Why I think we should throw New Mommy Showers

Hear me out! I don't think we should get rid of baby showers, or anything like that. Those sweet babies deserve to be celebrated! And, of course, being gifted all the baby paraphernalia is both fun and very needed. Definitely keep the baby shower if you are able to.

Here's what I'm proposing:

we start a movement to also throw New Mommy Showers, or at least emphasize moms ALSO being pampered and cared for at their Baby Showers.

It's true that a lot of baby showers already include some things for the mom-to-be, like creating a basket of mommy advice cards, or playing games that help mama start thinking about baby's upcoming needs. But can we take that a step further, and really support the new mama with both gifts for self-care and maybe even services to support her?

New moms often immediately start pouring every ounce of energy and every resource into their new baby's needs (which again, is definitely important - I'm not taking away from that!) They research the safest carseats, the best high chairs, and most interesting toys and gadgets. Time and funds go into all things baby. But what about what mom needs for herself?

New moms tend to get into very uncomfortable, prolonged, repetitive positions. They have to pick baby up over and over throughout the day, and possibly hold baby for long periods of time. This involves a lot of bending, stooping, pulling, twisting. They have to feed baby (whether that's bottle or breast), which involves shoulders hunching, backs getting sore, and necks cramping. And those are just two examples! They do all of this while hardly sleeping, hardly caring for our own basic needs (hello, shower, where are you?! WHAT are you, anyway?!) Moms' bodies are healing from vaginal or Cesarean deliveries, which involves soreness, bleeding, and discomfort. Their hormones are out of whack, and they may feel extra tired, foggy, extra hot/cold, weepy. Their brains are on overdrive. Their bodies are barely getting by with their very last bar of energy.

In order to be set up for success during the huge transition to motherhood, it would be so helpful to have things be available and easily accessible to feel better - things like pain remedies, supports for more comfortable positioning, organizational items to prep what mom needs and have it right at her fingertips, snacks or meals, postpartum kits. Services to help care for baby, heal the core/pelvic floor, and work on improving ergonomics and getting out of pain to be able to really participate in life and motherhood with a little more balance and joy and a little less stress and overwhelm.

Moms truly need and deserve items and services to help them feel comforted, cared for, and even pampered.

Stay tuned for future blogs about ideas about lots of cool things moms want and need to feel better in their postpartum stage of life.

Let's get on this movement to make sure that women can still enjoy all the perks and excitement of a baby shower, while also feeling cared for, appreciated, and supported in their personal motherhood journey!

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Disclaimer: Content provided by mighty mOThers, LLC is informational in intent, and is not meant to replace or contradict guidance provided by your personal doctor, therapist, or other healthcare practitioner. Please contact your healthcare provider or schedule a 1:1 evaluation with an OT with specific concerns, and call 911 if you are having a physical or mental health emergency.