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Do you give gifts for newborn?

22 replies

lolorin · 13/05/2024 15:27

My friend is pregnant and her due date is today.

I was wondering if you would usually get a gift for a newborn? I usually would, but my other friends have said that there is no need as we all gave gifts at the baby shower.

I was planning on doing my friend up a little gift with some bits for her - bubble bath, a nice candle, etc.

I was wondering if I should get something small again for the baby, and if so does anybody have any suggestions please?

OP posts:
mitogoshi · 13/05/2024 15:29

Yes but I don't do baby showers, seems like tempting fate to celebrate before the birth

Clearinguptheclutter · 13/05/2024 15:30

I’ve never actually been to a baby shower but always bought stuff when baby was born. Def not before !

ClipClopperDontStopper · 13/05/2024 15:31

None of my frends have ever had a baby shower so that has kept things simple for me. I just get a gift for mum (usually a Cook voucher/Uber Eats voucher) and some clothes for the baby.

If you've already given the gift at the shower I don't think your friend can be expecting anything else. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't if you want to.

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Peonies12 · 13/05/2024 15:31

If I'd given a gift at baby shower, I wouldn't give another gift after the birth, but if no baby shower, I usually buy a voucher for COOK | Frozen Ready Meals, Delivered Meals, Prepared Meal Delivery | COOK (cookfood.net), everyone I've given this to has said it was very much appreciated! They'll have everything they need for the baby.

COOK | Frozen Ready Meals, Delivered Meals, Prepared Meal Delivery | COOK

Remarkable frozen ready meals, prepared by our own chefs and delivered to your door via our nationwide delivery service. Or discover your local COOK shop!

https://www.cookfood.net/

longdistanceclaraclara · 13/05/2024 15:31

If you gave a baby sower gift then no, maybe something for the mum.

lolorin · 13/05/2024 15:32

Thanks both. Hmmm that's the problem, the baby shower was only last month and everybody gave gifts then. It seems a bit repetitive to buy a gift for the baby again, but I wouldn't want to turn up empty handed either!

OP posts:
Sprogonthetyne · 13/05/2024 15:33

I do, but non of my friends or family did baby showers. If you've already given a gift for baby, I wouldn't get a second. A cooked meal to go in the freezer might be appreciated though if you don't want to turn up empty handed.

Muffin101 · 13/05/2024 15:34

Yes, always, regardless of baby showers. It doesn’t have to be big, something wee for baby, something of a treat or something useful for mum and a nice card.

lolorin · 13/05/2024 15:34

Thanks everyone. We are only early 20's so baby showers seem all the go at the moment with my age group, every mum friend of mine has had one!

I agree that she probably has everything by now, I wouldn't want to buy for the sake of it when she won't need it.

Love the idea for the cooking vouchers, I'll look in to that

OP posts:
childlessandfree · 13/05/2024 15:36

NO never have.

MILsPlates · 13/05/2024 15:37

I've always given a gift for the mum at the baby shower and a gift for the baby when they are here- some people don't like receiving baby gifts before the birth.

If you have already given a baby gift, I'd give a gift to the mum eg something lovely to eat, flowers if she likes them, food delivery voucher.

lolorin · 13/05/2024 15:40

@MILsPlates yes I would have thought that too, but she gave us a list of things she needed and all were baby items so I just picked off there.

I think that's the best option, a gift for mum and maybe something very small for the baby

OP posts:
thecatsthecats · 13/05/2024 15:40

I would stick to a gift for the mum if you're showing up.

I haven't lit a candle in months though tbh. And everyone brings chocolates when you desperately need more fibre and nutrition. I am much more on the practical side - a contigo water bottle was very handy!

If you want to get another gift for the baby, I recommend an electric nail file.

lolorin · 13/05/2024 15:44

@thecatsthecats thank you. She loves candles and self care things so I was thinking of making something up based on the things that she likes.

Really like the idea of the water bottle, that's a great suggestion! And the nail file, I wouldn't have thought about that and I'm not sure that she has either.

OP posts:
MrsFionaCharming · 13/05/2024 16:03

I tend to take a present for the mum to the shower, and a present for the baby once it’s born.

UnravellingTheWorld · 13/05/2024 16:29

lolorin · 13/05/2024 15:32

Thanks both. Hmmm that's the problem, the baby shower was only last month and everybody gave gifts then. It seems a bit repetitive to buy a gift for the baby again, but I wouldn't want to turn up empty handed either!

If you don't want to go empty handed then bring dinner or something to be reheated - finding time to cook in the early days is hard.

chdjdjdnfn · 13/05/2024 16:59

I've only been to two baby showers, one was "no gifts" (there was a group bunch of flowers for the mum to be), the other one I did a gift for the mum and then a gift for the baby when it was born.
I really don't like the baby shower trend because it feels like tempting fate to buy gifts for a baby that hasn't been born yet and it's nicer to choose something after they're born

chdjdjdnfn · 13/05/2024 17:00

lolorin · 13/05/2024 15:32

Thanks both. Hmmm that's the problem, the baby shower was only last month and everybody gave gifts then. It seems a bit repetitive to buy a gift for the baby again, but I wouldn't want to turn up empty handed either!

Take something nice for the mum like chocolate or tasty snacks to keep her energy levels up!

Luxell934 · 13/05/2024 17:41

If you’ve already bought a gift for the baby at the baby shower then I personally wouldn’t turn up with another gift. When does the gift giving end?? If you want to bring something food related I’m sure that would be appreciated.

ThePoshUns · 13/05/2024 17:42

I would buy for a new baby but I'm pre baby shower era.
I just find baby showers too grabby for this very reason.

thecatsthecats · 13/05/2024 22:16

lolorin · 13/05/2024 15:44

@thecatsthecats thank you. She loves candles and self care things so I was thinking of making something up based on the things that she likes.

Really like the idea of the water bottle, that's a great suggestion! And the nail file, I wouldn't have thought about that and I'm not sure that she has either.

I didn't say I don't like candles ;)

It's just my perspective, I just have found that I received a lot of the same self care type items, when my self care needs actually changed.

TheWayTheLightFalls · 13/05/2024 22:22

A Cook meal, a thermal flask with lid and some JL baby-grows in 3-6m would be my gift of choice.

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