When you have a baby, a long line of people rock up to your house with gifts for said baby. This is all well and good, but what about gifts for new mums? While the baby is lovely, it’s unlikely to care if you’ve bought it yet another cute outfit or it’s tenth Jelly Cat toy. Mum however has just been through an ordeal great enough to cause actual PTSD for some, and yet no one brings her anything. Here are some suggestions of what you should really take when you visit a new mum for the first time.
Number 1 in the list of Gifts for New Mums – A voucher for a laundry service
Babies create the most incredible amount of washing (particularly if they are unlucky enough to be sicky), and at a time you are least able to keep up with it. Find a local laundry service and see if they do gift vouchers. Or if you really like her, offer to do a few loads yourself.
Special Tea or Coffee – New Mums need caffeine
Or any other hot drink she partakes in. While it’s unlikely she’ll actually manage to drink it hot for the next 3 years, she will require caffeine Until the baby sleeps through. If you really want to go the extra mile get her a coffee themed gift or go retro and get her a Teas Made.
A Fanny Care Kit
Poor Fanny goes through an awful lot during birth and could really use some TLC. I suggest arnica tablets to promote, tea tree oil for daily sitz baths and a rubber ring to allow the poor woman to actually sit down without crying.
A Boob Care Kit
On a related note, the boobs are on their own journey here, especially if she’s breastfeeding. How about a voucher for a nursing bra fitting, lansinoh for the sore nipples and a cabbage to reduce swelling when the milk comes in.
A Dishwasher – No new mum should be without one
If you know a woman about to become a mother who doesn’t have a dishwasher I strongly suggest this is the way you go. Club together with friends, start a crowd funding campaign if you need to, but don’t leave the poor woman with a baby and a kitchen full of washing up.
Frozen meals
When it comes to gifts for new mums, food is always a good choice. Cooking pretty much goes out of the window in the early months so frozen home cooked meals are always appreciated. Just make sure it’s something she can eat with one because she won’t be able to put the baby down for more than about ten minutes for the next year.
A Good Concealer (but only If you’re close!)
Probably only acceptable if you are close friends. She won’t be getting much sleep and a good concealer can help her hide it. She won’t be any less tired but it might be a relief if people comment less on how tired she looks. A voucher for a make over works too.
A “Pinned down by the baby” survival kit
Babies don’t like sleeping in cots or Moses Baskets or any of the other contraptions we buy for them. They like to sleep on mummy. This means that new mums spend a lot of their time pinned down under a sleeping baby. This can be lovely, as long as you have everything you need within arms length. Create her a basket which contains drinks, lip balm, tissues, snacks, an emergency phone charger and a book, to keep near her at all times.
If she’s having her second baby, buy for the first
Once you’re on baby number two, your number one concern is how the hell you are going to cope with two of them. Put together a box of things that the older one can do independently while mum is feeding the baby.
I think all new mums deserve something from this list, plus a nice bottle of something for when the time comes. I’d love to hear what gifts you’d have liked to received as a new mum?
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Coffee, coffee, coffee! And wine (a bottle of prosecco and I will be your best friend). And an hour to myself every now and then. Throw in a clothes voucher for when regular clothes eventually fit me again and I will be a happy new mama! #itsok
I love the idea of a gift for baby no. 1. Great list. Thanks for sharing. #itsok
These are great ideas! Particularly like the survival kit for when you’re pinned down. There’s always something you can’t flippin’ reach! #ItsOK
All so true. My best gift was the friend who was coming over, and I texted to say I had no milk, so she went to the shop and got me a while load of shopping
#ItsOK
A friend of mine has just had her second baby and I bought her chocolates, bath bombs and essential oils. Plus I remembered to get a gift for baby number one. Glad to see I was thinking along the same lines as you! #ItsOK
Some great ideas, especially the pinned down by the baby kit.
Very relatable!! Frozen meals were a God send, luckily my own mum was on ball with those… I enjoyed reading this list it was great!!!
This is great – and totally true! Love the pinned down by baby kit!
It’s so true that people forget about poor Mum. I love how you also mention older siblings. It’s a big change for them too and they can feel very left out if the new baby is getting gifts and not them!
Some really great ideas here!
Oh yes, some frozen meals are a saver!
I love the pinned down by the baby survival kit. Informative and interesting post Josie
One of the best gifts I received was a stainless steel water bottle from my mother in law. It keeps water cool beside my bed for hours during the night so I don’t have to get up to get a drink when I’m breastfeeding. I take it everywhere with me!
Some brilliant ideas here! Loving the idea of special tea and coffee, the more caffeine the better!
loved this list! Definitely agree on the dishwasher front! Mums definitely need pressies too!
These tips are spot on! We think about so many other things but when the baby is here most of that goes out of the window.
Such an awesome list! I would have appriciated the frozen meals the most because I found it so hard to find time to cook. And I love the idea of buying something for the first child when she’s just had her second. This was also my struggle, so that kind of gift would have been spot on!
Yes, this is so good. With our first, my parents brought over a beautiful bottle of champagne that they insisted on opening to celebrate and I could only have 2 sips! DON’T DO THIS! Food. Lanisoh. Something that makes you feel like a human. Then eff off!
Frozen meals were definitely my favourite gift. Definitely a great idea to put together a busy box for the older sibling to help when Mummy needs time to feed or nappy change.
So, so true!! Would agree with all of these!! 🙌🏻
I’d add one of these insulated coffee mugs that can’t spill. If only I’d had one with my two, I might have got to drink something while it was still hot.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Contigo-Autoseal-Stainless-Leakproof-Easy-Clean/dp/B07XSBFHL7