Mother’s Day “Love Coupon” Ideas for an Expectant Mom!

If you or someone you love is expecting their first baby this Mother’s Day, you might be wondering how to honor or celebrate the occasion.  Do you remember making coupons for hugs or cleaning your room to celebrate your mom?  Here are some love coupon ideas to honor the expectant mom in your life.

Honoring motherhood is something we do every day at Birthways and we find that what means the most to new families, is care, attention, and presence through the amazing but often overwhelming journey.

We share some ideas to celebrate the seeds of motherhood and send wishes to expectant moms that they enjoy happiness, health, and peace as they make their way towards welcoming their babies in the year ahead!

To Honor Your Pregnant Partner…

Plan a special getaway

Maybe you can plan a luxurious weekend or perhaps, just an afternoon dedicated to carving time out as a couple to talk, to plan, and to dream your life as parents.   Often I hear from expectant moms that they want to have conversations with their mate, about everything from what music they want to listen to during labor, or about birth options they are thinking about, or even to share a fear that keeps cropping up, and there just isn’t time in busy lives to make it happen.    Use this occasion to make time for the important dreaming, planning, and belly-rubbing that keeps you connected through this new experience!  Look for an upcoming post with some suggested conversations to have as expectant parents!

For Mothers & Daughters

If you get a chance to see or talk with your mothers on Mother’s day- this year probably has some special meaning for you both.  If you’re on the edge of being a grandmother, this is a journey for you too!  As you both may have expectations of one another (“I want to meet this baby right away!” colliding with “I am hoping to meet this baby with few distractions”  or “I hate seeing you in pain” joining “I’m trusting that I can do this naturally”).  Sometimes, it’s when mom was a great mom or an expert in some way that daughters may feel worried about living up to it!  From our view of families, it’s a given that there will be moments when needs and wishes collide!  Perhaps you can create a special commitment to drink a cup of tea while focusing on just hearing one other- without agenda and with an intention of welcoming compassion and curiosity, you might discover something new and wonderful about each other!

For Expectant Mothers Missing Their Mother…

Mother’s Day is often difficult enough for those who have experienced the loss of a parent but during pregnancy, these losses can feel intensified.  If you are grieving the loss of a mother, take time out to journal.  If there was something you wish you could ask your mom or something you would want to share, what would it be?
Find ways to bring mothering into your life for your pregnancy, parenting and beyond.   Maybe there are people who might know a detail or two about your birth or your young childhood that they could share.  Consider reaching out to hear stories you might not have heard before, or you want to hear again!
Identify women that fill that role in some small or large way and think about ways to ask for what you might need.  Plan for a doula.  This professional ‘mothers the mother’; meeting needs that we all have for care, support and encouragement.

Supporting the New Family

While there is a long list of baby gear options and a whole lot of cuteness out there when you look at baby things, at the end of the day, new parents need comfort, reassurance, a hot meal, a shower and a nap.   Consider how to create a cushion of support for the new family.

Meals

Every new family can be supported with home-cooked meals brought to them after the baby arrives.  Organizing a calendar with apps like www.takethemameal.com , www.mealtrain.com,  or  www. signupgenius.com can help a group of supporters to plan.  To make an extra special Mother’s Day gift, try to collect some family recipes that have special meaning to be included in the meal calendar and begin a cookbook that can be shared with the next generation.

Doula Services/Gift Registry for Support

Look into resources in your local community to arrange doula care.  At Birthways, families can use their gift for any of our services, including childbirth preparation, lactation services, labor support or postpartum care, where a doula comes to support the new family at home.   The care at home involves supporting the family with all the new parent questions, including all the ‘firsts’ involved with newborn care, breastfeeding, postpartum comfort concerns and more while we make great meals, run errands and help with laundry.

Give a Gift to Honor Motherhood

During pregnancy, we join a community of mothers and the shared experience can connect us deeply.  Perhaps to honor the loved ones in your life that perch on the precipice of motherhood, you can make a difference in the lives of women in your local communities and globally by making a donation to these or other organizations that impact the wellbeing of mothers and families.

Those struggling with a perinatal mood disorder need access to trained experts and reassurance that they will recover. Families with a loved one experiencing perinatal mood disorders need a place to go to better understand the often overwhelming and confusing experience.  This organization has been meeting these needs and more and reminding those affected that : “You are not alone.  You are not to blame.  With help, you will be well.”

The mission of Postpartum Support International is to promote awareness, prevention and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing in every country worldwide.
http://www.postpartum.net/donate/

Since 1996, Health Connect One has been training health workers to offer community based care, including doula services, to low-income or at risk families.  Their vision is to see every baby, mother, and family thrive in a healthy community.

http://www.healthconnectone.org

We have all been impacted by hearing the stories of families impacted by the recent earthquakes in Nepal. The Nepal Youth Foundation offers freedom, health, shelter and education to Nepal’s most vulnerable children.  Their  Nutritional Rehabilitation Program  cares for mothers and their malnourished children for periods of approximately 6 weeks, where children gain strength and mothers are educated and empowered to meet  the nutritional needs for their families when they return home, as well as equipped to teach others in their community, making lasting change. They have organized to meet the new needs of mothers and children affected by the earthquake in Nepal in April.
http://www.nepalyouthfoundation.org/about-us/

However you celebrate Mother’s Day this year, we wish you well and send best wishes for all that is ahead!