Pregnancy is a magical time, but it can also be a little frightening, especially for first-time mothers. When your child is pregnant, you will want to give them thoughtful gifts of being there for them and helping as much as you can. That is especially true if this is your first grandchild. But can you be useful to them and not just get in their way?
Thoughtful Gifts
Think about the sort of gift she might actually want. Think back to your own experience of pregnancy and try to remember what you would have appreciated most.
Try to avoid giving the same sort of gift as everyone else will. Everyone will buy the baby newborn clothes, so perhaps you could buy clothes for when the baby is a little older. Think about gifts that are for your daughter too. Pregnancy is exhausting, so she might like some pampering products or some soft slippers. If she’s put on bed rest, perhaps you could gift her something like a selection of her favorite magazines to keep her occupied.
Give the gift of your time. With a new baby, they will be very busy. You could help by bringing in some pre-cooked meals for the freezer, like large lasagnas or a casserole. They are bound to appreciate some of Mom’s cooking when are they busy with the new baby. You could service gifts like offering to do things like bring in some groceries, or watching any older children take off some of the pressure of daily life.
Make Time For Her
Pregnancy can be lonely for a lot of women. They have less energy which can make it harder to go out and do normal things like seeing their friends. If they’ve stopped working, they may be missing their job. Spend time with her to help her feel like everything is like it used to be. Go round to visit or invite her out for lunch. If she’s tired, arrange a spa day for the two of you as a treat.
If you think she might be lonely, make a habit of a regular phone call. If she’s a first-time mother, she might be feeling anxious. Let her talk through her worries, and ask you any questions about pregnancy and birth. If you have good advice from your own pregnancies, give it to her, but only if she asks you for it. Ask her if she’d like some company for any maternity appointments. Sometimes having someone with you who understands can be very reassuring.
Be A Source Of Information
New parents always have lots of questions. Googling symptoms can cause some alarm, but lots of first-time parents turn to Google to research any worries they have like labor pains, what is the mucus plug, or what is the difference between Braxton Hicks or real contractions. To save them from an internet scare, offer to be her on-call question answering service. If they have questions, let them ask you and you can answer them from your experience as a mother or father, without frightening them. Then point them to their provider for any questions you cannot answer.