what is the best gift that someone bought for you when you had a baby?

[Gone2far]

my dd has just had her 2nd child, and I'd like to get something for her and her partner and 1st child. Is there anything really useful that somebody has bought for you in this situation?

We sent my cousin a Waitrose shopping delivery with lots of ready meals and baby essentials (nappies, wipes, night time sanitary pads, breast pads, ). She telephoned me in grateful tears because it’s hard to get to the shops when you feel like a post-partum leaking bag of fluids and you’re not quite sure which way is up

Food hamper.

COOK vouchers

i was thinking food hamper but they are very healthy eaters - so no sugar, for a start, which makes it more difficult. can anyone recommend a company that does healthy food hampers?

mil brought me bacon rolls and sent me back to bed while she cuddled the baby. After a rough night I needed that .

Hand cream.

Sophie the giraffe for teething.

Breast pads and witch hazel and cotton wool pads for peeing onto

Something to swaddle in.

Ewan the dream sheep

Congratulations x

I know you said food was difficult but hands down the best was my friend who kept leaving food parcels of home cooked food on my doorstep. She would literally make up extra fish pie/ lasagna/ soup etc into foil containers, leave them on the door step & text me when to tell me it was there. It was amazing. I didn’t have to make small talk or get the dishes back to her. We ate a lot of ready meals so these were a welcome change.

I think it’s so personal. I wouldn’t have used any of the above.

For me your time. I was very ill after first baby and MIL came everyday to do a list of jobs. After DD2 was born my sister took DD1 out for the afternoon. This made the difference that stuff couldn’t.

Another vote for COOK vouchers!

thanks for all your kind suggestions, but bear in mind that, unfortunately, we live 2 hours away. We have spent 3 days there and go back regularly, but can't pop round, much as we'd love to. Hence the request for helpful ideas.

Fill her freezer with home cooked meals every time you visit.
I really appreciated a thermal mug, i lost count of the number of cups of tea i drank cold and the lid makes them safer to drink around a baby, although of course, you still need to be careful.
Pay for a cleaner to visit weekly for the first few weeks/months.

Things my DD really appreciated were a next to me cot and a good sling. I gave her the money so she could choose them herself. Other gifts she found useful were muslin cloths, sock ons, body suits, packs of nappies and wipes, baby bath etc
The gifts she thanked people for but she found less useful l were a bumbo seat, lots of cuddly toys, clothes that were beautiful but impractical to put on and wash and beautiful cot blankets and cot bumpers (her babies wore sleeping bags and she didn't use bumpers)

Sorry just seen its a second child so she will have the essentials. So I would go for a hamper of nappies, baby cream, baby wipes etc if she is breast feeding also include breast pads, nipple cream and some nice luxury items for the mother like perfume or handcream. Some vouchers for somewhere like waitrose if there is one near here so she can get some nice ready cooked meals.
For the older child there are some nice books about having a new baby that they might like also sticker books and crafts they can do by themselves or with their parents when the baby is asleep but also get something special for them as a treat that you know they will like.

Tuppence and Crumble starwrap

Travel cot
Baby monitor

Homes cooked meals that just went into the oven in their foil container to heat up. Ex MiL made them. She asked what we liked and did a week's worth. Lots of healthy ingredients, protein, vegetables. They were great, bless her.

COOK vouchers can be sent in the post. If they are healthy eaters, they can choose what they want - plenty of healthy options - and I think they might even do delivery (although don't quote me on that!)

Food food food! The best presents we had were home made meals cooked by our parents that could just be bunged in the oven. A friend turned up with some lovely luxury biscuits which were such a treat in the middle of the night when up breastfeeding.

If you wanted to buy an actual present then we were gifted a grosnug which was a miracle at getting DD to sleep but is something we wouldn’t have thought to buy ourselvesn

Dinner! Lol. Or if they did the housework for me. Or minding baby while I had a bath or nap.
Gift wise most people will have all they need.