
If you don’t receive one at your baby shower, you can make one for yourself or consider gifting one as a gift for a friend’s baby shower in future.
It really is up to you to decide what you would like to include in the hamper or gift basket. In this article we’ve compiled a basic list of items for consideration.
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New Mom Survival Kit
For Mom:
- Dry Shampoo
Once you’ve taken your new-born home everything changes. Your daily routine will revolve around that small little baby and her needs only. Moms often don’t find the time to wash their hair as regularly as they did before. Dry shampoo can instantly clean your hair and give it a spruced-up appearance.
- Healthy snacks
Between nappy changes, feeds and catching up on household chores in between, moms don’t always find the time to prepare a meal three times a day. A few healthy snacks such as protein bars, nuts and dried fruit can be extremely helpful in giving you a much-needed boost and keeping up your energy levels, especially for Moms that are breast feeding. Snacks are a necessity in the mom survival kit.
- Facial wipes
A much-needed item for those days when you couldn’t find the time to jump in the shower. Wipes that are mildly scented or unscented is perfect for wiping your face and neck for a quick refresh.
- Bottled water
Dehydration is key during those first few weeks, especially for new moms that are nursing. It is imperative to drink a lot of water, more than usual when breastfeeding. Breast milk contains mostly water therefore you need to drink plenty of fluids daily. Drinking enough water will keep you hydrated, healthy and assist with maintaining breast milk supply.
- Slippers
Slippers are always a great gift. A pair of slip-on slippers which are open at the back is perfect for when you quickly need to put them on or take them off (especially during your hospital stay).
- Hand and body lotion
After giving birth, you body goes through changes and slowly but surely get back to its normal state pre-birth and a body lotion can work wonders to rejuvenate and hydrate dry skin.
- Lip balm
An essential item to keep your lips moist and a tinted lip balm can be a useful item when you’re out and about and don’t have time to put on make-up.
- Hand sanitiser
A great item for keeping your hands clean especially when handling your new-born who is a lot more susceptible to germs and bacteria. You can even use it to keep the area clean or on small cuts and bruises. All-in-all a great item.
- Cosy socks
With your body going through some temperature fluctuations during the first few weeks after giving birth, having a pair of cosy socks close-by can be comforting. Also, it is advised to have a pair of socks handy when giving natural birth to avoid your feet from getting cold.
Additional treats for Mom (optional)
- Parenting magazines or books
For those times in between when Mom needs has a few minutes to relax and and just to take her mind of things. Also, a great item for hospital to pass the time and read up on helpful tips and tricks relating to parenthood.
- Chocolate
Most women adore chocolate and adding some luxury dark chocolate bars to the hamper is a great way of showing that you’ve given this kit some special thought and it will certainly bring a smile to the new Mommy’s face. Generally, pregnant or breast-feeding Moms can’t eat too much chocolate due to the caffeine content, therefore it’s best to choose high quality dark chocolate.
- Notebook & pen
A great little gift for when Mom needs to scribble down important notes, ideas or dates relating to her new-born and birth.
- Scented candle
Being a new mom is not always moonshine and roses in between changing diapers, burping and feeding your new-born that’s why a scented candle is a great little addition to the kit to create a soothing ambience in the room while providing a great fragrance. Just be mindful to pick one that doesn’t have a strong fragrance.
For baby:
- Baby lotion
Baby oil is a must-have item that can be used for both Mom and baby. It is a great item to keep your hands soft and moisturised and a great alternative for your usual hand creams that may contain harmful chemicals.
- Comfy Onesie
Always great to have an extra onesie for those unexpected accidents when baby threw up or soiled all over his clothes.
- Baby blanket
It is always a good idea to have a baby blanket on-hand for swaddling baby or when the day suddenly become chilly. Baby blankets are generally a great comfort item to have due.
- Burp cloths
Burp cloths are an essential item, especially during those first three months when baby often needs to be burped after every feed. New-borns generally have a lot of winds as they swallow air while feeding.
You can even consider having the baby’s name embroidered on the burp cloth to make the gift more personalised.
New Mom survival kit. What a great idea. It can be very daunting for a first time mom to figure out what’s really needed for a baby and what ends up not being used at all. Thats where getting something like this from an experienced mom comes in handy.
Yes I totally agree @nikki1 – this is a lovely article written by @loupie – I can remember going to the baby store when I was about 7 months pregnant with my first baby and just staring at the rows and rows of bottles, bibs, pacifiers and all the other baby goodies not having a clue as to what I would need for the hospital and the first few weeks.
It can be so intimidating! This is a wonderful list of essentials for new moms and a great list of things to buy a close friend or family member that is expecting.
Thanks @nikki1 for reading my article and giving feedback. I remember being pregnant myself. It can be quite overwhelming to remember what to buy. Mom’s often think about the baby but what about us Mom’s? I would have loved to have a survival kit. It’s such a thoughtful and sincere gift and you can personalise and add as many or few items as you wish. 😁 thanks for the tag @Lynne. X
You are so right about that @loupie – its taken a very long time for me to realize that I need to look after myself too!
Thanks for sharing this…moms always think about baby..but not herself…i always give a gift for the moms at a baby shower…lovely list of essentiels…thanks so much Lynne
These would be more than great to have.
This is a great care package. most of the time the moms are forgotten and gifts are only for baby.