Caring for a loved one postpartum can feel like a daunting task. You don’t want to step on any toes, you don’t want to bring anything unnecessary, and you definitely don’t want to be where you’re not wanted. But you still have the best of intentions and a heart to serve.

To help, I’ve got a great list of ideas for you! Some that include easy recipes anyone can tackle, store-bought snacks, non-food options, cozy options and more. After four postpartum journeys in the last 7 years, plus dozens and dozens of conversations with postpartum moms, you’re in for a treat.

If you haven’t looked at my other postpartum articles yet, head over to here and here for a quick look at why supporting a woman postpartum is essential to everyone's health and recovery.

*I don’t receive a commission for any of these links; I genuinely find them useful.*

15 Ways to Care for a Postpartum Mom

These gift ideas are specifically for Orthodox Christian moms in their postpartum time, although many of them are great for any new mom. There will be plenty of folks gifting for the baby, so pick one or a few of the following to shower the new mama with love and encouragement. Whether it’s her first baby or her fifth, she will appreciate any of these shows of support.

1. An Icon

An icon for an Orthodox mama is always a good idea! My favorite icons for postpartum include St. Stylianos, who is known as the protector of children, the Theotokos Milk Giver, or Jesus Christ, and the Children.

2. A Book

A postpartum mama will have lots of time to sit and recover. I’ve loved a good book in my hands for all the hours of nursing my babies. And it’s much more nourishing than scrolling through my phone every time I nurse a baby. But even if the mother isn’t nursing her baby, she still has to rest so her body can recover from the beautiful marathon of delivery.

Some of my favorite book options include:

A Mother’s Prayer by Kh. Megan Gilbert

St. Paisios’ Spiritual Counsels on Family Life

The First 40 Days by Heng Ou

A Sacred Beginning: Nurturing Your Body, Mind, and Soul during Baby's First Forty Days by Sarah Brangwynne & Sasha Rose Oxnard

3. A Nourishing Meal + 3 Recipe Ideas!

Even if you’re not the best cook in the world, any of the following recipes are easy to follow and execute. Plus, they’re ultra nourishing, packed with protein, vitamins and minerals, veggies for fiber, and oh so cozy.

These paper dishes are an amazing invention and cut down the chance of losing a dish during delivery or using plastic or aluminum, which are both toxic.

Lemon and Dill Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized onions

6 carrots

6 stalks of celery

1 whole organic chicken

½ cup rice

1tbs dill

2tbs lemon juice

s/p to taste

Make broth:

In a large stock pot, combine whole chicken, 1 onion, 3 carrots, 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped, and a generous pinch of salt. Cover with filtered water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Cook chicken until internal temp reads 165 degrees.

Take the chicken out of the pot and place it on a cutting board to cool.

Strain off the used veggies and save for bone broth.

Make soup:

While chicken is cooking, chop remaining veggies and saute in a separate pot until soft and beginning to carmelize. About 10 minutes.

Sprinkle dill, salt, and pepper over veggies. Add rice and saute for another 3-4 minutes.

Add chicken broth to the new pot with veggies and simmer for 20 minutes until rice is soft. While rice is cooking, shred the meat off the chicken.

Once the rice is cooked, add all of the shredded chicken to the pot with broth and veggies. Bring everything to a simmer.

Turn off the pot and add lemon juice. Taste and add more s/p, dill, or lemon as you prefer. I like a bit of a zing.

Soy Sauce and Honey Steak Bites, Rice, and Broccoli

2lbs steak bites (scale for size of family)

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup honey

¼ olive oil

1 cup of rice (scale for size of family)

6 cups of chopped broccoli

In the morning, combine steak, soy sauce, honey, and oil in a glass container and let it marinate for at least 20 minutes up to overnight (I’ve never overmarinated meat).

Cook rice per package instructions.

To roast broccoli, heat oven to 415 degrees, dress the broccoli with olive oil, s/p, and spread evenly on a baking sheet.

Roast broccoli for 20 minutes, stir, then bake for another 20 minutes. The broccoli is done when soft and slightly crispy.

While the broccoli is roasting, saute steak bites in the marinating sauce until the steak bites are cooked through.

Assemble the meal in a preferred glass dish or paper dish for delivery.

Sweet Potato Chilli and Corn Bread

2 lbs ground meat (beef/venison/pork)

4 cups beef stock

5 cups Sweet potato (roughly two large or three medium sweet potatoes)

1 red onion

4-5 cloves garlic

1.5 cups carrots

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1-2 tsp chili powder

s/p to taste

In a large pot, saute ground meat, chopped onion, and garlic until ground meat is cooked through.

While the meat is cooking, chop the sweet potatoes and carrots.

Once the meat is cooked, add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer till sweet potatoes and carrots are soft, about 40 minutes.*

*You could also do all of this in an Instant Pot, which is my preferred method. Simply do the sauteing in your instant pot then combine all the ingredients in the pot. Cook on high for 15 minutes.

4. One-Handed Snacks

A new mama needs an extra pair of hands, but since we can’t do that, we can provide her with easy grab nourishing snacks that can be held in one hand. The following packaged food options are great because they can be stored in a basket thats right next to the moms bed or wherever she finds herself nursing and snuggling the baby.

Quiche bite cups are a good option becuase they can be made ahead and frozen. It’s so nice to have something easy to ask for that everyone knows is going to back a nutrient punch.

5. A Mug with Nourishing Tea

What mom doesn’t love a new mug to mark the momentous occasion of birth? Not only is it a practical gift that can be used daily, but it also serves as a sweet reminder of the friendship she shares with you.

Add in a nourishing tea like nettle or red raspberry leaf to encourage healthy hormone balance and help her replenish nutrient stores post-pregnancy.

6. Something Cozy

If the new mom is anything like me, she often puts everyone else's needs before her own and ends up wearing the same old sweatshirt she’s had for 10 years. Gifting a mom a new cozy outfit, socks, or blanket all lend comfort during the many days of rest and recovery.

Aim for natural fibers whenever possible because they breathe better than synthetic fibers, and a postpartum body sweats a lot.

Check these out!

7. An Herbal Bath Kit

Midwives and wise women worldwide know how powerful herbs are for healing and restoration. God gave us many different medicinal herbs and flowers to work with when healing, especially healing from pregnancy and birth. There are many options available online these days. I’ve linked my favorite here, owned by a fellow Orthodox Mama.

8. A Journal and a Nice Pen

A beautiful journal and pen are a great option for the friend you know likes to write! Talking about and writing the birth story is an essential part of healing. Whether her experience was good or bad, writing helps her to process and reflect on what she experienced.

9. A Gift Card for Grocery Delivery

This gift option is perfect for the person who can’t bring a meal but wants to help nourish the family! I’ll be honest, I didn’t start to utilize grocery delivery till my fourth child, and it was a game changer! I’m not able to indulge in this perk often, but when I do, it’s such a blessing. Even more so for the new mama who can’t easily make it to the grocery store.

10. A Gift Card to Her Local Chiropractor

Not everyone utilizes bodywork during pregnancy/postpartum, but they should! It has so many benefits post-birth and can help her recover more efficiently.

11. A Gift Card for an In-House Massage

Again, bodywork is SO powerful postpartum, but leaving the house isn’t always a great option for a freshly postpartum mama. If she has close proximity to an in-house masseuse, this unexpected gift will do wonders for her.

12. Take the Older Kids Out

This option is probably best suited for a friend or family member who has a close relationship with the family. Only you know your relationship with the family. But don’t underestimate how helpful it is to take the big kids out for a few hours. The new family is probably itching for a change of scenery, and even a walk at the park or running around an indoor mall is a great free option.

13. House Cleaning Service

I get it, this may seem like a luxury gift, but a professional house cleaning is a gift that any new mom would appreciate. Moms are notorious for doing wayyy more than we should postpartum, so if you’re able to gift a cleaning service, you’ll give a clean house “if only for an hour” and gift the mama an opportunity to rest.

14. Nourishing Ready-Made Meal Service

There are SO many subscription services out there, and a short-term meal service can be helpful for a new family unit. Just make sure you’re choosing a service that prioritizes nourishing meals free from preservatives and additives.

This one offers a customizable menu based on multi-factor needs.

15. A Designated Birth-Story Date

If you’re the birth-nerd friend who wants all the gory and glory details of the labor and birth, let the mama know! Sometimes we need permission to share our story, so set up the date, bring over the iced coffee, and open up those ears.

Caring for a Postpartum Mom isn’t Complicated

As you can see, there are many different ways to care for a new mom. Whether she’s a newbie or a pro, she needs to be cared for, too! So take some time to consider how she needs help and then go all out. You’ll never regret caring for a freshly postpartum mom.

And just a gentle reminder, if you go over to the mom’s house, please don’t ask to hold the baby. Mom needs to be loved and supported while SHE holds her baby. If she offers a snuggle, of course do as you wish, but many moms only hand over a baby because they “feel bad” when someone asks. There is plenty of time to hold the baby when mom is ready.

If you found this article helpful, I’d appreciate a comment with your favorite gift idea and for you share it with your friends and family. And if you want more articles like these directly to your inbox, make sure you sign up for the monthly newsletter below.

How to Support a Christian Mama Postpartum