Perhaps it’s a neighbor you just moved into the area, or a new co-worker. After the birth of a new baby, what do you do for or bring to the family, especially when you don’t know them all that well? This question brought out the best in chambanamoms.com readers, who responded in droves on our Facebook page. Their suggestions are truly universal, and show how kind and “Midwestern” our community is. Just another reason to love Champaign-Urbana. (All the references to brownies? That was in the original question.)
Without further ado:
MOST COMMON ANSWERS
“Gift certificate for takeout food.”
“Meal to reheat.”
“Brownies.”
“Any food that doesn’t require prep on her part would be much appreciated. Frozen lasagna or casserole or enchiladas are great!”
OUR FAVORITE ANSWERS
“Brownies and diapers. LOL”
“Brownies are nice. and if she can’t use them for some reason, she won’t be angry with you for making a nice gesture. Sometimes I think we worry too much about people being offended by our offers of kindness, so we isolate ourselves from each other.”
“Yes to brownies! And paper plates!”
A LITTLE GESTURE GOES A LONG WAY:
“We were new to our neighborhood when we had our first. My sweet next door neighbor brought over a basket with caffeine-free hot chocolate, muffins, smoothie mixes, bagels & cream cheese, etc. I still remember that gesture 13 1/2 years later!”
“Despite being new to the block we were spoiled by our neighbors when we had our baby. Some bagels and fruit provided easy snacks throughout those crazy first couple weeks.”
“When I had my first son on a military base a woman brought me a basket with lotion and chocolates, was so thoughtful.”
DON’T FORGET THAT HEALTHY CAN BE GOOD:
“She will appreciate anything you bring, but I also remember being really grateful when someone brought me a fairly healthy meal.”
“As a new mom several times over, I would have loved cut up fresh fruit or veggies! I had so many cookies and muffins brought over (which was so nice, believe me!) but I craved fresh fruit and veggies but had no time to do it myself.”
HEARTY MEAL IDEA: “A nice big batch of whatever home cooked hearty goodness (even better if there’s enough there will be leftovers ) is like THE most valued thing I have received postpartum.”
OTHER SUGGESTIONS:
“Be conscious of when you stop by to avoid waking baby.” ….
“Brownies are nice! However, if you don’t know the person, she may be unsure about accepting home-baked goods. Store bought is always a safe way to go.”
“The only down side (of bringing something over) is that if her house is a mess she might feel bad about asking you in, so if you drop it off you could say you wanted her to have this and maybe you could get together later so she doesn’t feel pressured to ask you in.”
“Be sure to include a card with your name and phone number and tell them they’re welcome to call with any new-neighbor questions. I was so fuzzy post-partum that I couldn’t remember a name or an address or anything.”
“If you take food, label what’s in it, is my advice. We had food allergies so I was worried, but SO grateful. Opens up a great relationship.”
“They will really appreciate anything. It’s great to reach out, and I’m sure as a new mom, your neighbor will appreciate you reaching out. As a new mom, I just wanted to build a network of other moms going through or who had been through the same thing!”
“Don’t expect to stick around their house though. Make an exit quickly and say when they feel up to it that you’d love to meet.”
What would you add?