Get Well & Sympathy

Support for New Parents: 45+ Things to Say

45+ messages for new parents in the weeks after a birth — what to say at six weeks when everyone else has stopped, when they are struggling, and for the partner.

By Funtastic E Cards Editorial Team 4 min read

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Photo by Chi Pham on Unsplash

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Everyone sends a card when the baby arrives. Almost nobody sends one six weeks later, when the visitors have stopped and it is genuinely hardest. Here are 45+ messages for new parents.

Send yours in a free new baby ecard — or better, send the second one a month after everyone else.

In the first few weeks

  1. Thinking of you. No need to reply to anything, from anyone.
  2. How are you doing? Not the baby — you.
  3. Bringing food round Thursday and leaving it at the door.
  4. You are doing brilliantly, even on the days it does not feel like it.
  5. No visit unless you want one. Just here.
  6. Thinking of you both. Sleep whenever you can.
  7. Nobody expects you to have this worked out yet.
  8. Sending love. Nothing needed back.
  9. Thinking of you. It gets easier, and it is fine that it has not yet.
  10. I am around whenever — day, night, whenever.

Six weeks and beyond

  1. Everyone has stopped asking by now. I have not. How are you?
  2. Thinking of you. The quiet weeks after the fuss are the hard ones.
  3. Six weeks in. Genuinely, how are you doing?
  4. Just checking in. No occasion, no reason.
  5. Coming round Sunday with lunch. You do not have to tidy.
  6. Thinking of you. Still here, still available.
  7. How is it going? Honest answers welcome.
  8. Fancy a walk? Baby can come or stay.

When they are struggling

  1. You are allowed to find this hard. It is hard.
  2. Struggling does not mean you are doing it wrong.
  3. Loving them and finding it awful are not contradictory.
  4. Please tell someone — your midwife, your GP, me. Any of us.
  5. You are not the first person to feel like this and you will not be the last.
  6. I am coming over. You do not have to be okay when I get there.
  7. Whatever you are feeling, it does not make you a bad parent.
  8. This is not something you have to push through alone.

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For the partner

  1. Thinking of you too. Partners get forgotten in all this.
  2. How are you doing? Everyone is asking about her and the baby.
  3. You are doing a lot and nobody is checking on you.
  4. Thinking of you both. This is a big change for you as well.
  5. Fancy a pint? An hour out is allowed.
  6. Here if you want to talk about any of it.

Practical help

  1. I am bringing dinner Thursday. Leave the door on the latch.
  2. I will hold the baby while you shower. That is the offer.
  3. Doing your shopping this week. Send a list.
  4. I will take the older one Saturday so you get a few hours.
  5. Coming to do your washing. Do not argue.
  6. I will walk the dog every morning this month.
  7. Tell me one job you are dreading and I will do it.
  8. I will come and sit with the baby so you can sleep.

Short messages

  1. Thinking of you.
  2. No reply needed.
  3. How are you doing?
  4. Here whenever.
  5. Bringing food Thursday.
  6. You are doing brilliantly.
  7. Sending love.
  8. Just checking in.

How to be useful

  1. Ask about the parent, not the baby. Everyone asks about the baby. Almost nobody asks how the parents are.
  2. Send the second card at six weeks. That is when the cards stop and the reality arrives.
  3. Offer to hold the baby, not to see the baby. One is help; the other is a visit they have to host.
  4. Do not give advice. They are drowning in it already, most of it contradictory.
  5. Take struggling seriously. Postnatal depression is common and treatable, and gently pointing at a midwife or GP is a kind thing to do.

Send it — and pair it with a gift

A free new baby ecard works at any point. See also new baby congratulations and mental health support messages:

Pair this with a gift

Ideas that suit the occasion, each linked to one product we picked. Prices and availability are set by Amazon and can change.

New Baby Gift

Our pick: I Love You to the Moon and Back (board book)

Best for: New arrivals and baby showers

Occasion: New Baby

Practical, soft, and genuinely useful gifts for new parents.

  • Practical gifts are the most appreciated
  • Easy to ship directly
  • Sizes run small — buy ahead where possible
View on Amazon

New Parent Care Package

Our pick: The Honest Company new mama care set

Best for: The parents rather than the baby

Occasion: New Baby

Snacks, coffee and comforts for two people who are not sleeping. Everyone buys for the baby.

  • Almost nobody else buys for the parents
  • Genuinely used
  • Good for a second baby
  • Less photogenic than baby clothes
View on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, FuntasticECards earns from qualifying purchases. How this works

FAQ

What do you say to a new parent who is struggling?

Make clear that finding it hard is normal and does not reflect on them, and gently point towards their midwife or GP.

When is the hardest time for new parents?

Often around six weeks, once visitors have stopped and any leave is ending. That is when a message lands hardest.

What is the most useful thing to offer?

Something concrete that does not require hosting — food left at the door, laundry, or holding the baby while they sleep.

Should you ask about the parent or the baby?

The parent. Everyone asks about the baby, and new parents consistently say nobody asked how they were.

What is a good short message?

“How are you doing? Not the baby — you.”

Should you check in on the partner too?

Yes. Partners are routinely overlooked and often have no leave, no visitors and nobody asking.