Try These Ideas to Help Moms During COVID-19
Welcoming a little one into the world is an exciting time, but the global pandemic has overshadowed the joy many new mothers should feel during this life-changing period. COVID-19 has made celebrating milestones and connecting with loved ones a challenge, and many moms who are expecting or have just given birth are finding it tough to adequately prepare and come to terms with this new normal. Below, we share some ways you can help moms during COVID-19 and make this special time as stress-free and joyful for them as possible.
Help them celebrate milestones
During this emotional time, celebrating milestones is more important than ever. Whether that’s a baby shower, the birth of a child, or a first birthday party, new parents will crave these moments of joy and opportunities for connection. From a financial standpoint, many new parents have also come to rely on baby showers as a way to prepare for the arrival of their newborn and may find it difficult to do without this support. Here are a few ideas to honor an expecting mom or a new mom:
- With their permission, organize a virtual baby shower and provide a link to a registry so others can ship gifts straight to the new mother’s home.
- Coordinate a meal train with friends and family so new parents can focus on their newborn instead of worrying about cooking. Gift cards to meal delivery services are an even easier alternative during the pandemic.
- Help coordinate a drive-by baby shower or first birthday party in which parents can stand safely in their driveway or on the sidewalk and wave to friends and family members as they honk and drive by. Guests can even safely place gifts in a box on the driveway and then continue on their way.
Make sure they’re stocked up
When trying to limit social interactions, moms won’t have as much access to shopping opportunities to buy new things, and they won’t always have time to shop online or wait for items to arrive. You can coordinate a clothing drive and round up gently used baby clothes from your network, or drop off diapers and other necessities to their door when they’re running low.
If the mother is expecting and her doctor has moved most of her appointments online, she may need some medical supplies at home to monitor her pregnancy, like a doppler ultrasound device, or a blood pressure cuff. You can help provide these items if she can’t leave the house to buy them, or can’t afford them.
Help them stay connected
The CDC states that pregnant women might be at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and recommends limiting interactions with other people as much as possible. Enduring such a dramatic physical and emotional change in social isolation isn’t easy for expecting mothers, and many new moms rely on social support that is harder to maintain virtually. You can help ease this burden by keeping them connected to friends and loved ones.
If you can reach out through email, text messages, video chats, and phone calls, it will be important in helping moms fight isolation during the pandemic—and celebrate the new moments of motherhood that would normally be shared in person.
Giving birth during COVID-19 also presents new challenges. Many hospitals are limiting access of support persons, resulting in partners being excluded from milestone moments like ultrasounds and the actual delivery. If the expecting mom doesn’t have an iPad, you can collect money from family and friends to buy one for them to use at important appointments, and even in the delivery room.
Start an online fundraiser for other needs
From hosting a virtual baby shower to providing supplies to moms in quarantine, you may need some financial help in order to lend a hand. Through online crowdfunding, you can easily tap into your network of friends and family members to support single parents, new moms, and those who are pregnant in quarantine. An online fundraiser allows you to easily collect donations from your network, which you can then send directly to your beneficiary. Or, you can use the donations to purchase gifts or supplies for an expecting mother.
Help new moms during the coronavirus today
Being a parent is never easy, and the pandemic has certainly made it more challenging. Thankfully, you can help your loved ones get through the toughest parts and even give them the space and energy they need to appreciate all of the special moments that parenting brings. Sign up for fundraising through GoFundMe and help moms during COVID-19 find support, love, and financial relief.