There are so many various social circles we enjoy: work friends, school friends, family, people from book club, people from church, my best friend, and the random cousin I like more than my other ones. We foster relationship, and our lives develop into this dynamic hodge-podge of people. It’s awesome.
It’s no surprise, then, that we get confused when someone has a baby. Should I do something? How can I help? Does she even need help? Well, she probably has family to take care of her anyway, so I’ll just leave it alone.
We’re not even that close. Is there anything I can do, really?
The short answer is: YES!
We’ve put together this very simple infographic for people in a woman’s life to use as they support her. Maybe this will give you your answer. Maybe it will confirm what you already know or correct what you’d disregarded. Maybe it will give you an idea or spur on inspiration of your own.
The point is: if you know a mom who is in her first weeks postpartum – whether you simply know about her or she’s your closest childhood friend – you have a part to play. It could be as big as helping maintain her house or regular visits to hold her baby while she showers. But the little things – prayer, encouragement from afar, or leaving a meal on her doorstep – matter just as much.
How does Marabou support women?
We live in culture where “bouncing back” is more valued than proper rest. As admirable as it may be for a sports star to get back on the field, the same rules don’t apply to postpartum recovery. The traditional resting period has been stolen from women through pressure to get back to their job or simply through lack of presence.
Grandmas, sisters and best friends who otherwise would have been there to help a woman transition into motherhood often live too far away to be of any help. Household chores and caring for older children inevitably fall on the mom. But she just delivered a new life! She needs rest.
Marabou Services is a unique gift registry which provides services instead of stuff. Most mom’s get too many onesies, too many baby blankets and not enough helping hands. Break out of a destructive cultural norm and start a Marabou registry today.
With a Marabou registry you can sing up for any service which will benefit you or someone you know during the postpartum recovery period.
Postpartum doulas for a first time mom
House cleanings for moms of multiples
Childcare for moms with older children!
Once your registry is created, add it to any other registry or post it to your Facebook and ask friends and family contribute to your postpartum service, rather than buying you more stuff.
More and more moms find they have to figure out postpartum alone. Is it any wonder why PMDs are on the rise? Or women are embittered by the journey of motherhood? We can change that by giving the gift of peace.
