It’s common to want great friends. Friends who care about you, spend time making sure you’re doing well, and who genuinely want you to succeed. Friendship is a wonderful thing, and we all strive to have great ones. However, sometimes it’s hard to figure out how to practically show you care when someone you value is facing challenges.
Here are practical ways to help you show someone who is pregnant some unconditional love and support. We want to help you be that resource they reach out to when they are in need, and that friend they KNOW they can count on:
- Take her for a cup of coffee. Small acts of kindness go a very long way. Extend the offer to take a friend out to her favorite coffee shop and buy her favorite drink. It’s a small little gesture, affordable and won’t break the bank, and the friend will really appreciate the time and effort you’re pouring into the friendship. It also gives her an opportunity for her to share her feelings, fears and emotions she’s going through while pregnant. Dropping by with an inexpensive flowers or an offer to take a walk helps to support your pregnant friend.
- Babysit older children so she can take a nap. Small acts, we will keep repeating it. Even the smallest of offers like going to your exhausted friend’s house for a couple hours to keep the older kids busy while she naps will make her day.
- Maybe practically help her with those chores that everyone despises and dreads doing? The laundry, the dishwasher, offering to grab some milk at the grocery store on your way over to her house… the list goes on. Being specific in what you are offering helps her be more comfortable to say yes to your help.
- Remember her on holidays and her birthday – she may have no one in her life to say she is valued and loved. Small things… sound familiar? Just make a note on your planner or work calendar to reach out to her on these important days. To her, she needs to know she is remembered, valued, and thought of.
- Ask her about her practical needs and support system. Who is there to help her if there was an emergency besides you? If she doesn’t have a lot of family or friend support, there are many nonprofits that stand ready and waiting to help provide material and professional resources and practical help to help her.
- If you don’t live immediately near her, a phone call or text to say you’re thinking of her may mean more than you know. We’ve all heard from a friend at just the right moment and it feels life-giving.
No matter the situation, whether your friend is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, looking for support during pregnancy, or in general resources during your pregnancy – our community is here for you!
These practical suggestions may seem so simple, but they’ll add up to those around you and make all of the difference for someone who is pregnant to feel seen, heard, valued and understood. A Friend for You is available to provide your friend emotional support, connection to community resources and encouraging gifts along the way.
