The BiG Story

Oh,
You Beautiful Baby!

Some creative gifts for a new mom.

Diane Baldwin
AppleTree Staff Writer

I

'II never forget how hungry I was
the first five weeks of my son's
life.
I would try to eat every day, but
somehow it would suddenly be 5
o'clock and my husband would
come home and I'd realize that I
had yet to have a bite of food.
The third week after my son was
born my mother brought me pineap-
ple and strawberries. I remember
how delicious they tasted and how
great it was to eat in the middle of
the day. I made a promise to myself
that I would return the
favor the
next time
I visited a
new moth-
er.
Food,
favors or
unusual gifts
offer relief
and support
to new moth-
ers when they
need it most.
The best gifts
are those she
would buy or
do for herself if

,

-*" •

Diane Baldwin is a first-time

mother who loves opening presents
on behalf of her son, Nicholas. She
is a freelance writer who lives in
Clarkston.

10/31
1997

70

she could, or if she had thought of
it. Because of stress, lack of
sleep and other changes
that accompany moth-
erhood, new moms
often have a diffi-
cult time thinking.
Here are a few
gifts a new
mother might
be grateful to
receive.
First, if she is
nursing, nursing
nightgowns or
tops are perfect
and help
her feel dis-
creet, yet
comfortable in
her new role. If this
seems too personal, get
a gift certificate so she
can choose the one she
likes best.
A new outfit is
something high on
any new mother's gift
list, especially since
she won't fit into her
pre-pregnancy
clothes for a few
months, and the
maternity ones sud-
denly seem huge and baggy —
not to mention the fact that she has
been wearing them for quite some
time.
When a pregnant woman is
sporting a big, round belly, she
cannot easily bend over to vacuum

ssyserga,

A

--"

,

behind the couch or move the
refrigerator to clean behind it.
By the time her baby
arrives, a new mom
is keenly aware of
how dirty her
house has
become: A few
hours of a
cleaning ser-
vice will offer
peace of mind
to someone
who is visited
daily by friends
and family, all
eager to see the
new little baby.
Although it's difficult to
find a cleaning service that
does more than surface
work, the Highland-based I
Tidy Up will clean
"in/out/under" the
fridge, stove and cup-
boards, using
Earth-friendly
products safe for
both mom and new
baby.
If you want to give
a gift that a new
mother can enjoy with her
baby, why not try a postpartum
massage? Peggy Murphy, of All
Natural Concepts in Oxford, offers
a gentle massage for mother "to
help the energy flow again," along
with techniques and tips for baby
massage that allow the new mother
to interact with her baby. Murphy

invites mothers to bring baby to the
session, if mom so desires.
Tappers Jewelry in West
Bloomfield has an exclusive jewelry
gift line called "Here to Eternity." It
consists of modular pieces (Art
Deco designs) that can be put
together, with each piece signifying
an important event. The store also
carries children's charms which may
be engraved, as well as adorable
little-baby shoe charms.
Marmel of Farmington Hills sells
photo album-type books which
workers can personalize, using
baby's name or birth information
Marmel also has a baby book, Just
About Me, which is designed by a
local artist and contains unique
entries, including a place for an
ultrasound picture. If a baby book
is too traditional, you can buy a
blank journal with a decorative
cover and have it engraved, "To
baby Erin..." Then the new
mother can write letters and
notes to baby as thoughts
occur to her throughout
the child's life.
Another idea is to
join the baby in a
book club. There
are many, one of
which is Grolier's
Books (1-800-955-
9877), that offer
stories by Dr. Seuss
or baby-board books
great for teething or
page turning by chubby fingers.
For the new mother, consider

