Box of goodies for a new mum - what would you want in it?

[Comvit]

My friend has just had a baby. I want to make up my own box of goodies to send to her.

But I'm wondering what to put in there. I've never had a baby so not sure what a new mother would appreciate.

I was thinking of a nice body cream, a scented candle, some chocolate, some wild flower seeds, a gift voucher for a baby shop. Is this naff? What else could I put in there? What would you have wanted in a gift box just after you'd had a baby?

By the time I get around to buying the stuff and sending it off, the baby will probably be a week or so old.

The gift voucher is good, I wouldn’t have wanted any of the other things. I think nothing that makes work, so for me if I got the seeds I’d have thought oh no when will I have time to plant them. Or even what if I forget to blow out the candle?
Things I found useful were baby basics such as cotton wool, baby blankets and sheets and I absolutely loved getting baby clothes either in the right size or a size up.

Fluffy socks and a dressing gown

Nice muslins.

Hand cream is good for new mums- I found all the bathing and nappies and so on gave me quite chapped hands.

Any nice snacky foods.

I quite like the seeds idea but make sure they're the sort you just scatter not anything that needs a lot of work.

A Boots voucher is very useful.

I can understand why you'd think a body cream would be lovely, but in reality I could barely find time for a wee in the early weeks let alone a long soak and pamper. Agree that a Boots voucher or similar is extremely useful. Chocolate or other snacks are good. What does she drink? I like herbal teas so appreciated fancy boxes. Even if she just drinks coke, put a couple of cans in!

Second the Boots voucher. But just East voucher or similar would have been massively appreciated for me after DD, saves them needing to cook!

That sounds lovely. A nice takeaway voucher and a face mask is nice too.

I personally love the idea of wild flower seeds. I love flowers and plants and it would be a nice watching them grow with dc.
I got a candle and chocolates in my hamper and they were also appreciated, especially the chocolates!

Other things I really liked were Muslin cloths, nappies, child farm stuff, sleepsuits, & blankets.
My lovely mum got me some puzzle books which I enjoyed (lots of hours bf on the sofa!) and made me a mini beauty box, she put lip balm in , hand cream, lanolin cream, some fluffy socks and a light dressing gown.
I also got a cloud shaped white noise machine ,which we used a lot in the 1st year. It was great.

I lived on jelly tots, jelly babies, dates, mints, m&ms etc to get me through the cluster feeds and to ensure I stayed awake when breastfeeding throughout the night. Also some nice non alcoholic drinks in a can for the fridge.

What my new mum relatives (and friends) have appreciated is:-

Lovely relaxing bath stuff.

Bite sized flapjacks and other sweet stuff

Baby basics like muslins etc were a good shout.

and fluffy socks, comfy warm throw

Thanks so much everyone.

Noted - I'll swap out the body cream for a nice hand cream.

And I'll still go with the wild flower seeds.

I'll get a Boots voucher.

I'll get fluffy socks.

I'll get all the snacks.

I'll get some baby basics.

I'll get some cans of pop.

Oooh, I'm excited now!

My go to present for new parents is a COOK voucher provided they deliver in their area - then they can buy 1 or 2 person nice ready meals or a couple of larger dishes if they have family etc coming over takes the faff of catering away.

A couple of nice loaf cakes or a box of nice biscuits are good too so long as the DH doesn't scoff them all (long hard stare at mine....)

We got a cook voucher and it was the best thing ever!!! That and snacks/chocolate. I was so busy and tired that I repeatedly forgot to eat.
Also people cooking for us was a godsend

Wild flower seeds would have been another chore for me.

Lovely hand cream a great idea. Bath stuff wouldn’t have got used for a few weeks due to stitches.

Slipper socks a good idea to prevent knackered mum slipping in half asleep state.

Chocolate!

Snacks, baby things such as muslins, unscented handcream (Neutrogena for example), lip balm.

Things I didn't want - candles (was worried I'd be so tired I'd leave them burning when asleep), bath stuff (I'm a shower person), alcohol (couldn't think of anything worse than adding to the tiredness by drinking it), pampering stuff in general (just no interest).

My faves:

Definitely the best hand cream you can afford - so much hand washing.

A good flask to keep hot drinks hot!

A remote control holder for the arm of the sofa so can always find it to switch on tv while holding baby.

Can never have too many muslins.

Any snacks that can be eaten with one hand!

How long do the wildflower seeds last? Because she will barely be able to brush her teeth never mind plant seeds.

Maybe you plant them for her so she can watch them grow.

Nice idea to give her a basket of goodies though :)

Epsom plain bath salts if any bath goodies. It aids recovery after vaginal birth. Can buy them cheaply at paces like Bodycare.

I once got my friend one of those insulated mugs- hot drinks have a tendency go cold with a small baby!

I'm not sure how long wild flower seeds last. I don't want them to be a chore, I just thought it might be nice for her to chuck some in a window box and watch them grow.

I'll be posting the goodies box and she lives a couple of hours away so I can't go and plant them myself for her.

Read loud and clear on the pampering stuff - will pull back on this.

But I know she loves a candle so I'll still get a candle. It'll still be there in a couple of years if she doesn't want to burn it when the baby's young.

My baby wouldn't breastfeed if I used any scented body products. I'd get a travel cup/ flask because she'll have a lot of cups of tea going cold, and also it won't spill around the baby.

Really nice dry shampoo (ie not Batiste).
Travel mug.
Nice snacks - Graze do good small sized ones.
Aveda hand relief cream is a gift from the Gods, only thing that ever soothes my poor hands.
Elizabeth Arden 8 hr lip balm. Again just the nicest and a real treat. The pot lasts ages.

Wildflower seeds may feel like a chore.
Candle I think I would be frightened I wouldn't blow it out or would accidentally set fire to the house.

Everything else sounds lovely.
I would like some chocolates or other more healthy snacks. When my children were little I was constantly either breastfeeding or hooked up to the breast pump so needed something I could pick on easily to maintain my energy.

Graze box, having little snacks on hand whilst breastfeeding was lovely.

When I was pregnant my friends put together a goodie box for me and my favourite thing in there was a nice lidded cup for coffee on the go. Bonus points if you can find a coffee cup holder to attach the cup to the pram - John Lewis sell a cup holder which has been reduced to £8 not sure if any are left in stock.

Also you sound like a lovely friend