After childbirth care is such a great way to love on the new mommies in our lives, – giving gifts of meals, home upkeep, sibling childcare and taking a few night-shifts with the new baby are all wonderful ways to encourage young families.

Extenuating circumstances opened up an unusual opportunity for me to serve my daughter in my home after the birth of her fourth child. With her husbands encouragement and support, we were able to create a Post-Baby Mini-Retreat that I’m excited to share with you!

Traditionally, after baby care has been in my daughters’ home, following a short stay at the hospital. There, with her husband’s help, I would keep house chores running, food on the table and provide childcare for siblings. This scenario has worked well, giving my daughter and son-in-law extended time to rest and get on their feet a bit with a new addition to their family.

This time, however, my daughter’s family is preparing to move to a new home in a few short weeks. She knew her mind and body would not be able to rest, surrounded by the necessary dismantled condition of their current home. My home then became the solution for her to get a few extra days of quiet rest towards healing. Following are primary elements of a Post-Baby Mini-Retreat.

1. Helpers, clear your calendar.

I tell folks my middle name is Flexibility. Although I’m obviously joking, it seriously seems to me that thirty umpteen years of marriage and mothering have made me one of the most flexible folks on the planet. Still, I have a calendar and some daily expectations of myself. Babies don’t seem to care much for either of those things, so if I intend to serve my girls with after baby care, I need to plan a fair amount of flex time to make that possible.

2. Establish and provide for sibling childcare needs.

I don’t know of any mother who could possibly go through childbirth and recovery without the peace of mind knowing her other children were well cared for. This is a foundational element of retreat that most others stand on. In our case, there has always been supporting help of varying degrees that has enabled me to serve my daughters and sister, directly.

Recently moving to town, my daughter’s dear mother-in-law has taken on most of the sibling and home care this time. Lord bless her! It’s been incredibly helpful to partner with her, though we’ve only crossed paths a few times through the process.

3. Provide and maintain a clean, quiet, and inviting space.

My daughters are all quite capable women. They each uniquely keep up with life, and it’s happenings, with admirable strength. But when it comes to rest time, – not so much. With rest being essential to their eventual postpartum healing and renewed strength, it’s necessary to provide an inviting, quiet space where incomplete work is not “calling out” to them. Whether my home or theirs, readiness is essential in providing a restful retreat.

4. Take time to relax with the new parents, sharing stories, encouragement, and requested advice.

New baby arrivals are such a lovely time in life, don’t you think?! They are bursting full of potential bonding moments. During this time of healing, I’ve noticed my girls enjoy reminiscing over family birth stories and generational mothering experiences. Additionally, discovering together that their new little one has Great-Grandma’s toes is just the sweetest thing!

Make sure to give gifts of affirmation and thoughtful encouragement along with your more tangible gifts of food, work, and time. They are a genuine blessing anytime, but especially to mommies finding their way through the maze of early motherhood.

New mommies can sometimes feel an uneasiness when accepting the help gifted to them. A quick word of reassurance is quite helpful. My daughter text home to check on their family. She laughed and shared her husband’s response, “Everybody is fine. Stop feeling guilty.” She brightened and giggled as she said, “He knows me too well.”

I have felt especially privileged when my girls ask for my advice on mothering. Of all the women in the world, what an honor it is to be directly asked! I highly suggest waiting to give advice until it is requested. When it comes naturally, you will have invested trust and respect towards each other, – both treasured gifts beyond words.

5. Prepare and provide beautiful, delicious, health-promoting food.

A split moment after the birth of our first grandchild, it became apparent that my daughter was hemorrhaging. Thankfully, her midwife and supporting medical team recognized what was happening and were able to treat her without lasting harm. Still, she was beyond usual, weakened by this incident.

That’s the day Dr. Mom (aka me/Grammie!) prescribed and began the tradition of post-partum iron-rich meals, paired with health-promoting snacks and boatloads of water. All of our daughters and closest young mom friends have received intentional care with these criteria.

Now after eight grandchildren, I have a slew of suggested meal inspirations on my Pinterest Boards that meet all sorts of possible scenarios. Seasons, personal favorites, allergies, and cravings, – not to mention daddies and siblings, are all taken into consideration before determining actual menus served.

During this latest Post-Baby Mini-Retreat, my daughter was able to stay approximately three days. I served her the following meals:

Grilled Mozzarella Chicken on Pasta and Spinach

Black and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Parfaits topped with Honey and Almond Butter Granola

Beefy Asian Stir Fry Bowls

Tuna stuffed Avocado Boats on Spinach with Blackberries and Salt&Pepper Potato Chips

Sloppy Joe on Whole Grain Toast, topped with Fresh Coleslaw and a side of Carrots

Eggs, Asparagus and Greens on Whole Grain Toast with Applewood Bacon and Blueberries

Wedged Envy Apple with Almond Butter

6. Prioritize time for visiting family and loved ones.

Another favorite tradition around here is the earnest race to meet and greet the long-awaited new family member. This tradition began with a whole family cross-country trek for our first addition, followed by several all-nighter hangouts in various hospital waiting rooms for those who have joined us since, – except for the one homebirth where the midwife advised us to hang back a bit.

Nowadays since we’ve grown way beyond double our original seven, and with young children often restricted entirely from hospital visits, these meetings are having to wait until the new babies are home.

All that to say, life is worthy of celebration! When possible, family and closest friends should have the ability to ‘party it up’ a bit when a new member arrives, – within reason of course. Mom and baby can only take so much, so keep these early visits intentionally quick but dear.

7. Take the overnight shift.

If there’s one thing all new babies are famous for, it’s parental exhaustion. It’s an unavoidable phenomenon that’s likely to hover around young households for months to come. That being the case, and the likelihood that late pregnancy and childbirth has already knocked the young couple far into a sleep deprived state, why not take a few nightshifts for them?

Night shifts with my brand new grandchildren have been some of the sweetest early bonding times I’ve known. There’s literally no competition for this time slot. And except for several times where I take the baby to mama for feeding, I get them right back again for long uninterrupted hours of cuddle time while the new parents sleep. It’s a win, win for everyone!

Bonus Element: Set up a Professional Photo shoot.

Non-essential for a retreat per se, but what a great idea! My son-in-law set up an appointment with Karsyn Overdorf Photography. She did a fantastic job of photographing sibling love and family personality. She was exceptionally professional and quick, – essential with children and of course, mommie retreat time. The family now has beautifully recorded memories of welcoming their new son and brother to the family. Absolutely precious!

In conclusion, I must say, no gift of this magnitude is ever accomplished alone. Without further listing, I find that the multiple layers of help serve to highlight the expansive breadth and preciousness of motherhood.

If you aren’t already serving in some capacity, I hope this post inspires you to begin passionately and creatively helping the young mothers in your lives.

I would love to hear your ideas and traditions! What elements of post-baby care have been most helpful for you? How does your family or community celebrate a new life? In what ways do you choose to serve new moms as they recover from pregnancy and birth? Let’s Chat!

Related Post: Best Gifts For New Moms

Does all this loveliness sound entirely impossible? Perhaps a well-planned gift is better suited to serve the new mom in your life. Check out Grammie’s highly suggested, experientially researched list of encouraging, ‘Best Gifts for New Moms.’