If I Were Pregnant....

 I Would Want You To Get Me....these things.

I recently attended the baby shower of a dear friend {we met in the 7th grade and got suspended for mooning our drama class while wearing our cheer leading uniforms in high school. True story.} So this was a special baby shower and I wanted to give her a gift that would be of the utmost use to her as a new mommy. God knows she'll have more Carter's onesies than she needs or wants- but what about the stuff that SHE needs. Like the stuff that no one tells you about.... The stuff for her.

We shower the baby, but often times forget to shower the mommy with things for her too.

Here are a few of my favorite things that I loved while preparing for birth 

and those few weeks there after baby is born. 

This is a must have for any new mom. It's all natural. It smells earthy and fresh. You can put it on cracked nips, red bums, it's safe for baby and it also has an anti-fungal/anti-bacterial property also. 

Totally worth every penny. I went through a whole large jar of it in the first 3 weeks. 

A comfy pj shirt, because really? Who wants to wear an ugly hospital gown anyway right?

Happy Juice for the baby blues & Chill for anxiety (which I had a hard time with after Elle.) 

Herbally Grounded has TONS of amazing products for lots of different ailments. 

A relaxation and guided meditation cd. I was told to give myself 20 minutes a day to 

connect with my baby and visualize the birth that I was preparing for. I looked forward to Conrad's nap time because I knew that i'd get to take a cold shower and crawl into bed to relax and pray for my baby.

This is such a fantastic tool for birth preparation. 

There are so many benefits to Red Raspberry Tea during pregnancy 

or just because it's so good for you! I drank about 3 cups of this stuff a day during the last few weeks. 

Also from Herbally Grounded.

Also one of my very favorite new born essentials, a maya wrap sling <----- benefits of wearing your baby. My friend Laura is teaching me how to sew and this was one of our first projects, which was super easy and a lot of fun to make. Especially because no one else will have a sling like this, which makes it special. 

A few other things that I think are amazing gifts to give a new mom:
- An herbal bath for mom and baby to take together. This was one of my favorite things to do after I had Elle. Taking her first bath with her made it that much more special and was beneficial to both of us.  My midwife had it already ready for us to get in, which was really nice. (I'm sure this would still be a great gift for a mom to use when she got home from the hospital.)
- This salve saved or salved my life. Get it, salved? Anyway, i LOVED this stuff.
My nether regions thank you, Laura.
-  Nursing bras! You can never have too many. One great gift to give is a nursing bra or nursing tank.
- A coupon book of chores, errands and an hour of babysitting for the new parents. Sometimes there is no better gift than someone who is willing to do a load of laundry, wash the dishes in the sink or hold the baby for a half hour so the mom can go take a hot shower or nap. A coupon book is an excellent gift.
- A Nursing necklace. These are great for when your baby gets a little bigger and more aware of their surroundings and less interested in nursing. It gives them something to hold their attention and get a good feeding. They can yank, hold, & explore the beads.
- Food! Bring the new mom food. Doesn't matter what it is, whether it is a cold decaf iced coffee and a pastry or your favorite casserole. We like to eat. Especially when we're nursing. We eat like teenage boys!

{If you had a favorite must have item as a new mom, 
I'd love to hear about it!}