Tag: pre motherhood

If you’re reading this you’re probably expecting a little one soon (or looking for gift ideas for someone you know) so let me start off with CONGRATS! What a blessed time in your life, so exciting, so wonderful and so… so overwhelming.

I had no idea what to expect or prepare for my first child. What I should have been doing is Pinteresting the sh*t out of the subject of childbirth, baby showers, after baby care and so on… but I didn’t feel the need to. I was being gifted left and right with tons and tons of baby products from friends and family. Crib, Blankets, books, Stroller, bassinet, formula, diapers galore.

Being pregnant with my first child at 25 I was still fairly young. None of the girlfriends around me were pregnant or had a child. Well, there were a very few but they either lived really far or I just never spoke with them.  During my pregnancy and early marriage 99% of my girls were single, hot and partying in Vegas every weekend… I would live vicariously through their Facebook photos from my laptop eating my pint of ice cream on each passing weekend. I didn’t have many places to go or people to talk to about my pregnant life and what I should be expecting. The little advice I did get was from my mom… which is great advice and all but let me be real for a minute: She was pregnant back in 1986.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of obvious “Baby Shower Gift Idea” lists out there on the internet filled with the best products for your child… but what about you? Don’t forget, NEVER FORGET to take care of yourself first. You are an amazing person giving life to another human! You deserve the splurge, you need just a moment to focus on yourself and enjoy life.

Happy mom = Happy Baby & Family. Period.

The baby essentials such as crib and stroller will be gifted to you or at least pitched in for through your registry but here’s my small list of ways you can spoil yourself (and ask your baby shower attendees to spoil you with) for your baby shower. I wish I had done these!

1. Get your nails done and a pedicure, opt for gel. You won’t get too many chances to get your nails done often so you’d want something that would last as long as possible.
2. Get a haircut or trim or something really easy to style. I’ve found long hair to be easier to manage than short just because I could leave the house with a messy bun on a rushed morning.
3. Ask for gift cards to your favorite retail stores and shop your heart out for half a day after baby. Note: Don’t walk into the store until 4 months or later after baby arrives because you’ll risk trying on those skinny jeans or bikini you’ve had your eyes on and cry when they don’t fit right… Uhm, Not like it’s happened to me, Just saying.
4. Go on a short vacation ALONE. You don’t need your boyfriend or husband or whoever, save that for the baby moon. Don’t go too far, but get far away enough just for a night or two. Swim at the hotel pool or lay out at the beach with a book but do it alone and enjoy the silence while you can.
5. Buy a really REALLY good facial regimen set. That pregnancy glow don’t last forever!
6. Get a gift card for Micro blading or tattooing your brows and go get them done after baby arrives and you’re done breastfeeding. I still haven’t done this, I’ll update as soon as I do.
7. Get a maternity friendly facial or prenatal massage.
8. House cleaning service, I promise you will wish you had someone to clean your place within the first year of having a baby. Even if it’s only one visit, having your house cleaned will take a huge load off your stress level.
9. Ask for lots of Target, Walmart or Amazon gift cards because there are a ton of little things that you will need with a new baby. Not at the exact moment the baby arrives but somewhere down the line. Ex: medicine, lotions, diapers, formula, bottles, detergent, dish soap, toys etc.
10. This is one that I’ve bumped into on a few Facebook mom groups and it’s one of the best post baby finds for mom: Get a boob massage. You heard me: It’s called a breast engorgement relief massage. So when breast feeding (which I hope you try to do to the best of your ability) you will most likely find yourself with clogged ducts. Suuuuper uncomfortable, painful and one of the most dreaded parts of breast feeding. Try reading more about it on Google when you get the chance. The posts I’ve read stated the price was about $50 plus tip for an hour, but it relieved the breasts and unclogged every clogged duct. Amazing~

So what do you think? Would you consider asking your baby shower attendees to gift you any of these? Are you a second, third or fourth time mom who would have loved any of the above? Let me know! If you have any other suggestions please do add in the comment section below.