Ideas for what to buy for a newborn baby?

[Splitsunrise]

Hi everyone

I think I started a thread about this years ago but I can’t find it!

A friend of mine is having a baby in a week or so (or that’s when the due date is anyway!) and I’m trying to plan what gift I may buy. Obviously taking into account that I’m limited by companies that are delivering at the moment & I can’t drop off in person, and also the father is my ‘main’ friend rather than his wife so I wouldn’t get too personal a present for her!

Any ideas of great gifts you were given? I would be happy to spend £40/50. It could be a combination of something for the baby, and maybe something nice for my friend’s wife or both of them to make life easier. They have most of the big items & I don’t want to interfere by buying something they’ve already sorted, of course - so I guess it would be something “extra” they wouldn’t have already bought themselves.

I get the sense they are struggling a bit as they can’t see either of their families because of lockdown and they probably won’t for the foreseeable as they are terrified of their baby (when born) catching covid. Also some of their family are shielded anyway so won’t be travelling anyway it’s such a sad time which would usually be happy!

Thank you!

Oh and milestone cards are quite a nice present. They are a helpful reminder to take regular photos of baby which will be especially precious for sharing during lockdown!

I’ve bought several of these. They’ve always gone down well.

www.ghhurt.com/baby-shawls/product/butterfly-baby-shawl.html

That is lovely but we were gifted a few knitted blankets, I think there is a risk of the parents ending up with too many. I think we had 4 in total barely used!

Black and white books OP are books with just black and white drawings in. Basic patterns and images. Helps with visual development.

Really good along with books such as jungly tails, a sensory crinkle-book.

You can get both on etsy or amazon.

Dont get teddies, outfits, or milestone cards. Likely someone else will have too! X

@NameChange30 would they? I would have been very happy if someone had given me one rather than me buying it myself considering how useful it turned out to be.

SqidgeBum
Did you not care about the type of monitor?
Some people want a video monitor, others don't.
Some family members had one they linked to a smartphone app.
We did lots of research to decide on the one we wanted, decent reviews, reasonably long range, quite small so easy to take with us when travelling etc.
Admittedly not everyone will be quite so anal about everything they buy and use

@Namechange30 I went for a video monitor I could afford ..... that was about the extent of my research.

I used it for more than a year every singe day and I cant even tell you what brand it was. It cost £70 quid. It showed me my baby while she slept. I figure it does what it says on the tin.

That's why the key to good gift giving lies in knowing the recipient, as some people will think like you and some will think like me! And if you don't know which type they are then probably best to go with a different present that is likely to please both types.

(For the record we have an audio not a video monitor and we are still using it 3 years later! More out of habit than anything else.)

For all the babies we know that have been born recently, I buy them a Jellycat soft toy and a book of 365 bedtime stories and nursery rhymes and I always write a little note to them on the inside cover.

This is because I'm 33 now and when my DM died, I found she had kept my big bedtime story book, with a note on the inside cover from her and the year she bought it. It now sits on DD's bookshelf for her to read when she's older (only 4 months) and it's like a keepsake/heirloom to keep forever and then pass on

My best present was a baby bath seat. Like a little deckchair. So practical.
I would buy one of those plus some lovwly organic lavender healing stuff for the mum's bath.

www.laredoute.co.uk/ppdp/prod-350078614.aspx?dim1=1&dim2=1&mkwid=st1JsRk6o_dm|pcrid|351448481654|pkw||pmt||slid||pgrid|73403557634|ptaid|pla-743698615368|productid|35007861400010001876120&omniturecode=Google-Shopping-PPC-Shopping+Kids+New+%3E+Nursery-Kids+%3E+Nursery+%3E+Health+Care+%26+Bathing&gclid=Cj0KCQjwy6T1BRDXARIsAIqCTXqfumGFC7UqmpJbq3PbaLGEd-o873ytpU_VVB-u4FA7TcgZDAn0HPcaAg9_EALw_wcB

I would probably get books for the baby and nice feeding snacks and/or a thermal mug for the mother, though I'd probably check she doesn't have one already as so many people use them now.

It's tricky though, as everyone is different. I wouldn't particularly have used a lot of the things mentioned here - nappy bins, white noise toys, Echo Dot, Unmumsy Mum books etc. We did get given a baby milestone book and never ended up writing anything in it at all in the haze of newborn exhaustion. Conversely, I used and appreciated all the clothes we were given, especially the ones in larger sizes (though you need to beware of getting the season right for these).

Boring as hell but I'm sure would be really appreciated : a shedload of Nappies and wipes. Everyone else is going to buy them 'something special' get them something that is actually going to make their life easier.

I'm expecting shortly. I've got everything for the baby. I'd like champagne..

I have bought before:

• Vouchers for Cook! Frozen meals (they do a newborn pack, delivered)
• A litre of Bombay Sapphire , best baby present ever, I was told!
• Chocolate or biscuits to stash by the bed for those long nights
• Grobag sleeping bags, although I found the sleeping bags by Slumbersac to be a good, cheaper alternative

My auntie made me a nappy cake, it was amazing, about 2 weeks' worth of nappies all stacked like a tiered wedding cake!

My colleague is going on maternity leave in June and I'm crocheting a cotton blanket for her baby. Hope she doesn't end up with too many!

My go to is always Sophie the Giraffe, Aden + Anais swaddles and / or Ewan.

Gro-bag is also a good shout but babies have to be over a certain weight for them (8 lbs so not mohassive). They also come in different togs.

Good quality muslin clothes were a fantastic gift we received.
Books - 10 little fingers and 10 little toes is a good one or the wonderful things about you
Nice coffee and cakes for mum
Clothes 6 months + be mindful of the season, were brilliant.
Grimms rainbow - could be on display in nursery until a little older
Most useful was the nappies, wipes and baby wash in a basket, still store napoies in the basket now 2 years later!