To ask you all for ideas for a present for pregnant best freind

[Mrswhiskerson]

My best freind is pregnan. And she has everything she needs for the baby , I want to make a present for her lots of nice things to spoil herself with after the birth and I would love some ideas, what would you have liked someone to give you after you had your baby ?

Oh I did this for my friend. I just made up a hamper of things I know she loves. Perfume, body lotions, shampoos, soaps, talcs, new hair brushes....all that sort of shite.

She really loved it

I loved the Neal's Yard Mum's bath oil when pg. Another favourite gift was a set of Aden & Anais large muslins.

Yes, totally agree with worral and add some nice wine/champagne (perhaps those 'mini' bottles ) and chocolates.

Audio books! For the hours sat up in the night feeding, when you don't want a tv on (because it seems too bright and loud at 3.00am) but want something to occupy your mind. Or if it suits your friend better, a couple of new DVD's, again, for when you are stuck on the sofa going nowhere. Maybe some shower stuff - I got given loads of bath salts etc but was never able to spend hours soaking in the bath when dd was tiny - she always always seemed to need a feed just as I slipped in and started to relax...
And if there is any food that you know she likes but hasn't been eating (I love Brie and cranberries, but avoided brie because you are advised to - I could barely contain my joy when my friend showed up with a big slab of it two days after dd was born) then some of that might be nice.

And maybe something decorative - a picture frame for a pic of the baby. Or, even better, one of those kits that come with soft clay so you can make an impression of the baby's hand/foot, and frame it. You forget just how tiny they are otherwise!
Hope that helps.

And depending on how early into the pregnancy she is, you can just add the odd item to your weekly shop. You'll have loads by the time she pops and won't even feel as though you've spent anything

I had too much to fit in a basket in the end, so I cut a cardboard box down, filled it with coloured tissue paper, covered it in foil and took it to my local florist who wrapped it in cellophane and put a nice big ribbon and bow on top. She only charged me £2.

Tea tree and Lavender essential oils... and a huge tube of anusol

@ anusol

Might as well throw a small rubber ring in there too

What a lovely idea!!! I really have to say I totally agree with the previous posters who suggested audio books. Brilliant brainwave! Love love love the thought of including all the things you couldn't have whilst pregnant like brie or other banned cheeses (which I think, most pregnant women crave).

Even just a bunch of magazines she'll probably like as her brain will be fried with sleep deprevation (mine was), and she might be incapable of reading a book.

You sound like a lovely friend

I have taken a picnic lunch round to several friends post birth with brie / camembert, parma ham, prawns and bubbly. Always goes down really well!

I was going to say music, for the same reason as babybythesea has said. With so many hours staring into space I don't know what would have become of me without an MP3 player.

Great idea's, and a relative of mine is expecting so I am going to look for that soft clay for the footprints, love that idea!

A LoveFilm subscription.

I totally caned mine after Orange wrote us a snotty letter about the amount of bandwidth I was using in the night feeds.....

Great big stack of lovingly prepared meals. Seriously.

A magazine subscription??? Something a bit mindless (obviously depends on the person. I'm a big reader but after having had my two initially I couldn't cope with a proper book (too tired and lack of concentration). However I did like flicking through magazines even if it was just looking at the pictures. Obviously that depends on your friend.

I would also have loved some Sanctuary spa bath products.

I've made up birth boxes for my friends before...
Relaxation/guided meditation cd;
Arnica;
Rescue Remedy;
Neal's Yard Mother's Massage Oil;
Lip Balm;
A good book;
Neal's Yard 'Calm' spritzer;
Organic Chocolate; etc..

I love Turtle's idea of meals. I would have killed for someone to bring me a cooked meal every so often (my Mum did, but always wanted to stay and eat with us, at the table, with napkins and wine glasses, while all I wanted to do was eat off a tray in bed!).

When I had DS1, I read alot about the damage caused by certain ingredients used in the cosmetics industry, and gave up using anything that isn't natural and unharmful. I think when you've a newborn that's really important. Also, you don't want to use products that have a strong smell when your newborn is trying to bond with you (scent is a really important part of the bonding process), so I personally wouldn't give anything unnatural or strongly scented (that's why Neal's Yrad products are perfect for new mums!).

I'm with the arnica, teatree oil and lavender - my first purchase after a rotten forceps birth! Definitely a must have for after baby arrives. For during pregnancy a massive bottle of gaviscon and some raspberry leaf tea.

Maybe a little book of post it notes perhaps, containing little IOUs: I will come and take the baby for a walk so you can have a bath in peace, I will cook you lunch and bring it to you in bed etc
That would have been brilliant.

a voucher for a massage along with a card saying you will watch the baby while she has it! I would have loved that. especially if the person giving it specified that they would take me and dd there so I didn't have to worry about bring away from her for more than an hour.

Elemis mother to be massage!

I'm pregnant, and for my birthday one of my friends gave me a voucher for a local spa, and (as so many spa treatments aren't suitable for pregnancy) a promise that if I want to wait til after the birth to use it, she'll babysit whilst I go and have a facial/massage etc. Thought that was a lovely idea!

hair dressing vouchers, pedicure vouchers, clothes vouchers

How about some meals delivered for the first week when she will find it tough to have the energy to cook etc?
www.chefonboard.com/category_Mum_Gifts_1.htm

I found handcream very useful, due to washing my hands a million times a day.
Also what tomhardysmith said.