If you have just had a baby, would you rather…

[SoLuckyToHaveYou]

receive a bouquet of flowers or a plant? I intend to get another gift for the baby as well. Please help me out because I am a chronic ditherer 🤷🏼‍♀️

Flowers, I can't keep plants alive even when things are more settled! Love getting flowers though, don't get them often so they feel special and brighten up my mood in the house.

Flowers - I'd end up killing the plant. As others have said, it's a gamble because if you already have flowers, it's a struggle where to put them, but it's still lovely to have something beautiful to look at when you're at home a lot.

The sort of flowers that are pre-arranged and already in water are the best, IMHO.

Insulated cup and a posh selection of teas and biscuits or take away vouchers

I love flowers and plants but some people seem to find them a hassle (particularly with a new born baby).
I think vouchers for a take away would be welcome by all. You're so utterly exhausted and overwhelmed when with a newborn that anything to bake life easier is much appreciated.

Omg no this is not a good present. Send food. I had absolutely no time to look after flowers or plants.

Neither. Go for biscuits, chocolate, cake; or wine! Or a voucher for prepared food like Cook.

Plant but I'm one of those people that loves plants.

Easier and maybe better would be a biscuit selection box or similar so they don't have to keep thinking about topping up when people pop over to see the baby and have a cup of tea. The amount of times I had to send my husband out to get some nibbles became quite annoying.

Neither. I love having cut flowers but with a newborn it was a pain in the arse.

A low maintenance potted plant if you really must but I (currently nursing an 8w old) would have much preferred:
A cooked meal that I could heat up and that could be eaten with one hand.
Fruit cake or flapjacks
Savoury snacks food like lovely cheese and crackers
A voucher for a takeaway food service
A voucher for a baby shop
A water bottle with a straw for one handed drinking while breastfeeding
Someone to look after the baby for an hour or two while I nap (take the baby out for a walk) or do jobs (baby OK in house) or
Someone to do some chores for me.

No thank you:
Cuddly toy
Cut flowers
Hand cream
Fucking face mask
Scented candle

You're lovely to think of a gift OP. Personally, when I had my twins and I got bought flowers, my main thought, somewhat ungraciously, was "oh brilliant- another effin job to deal with". Or find a vase, or cut the stem, or then have to wash it all out when the flowers die. A baby (or two) is quite overwhelming so something else may be appreciated more. Maybe a luxury shower gel, or a cafe Nero voucher or something nice to eat.

My best postnatal gift was a delivery of lovely cakes and biscuits.

It meant I always had something to offer to people who dropped round to see the baby. And plenty to snack on when feeding. And it didn't need feeding or watering!

I kill plants so I'd prefer an artificial one, or an artificial bouquet, you can get some really good ones these days, they don't all look like they belong in a lego house anymore. For me chocolate of any kind always goes down well but especially if it's a creme egg mountain, you'd be made guest of honour for that ☺️

Yes

I love receiving house plants, and love that they last years as opposed to flowers. However, seems a lot of people here don’t like house plants- so depends what your friend generally likes!

Flowers - I've never loved plants, but think flowers are such a beautiful luxury x

No..I hate gifts that require further work or more money spent. I really really hate them

Agree with low maintenance plant. We got sent two rose bushes- or rather stalks that needed to be planted within 48 hours. Well that didn't happen... and neither stalk grew (unsurprisingly!(

Absolutely neither.

A plant means more work, and lots of people will already get her flowers.

Get a practical gift like food or a just eat voucher. A new water bottle with a straw. Or bring round some dinner. Or maybe a voucher for costa etc for when she wants to leave the house.

Neither, I have much rather had cake.

No. My friend who had her first baby last year literally messaged me begging me not to send her flowers because she was already ‘drowning’ in them.

Neither. When I'd just had my second baby I was given so much stuff. My two child free friends made me a pamper pack with face masks and random stuff like that you get from home bargains. It was SO well meant but I'll never forget trying to find a space for this bag of stuff I knew I wouldn't have an opportunity to use for a long time. I just wanted to throw everything in my house in the bin because there were objects everywhere.

A gift voucher for the local takeaway though! Now that's a gift for a new mum.

Flowers.

Plant either needs to be planted in the garden, which involves work, or needs looking after. Also, I think houseplants are a personal choice. If they already have lots of plants, then fair enough, but if they’re not a houseplant person, they probably wouldn’t appreciate it.

Yeah this (although hand cream is useful as hands can get very dry from extra washing after nappies etc).

I would like to add to ‘sleep pamper kits’ to this list. People thought this crap would magically make my baby go to sleep if i put some lavender body cream on as if no time to relax was the reason i wasn’t sleeping.

Flowers and a vase

You don't have to look after flowers
Stick them in a vase. Done.