What to buy new mum and baby

[rainbowstardrops]

Just as the title says really!

A fairly close family member is due to give birth any time now and I've spent ages online looking for something to buy her and also her new little one.

She had a baby shower, so I've already bought a gift but presume/would like to still buy a little present for when baby arrives and also she's had a rough trot getting this far and I'd like to buy her something too.
But what???!!!

If I buy something personalised for baby then obviously that takes time to arrive and I have no idea what their chosen name is and everything online just looks a bit meh!

I don't want to spend a fortune because I already spent a decent amount on baby shower gift, so any ideas?!!!

This is the first baby in my family for years, so have zero ideas ..... HELP!!!!

The last time I was in this position I got a lovely clay face mask for the mum, a little something for the baby and older kids and cook vouchers for the whole family. I also got a beer for the dad as I like to include them - their lives change too. I usually also cook for the whole family but have a young baby myself at the minute so that wasn't realistic this time! Flowers / chocs for the mum - also lovely.

Best gifts: champagne, Cook vouchers, friend coming over and offering to take baby for a walk whilst I had a nap, friend who bought lunch from Cook with her and prepared it for us.

Worst gifts: personalised baby ornaments/objects, baby clothes, soft toys, anything sold as a 'keepsake'.

@Speedweed you are literally the total opposite of me! I loved all the keepsake stuff and clothes etc but if anyone had tried to take my newborn out for a walk without me or bought me champagne I'd have been so unimpressed!

@rainbowstardrops my friend gave birth yesterday- I ordered the baby a blanket with their name and dob on from my 1st years which will be here tomorrow and then made my friend a pamper set- new slippers- face masks some chocolates and a high street gift voucher for her to treat herself x

I bought this for a friend a little while ago, I thought they could use it individually or together if they were having skin to skin in the bath.

www.babipur.co.uk/health-skincare/body-care/our-tiny-bees-large-mum-baby-skincare-gift-set.html

Available from a few stockists

When I had both my babies, my best gifts were:
Fancy shower gel
Gower cottage brownies
Visitors who made cups of tea & brought cake or biscuits with them

Best gifts for babies:
A little vibrating robot that goes in dd2's crib as it helps her sleep
A white noise machine
Sophie la giraffe teether
Matchstick monkey teether
Packs of muslins
The offer to babysit when we needed (my amazing SIL who offered to come round and watch dd1 sleep while I showered, knowing I had anxiety so barely left the baby's side)

For mum (and dad), definitely chocolate, coffee or meal/ takeaway vouchers! If you live close enough, homemade food is amazing too. When DD was born, a friend dropped off some lovely homemade meals that she'd packaged up in those little foil trays. Was brilliant, all we had to do was stick one in the oven.

For baby, the jellycat teddies are the softest loveliest thing (my 20 month old DD is currently in her cot, fast asleep, cuddling one - she's inseparable from it!)

My baby is 4 months so this is still quite fresh in the mind for me. Things I appreciated were new pjs, chocolate biscuits/crispy cremes. My baby was early so I hadn’t got stuff in for visitors so give her a stash so she’s got for when other people come round. My work gave us a deliveroo voucher that was much appreciated. A lasange or something would also have been appreciated but probably only if you’re very close otherwise that’s a bit weird maybe.
so many people sent me flowers, nice thought but I think the £35/40 florist flowers are a waste of money at the best of times, all that pollen in the house tor baby also mum has no time to change water etc all mine were left to rot and my mum changed the water and sorted them when she came but to be honest I’d rather everyone saved themselves the money and had brought me a pack of nappies instead.
most people brought something else for the baby even if they’d already given at my baby shower.

@CurbsideProphet aww, that's so kind of you to say that.
This little miracle is an IVF baby after miscarriages and I just want to get their presents right!

Thank you for all the replies so far! I will definitely be looking into all of them tomorrow because I really like a lot of the ideas.

How do you give 'meal' vouchers?

Dad to be is pretty good in the kitchen, so I don't really know what's available.

I'd like to give a 'I'll take baby for a walk etc' thing but there are plenty of other closer people to them. I'll 'just' be a great auntie!

Really appreciate all ideas though!

I ordered a personalised baby cardigan from ‘Name Knits’ on Etsy, the girl has Instagram too so I messaged her asking if there was any chance it could arrive ASAP as we were seeing my friend a few days later, it arrived the next day! Such a lovely gift.

Other things I’d recommend from having my baby are

• a big multipack of pampers, you can’t go wrong with them


• a love to dream swaddle bag


• anything in a bigger size will get worn loads as they probably have very little else in that size and will have no money left by then if they’re anything like me!


• One thing I wouldn’t buy is bath stuff as I ended up with a huge hamper of a range of brands, all very perfumed and not what I had chosen to use, got some talcum powder too which isn’t supposed to be used now I don’t think. It was a such a waste, planning to donate it to charity

@rainbowstardrops on the COOK website there is a gift voucher section. You order off the website and have the voucher posted to the persons address.

@rainbowstardrops so is my baby 🙂
If you're buying any toiletries for mum or nappies etc I would just check preferred brands in advance. I really hope someone brings me posh brownies and ready meals 🤞🏻😀

I got given a really large insulated coffee mug that was basically impossible to knock over. It was amazing. Tea stayed warm in it for hours even when the baby was sleeping on me and I couldn't move. I loved it so much.

This is a good gift if she doesn’t have one. My Contigo travel mug is one of my most used items with a 3wo along with AirPods, big water bottle (Camelbak) and extra long phone charging cable.

Like another poster I haven’t really been keen on keepsake type gifts. She’s got 5 blankets, some personalised, but yet to use any. And no mittens or socks, most sleep suits have integrated hand/feet coverings.

If you are really keen on baby clothes, zippered sleepsuits are wonderful & a lot more expensive so harder to justify buying yourself. Jojo Maman Bebe do nice ones and there’s an Australian brand called Bonds that do brightly coloured versions.

If you live near by I was so grateful for the friends who came and emptied my dishwasher, hung up the washing and held the baby (in my house, I wouldn't have coped with them taking her out) whilst I showered and turned up with lunch. I even had someone come so I could nap. I couldn't tell you who brought what gifts, but the people who offered practical help I will never forget

My favourite presents were a couple of handknitted jumpers and blankets - so lovely and thoughtful.

A big lovely couch throw/blanket for me (winter baby) to snuggle up in.

Lovely wine and champagne - I'd missed having a glass of something.

A friend who bought a hamper of cold meats, pate and cheese - AMAZING.

Lovely children's books

Nice smelly stuff

A batch of homemade lactation cookies

But the best things of all - the friends who brought around yummy food that was easy to eat and freeze - pasta bake, lasagne etc. The best!

I got too many teddies and muslins/wraps.

All of these ideas are fantastic - thank you!

So, I don't think I'll buy toiletries as she'll probably get loads and they might not be what she'd usually choose. I might buy her a face mask though.

I like the idea of either brownies/biscuits/chocolates etc that she can just grab and also a voucher for food or the high street or whatever.

I'm not sure about getting something personalised for the baby now. Do people think that's a bit naff or cute?

Lots to think about and look into but I'd love more ideas and what people found useful/lovely and what wasn't so much.

I buy my new mum friend's a box of tea bags, case of coke and packets of biscuits.. It saw me through the early days!

@ThatDreamSheep I'm thinking a practical present is maybe the way to go too.

Just a small outfit or something

Nothing much.

Something she can eat like ready meals or biscuits

Sock ons are useful

Gousto subscription?

Cook vouchers are wonderful, but please check first that there is either a shop nearby or they have a large freezer. A friend gave me a Cook voucher which initially caused me a lot of panic because I couldn't fit the minimum delivery in my freezer. I didn't use my voucher for several months until I was able to get to the shop (almost an hour's drive away), and then it was amazing! We had local Cook stockists, but I couldn't use the voucher there.

A friend sent me a rotating multicoloured lightbulb (it was £5 from wilko) which fits into an ordinary bulb fitting and my 3YO still loves it. I was grateful when people sent me chocolate! I was incredibly thirsty after I had my baby, so a nice water bottle or large drinking glass perhaps!

@Latenightreader I'm just looking at Cook and Just Eat right now.
Cook looks lovely but a Just Eat voucher for when they're just too tired or can't be faffed to cook looks good too and plenty of options.
I was worried about the freezer situation too because mine is absolutely chocker full of shit