Bit of a frivolous question but friend has had her baby at 30 weeks and I'd like to get a great gift for her

[Buddleja]

I think there are reasons to celebrate as baby held in for 4 weeks (placenta priva at 26 weeks) and medical staff are pleased with her development and she is 'doing well' She was delivered by section today and is in ICU.

Normally I make up a basket of nappies, toiletries, baby grows and vest (sized for about 3/6 months depending on the size for baby)

Anyway she's small - 3lbs - so it's new territory for me - I've offered physical help (meals, cleaning, dog walking etc etc) but I'd like to get a actual proper 'Congratulations you've had a baby' style pressie but I'm not too sure what the best gift would be

I'm rambling I know and could be rambling for no reason as the answer might be 'just get what you usually do but smaller!'

Anyway suggestions welcome

[Lemonmeringue]

I think the 'get what you usually get...' option might be the best - she'll need the usual stuff and her parents might not have had a chance to prepare for a teeny, early baby.

[ElizabethWakefield]

My friend had a baby at 30 weeks, and another friend had triplets at 32 weeks, and the one thing they both found was that they had no clothes, vests etc in really small sizes.

Although the hospital offered lots of clothes, but i know they were both desperate to have their own stuff to put on, iykwim.

Mothercare do a premature range from 3lbs and there are a few other online shops that also do premature clothes.

Congratulations to your friend

[LRB978]

Ds (8) was a 32 weeker, and I echo what's been said above. The hospital ds was in provided nappies for those babies in the intensive care room, but once they had moved into subsequent rooms parents had to provide their own. Clothes again were provided (for all in the unit) but it was really nice to be able to put him in his own clothes, even if they were huge on him (even the 3-5lb clothes hung off him). Many supermarkets do a tiny baby range in nappies and clothes.

Other than that, maybe lifts to the hospital if needed (I'm guessing mum had a section and will be unable to drive for approx 8 weeks), and being there for the parents if their dd has a bad day.

Congratulations and best wishes to your friends.

[Buddleja]

Offered loads of help I just wanted to get something for the baby!!

I'll head off to mothercare as I'm finding it very difficult to get small clothes!!

The super news is baby has moved from ICU and is now in Special Babies (and on a selfish all about me side of things I've seen a picture and she's beautiful!!!!!)

She's a miracle "you will never be able to have a viable pregnancy" baby too.

[tatt]

when my friend had a very prem baby who had only a 50/50 chance of survival we (on advice from mumsnet) treated it like any other birth but found very small clothes on the internet with poppers all round for easy access for all the tubes they have. Can't remember the website now - may have posted it on mumsnet though. Mothercare premmie clothes were far too big.

Its now well over a year on and despite some very scary times my friend's baby is walking and into everything. I don't think she will ever forgive MIL for not initially buying presents as she did for their other child.

Help is probably most needed when the new baby comes home but they may not be able to have many visitors for fear of infection. Bliss forums may be a help to her.

[ladylush]

I had a baby at 30 weeks weighing 3 lbs 10. I desperately wanted clothes as it was one of the few things I felt I could do for dd (dress her) - apart from express milk for her. It was about 2-3 weeks before I dressed her as she was initially in an incubator wearing just a nappy. While she was in hospital I dressed her in sleepsuits and allinone type clothes to keep her warm. When she came home I had some dresses for her but no tights (very hard to find tights for prem babies). In the end I ordered some online. So I would avoid buying dresses unless you are able to get some tights. What about buying a nice cosy blanket? Or a toy for the cot in SCBU (smallish). Music boxes are good too. A few of the babies in SCBU had them. Jellycat do some nice ones.