Gift for a New Mom

My best friend is 3 weeks away from having her first child, a little girl!  Unfortunately, she moved out of state a few months ago so I can't physically be there for her.  Now that I'm an "experienced" mom (yeah right!), I know what she can expect and I really want to help her out during her first few weeks of motherhood.  Since I can't be there in there in person, I wanted to send her something that would be helpful.

I thought back to the first few days and weeks of my journey into motherhood.  One of the things I often forgot to do was to eat.  I either was too busy, couldn't get up because I was breastfeeding, or just plain forgot.  If I had had a bunch of pre-made "snacks", I probably would have eaten more and had more energy.  So, that's what I decided to make for my friend.  I made her 20 little baggies filled with non-perishable snacks.  She can keep a few in her diaper bag, some in the car, and some more next to where she'll be feeding her new baby.  That way, if she gets hungry or thirsty, she won't have to worry about searching for a snack (at least for a few weeks!).  In each bag, I included: a granola bar, fruit leather/strip, small bag of fruit snacks, small box of 100% juice, piece of gum, and a small piece of chocolate.  I also put a little note in each bag for some encouragement.  Some of the notes include nice quotes I found or they are my own personal notes of encouragement.

In addition to the snack bags, I got her a couple of "quick" meals: a bowl of instant oatmeal, a bowl of instant macaroni & cheese, and a "just add water" pancake mix.  That way, if her husband isn't around to fix her a healthy meal or if she doesn't have time, she has a couple of things to fill her belly until she can actually make a meal.  (I know they aren't super healthy, but I know they needed to be non-perishable.)  Finally, I included a notebook for recording those first few weeks of baby's life:  poop diapers, wet diapers, feeding times, feeding lengths, etc.  I found that really helpful as a new mom because I often found myself wondering, "When did I feed Olive last?  Was it 2 hours ago?  Has she pooped in the last 6 hours?".  You know how fun that "Mommy Brain" can be! :)

I really wish I could be there with my friend to give her my love and help, so I'm hoping that she will feel some of my love in this box of goodies I'm sending her way.

What are some of your gift ideas for new moms?