What to do about newborns at Christmas?

[MissusDave]

Our baby is due in November and I'm super excited, but have absolutely no idea what to do about Christmas presents. I'm well aware that baby will have no idea that it is Christmas, or what we get, but our family is mega into Christmas and I want to be able to wrap up some things and give some gifts! (I guess this is more for me, isn't it!?)

One idea that's been shared (which is lovely) is that my husband and I both buy a gift for baby without telling the other one so that the contents is a surprise for the other parent.

So... what exactly do you buy a newborn as a gift!?

[dylsmimi]

Congratulations!
Ad their birthday is so close to Christmas I would try to buy toys/ clothes or things like a jumparoo they will need in the summer / 6 months time
We also had a special 'babies first christmas' babygrow. And a snow globe that comes out every year and books (which is a tradition for us at Christmas)
Tempting to buy lots but a few little presents and something practical would be good

[RaeSkywalker]

Oh gosh, I'm due in November too and feel guilty now! I wasn't planning to get the baby anything, but will buy a bauble for the tree and a christmassy baby grow for it to wear in December. They won't be wrapped up as gifts for the day though

[UntilTheCowsComeHome]

For my PFB's first Christmas (15 years ago!) we got a lovely traditional looking stocking and just added little bits to it. Some socks, a toy rattle, a little teddy, bauble with his name on etc.

The stocking gets used (as decoration - too small for presents now) every year and I love that we still put it up.

[BikeRunSki]

DS was 4 months old for his first Christmas. I bought a cheap pine blanket box and painted it as a toy box, and bought some baby toys for it. He's 8 now, the toys are long gone, but he still uses the toy box for dressing up stuff and Lego.

[Bagina]

Er...nothing!

[Dozer]

A "first christmas" bauble?

[peaceloveandbiscuits]

My DS was born a week before Christmas. He didn't get any presents. He also handily managed to be my present to everyone I knew
Save your money and just look after yourself. You're giving all of yourself to the baby already, get something nice for yourself.

Or if you really must, what about a "baby's first Christmas" bauble or something?

[MissusDave]

Thanks everyone for some lovely ideas. We're not going to go too mad (I promise we will be looking after ourselves!) but I will certainly take on board some of your suggestions

[Muddlingalongalone]

I got a stocking with little bits like socks & rattles & sippy cup & personalised moneybox & sign for her bedroom.
Mostly for the benefit of DD1 who would have been confused if Santa hadn't got her something.
If it's your first, plate & bowl & cutlery for weaning later in the year might be nice?

[WhatTheActualFugg]

When they're growing up so fast that first year there's always a new toy they could do with having for 'developmental' purposes.

So you could buy a few nice presents that will be good to give baby throughout the year.

2-3 months something to hold and shake
4-6 months a playmat to roll around on
6 months something loud and flashing with buttons to learn cause and effect
8 months a v-tech crawl ball or shape sorter
10-12 months a walker thing

And for immediate use a cute Christmas outfit, bauble and perhaps a nice money box.

Congratulations!!!

[wayway13]

I'm due in a few weeks so DD2 will be around 8-10 weeks by Christmas. Tbh we're not really getting her much. We'll probably do one small gift and a stocking but, as PP said, it's for DD1's benefit as she won't understand why Santa hasn't brought DD2 anything.

DD1 was born 2 weeks before Christmas. I had quite a few bits wrapped up for her and was really excited. I then had to open these presents for a completely oblivious baby. It's a really special day for you though so go all out if you want. LOVE the idea about you both getting a present that the other doesn't know about.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Well, if you want to be traditional, then gold, frankincense and myrrh....

[ThanksForAllTheFish]

We got DD a teddy bear, stocking with her name embroidered on it (for use in future years), a bath duck, bobble for the tree and a pack of dummies. She was 4 weeks old so technically we could have bought nothing, but as it was our first Christmas as parents we wanted to buy her something.

[NapQueen]

Dd was 6days old on Christmas day and we got her a red knitted blanket which we didn't wrap and an outfit for the day.

We went to my parents where she slept in her carrycot under the blanket the entire day (bar feeds), but my parents nagged us to "wake her so she can see her presents being opened" - err she can't even see past the end of her own nose yet man!

[FireflyGirl]

If you're looking for something nice to get her and not bothered if it's a bit pricy, I got DS a soft, material photobook from Photobox with pictures of his family in. He loves it, it's a nice book to sit and 'read' with him, and it'll make a lovely keepsake.

[BBQsAreSooooOverrated]

I would buy something you're going to have to buy anyway as baby gets bigger and wrap them. Clothes, older toys, weaning plates and cutlery etc.

[allnewredfairy]

I would take advantage of the first three christmases and buy naff all. Child will get so many gifts from everyone else it wont know the difference. After all, they come from Santa don't they?

[rainbowstardrops]

I like the idea of getting something personalised or 'special' that can become a Christmas tradition such as a Christmas musical snow globe or special bauble.

[DuckingAunts]

I'm due in November and I wasn't going to bother getting him anything

We have a house full of toys for all ages from the other two, so we don't actually need anything else. He's sorted for things to play with until he's three years old.

[SpringerS]

For my DS who was a November baby, Santa brought him a big teddy of an animal that rhymes with his name. Because back in the 70s when I was a December baby, Santa had brought me a teddy of an animal that rhymes with my name. (As an example, a baby called Daniel would get a teddy spaniel.) And his present from us was a Fisher Price infant to toddler rocking chair.

We also took him to see Santa and had our photo taken with him. We then had the photo set into a bauble for the Christmas tree. And that's started a tradition that each year we go to Santa and have the photo set into a bauble. So when you look at our tree, you can see a history of DS at Christmas.

[LotisBlue]

Both DC were born close to Christmas. Dc1 just got a token present. Dc2 got a few more things, mostly at the insistence of dc1.

Definitely get them a special Christmas outfit, they look so cute and they will love to look back at the photos when they're older.

What was really handy was being able to do all of my Christmas shopping online while on maternity leave waiting for the baby to born.

[JassyRadlett]

We get each of the kids a new bauble every year - DS1 chooses his own now.

For DS2 in particular we didn't really need anything - my mum gave him some lovely pictures for his walls for Christmas.

[Chocolatecake12]

Special bauble - my ds was born mid dec and is 10 this year, he loves his 1st christmas bauble!
He got a nice teddy bear from his older brother and a special Santa babygro!
I agree with pp - get things that will be useful in 6 months or so. I'm sure baby will get tons of presents from your family and friends.

[ridingsixwhitehorses]

I had a one week old one christmas and a 10 week old another - each time I wrapped up a couple of nice pieces of clothing I had bought them (most of our clothes hand me downs, primary or charity shop, so wa since to pay full price for a couple of things) and also I think a board book for each and possibly a bath toy. Was lovely. If family member want ideas how about toys that they will appreciate during the year before their next christmas - so there will be toys and things they would like aged 6 moths for example that you can save for them.
It is magical - I barely remember mine but I know it was nice.

[Purplebluebird]

Our son was 9 months on his first Christmas, and we got him his own stocking and a small toy. Stocking to be used for future Christmases obviously! :)