To ask what the duck to get a friend who's had a baby

[Fattygettingthin]

Please help me! I haven't a clue what to get her and the baby. She had him about 3 weeks ago and we're seeing them tomorrow.

What do you wish you had as a gift after having a baby? What was your favourite gift? What did you appreciate most? I've got her some Aiden and Anais muslins but that's it :/

Help! Aibu to call on Mumsnet so she doesn't get just a pack of sick cloths

A cleaner for a couple of hours and a few nice frozen microwavable meals. She won't have time for much and that would really help.

My favourite present was from DPs mate and his wife, teething toys and an outfit for baby (bigger than 0-3 months) and a bottle of gin for me

DEFINITELY agree with the food, especially if she has older children.

Lansinoh or Purelan is helpful for breastfeeding mums. Just ensure she is not allergic to lanolin as I believe some people are.

What ever you do please don't buy cuddly toys! I can't be the only parent that's sent dozens to the charity shop. I got four of the same bunny from Waitrose for my DD.

definitely my favourites would have been - a home cooked meal I could keep in fridge or freeze (too knackered to cook!) PLUS nice treats for me (bathtime stuff) ....

Babe got masses but lovely to do something small for them

If clothes suggest get 3-6 months as they are likely to have masses of small stuff and it is lovely having something nice for next stage...

Hand cream! It’s one of those things that l didn’t think about before DS arrived, but in those early weeks when I was doing multiple nappy changes I was washing my hands so many times a day my hands got really dry and sore. One of my favourite gifts was a really lovely rich (but not too scented) hand cream. A little bit of luxury for me amidst all the chaos.

I've got a 6 week old so here's my top John Lewis tips:

• Thermos travel mug so her brews never go cold
• fancy water bottle
• Lamaze toy
• Sophie le giraffe
• age/tog appropriate baby sleeping bag
• cute clothes
• hotel chocolate goodies

Under no circumstances buy her 0-3 baby clothes, EVERYONE buys these and it's hard to look grateful when you know you'll have to go to the trouble of taking them back and exchanging them.

Also I think breast pads would be a bit dull personally.

Also alcohol and food make fabulous presents!

What ever you do please don't buy cuddly toys! I can't be the only parent that's sent dozens to the charity shop. I got four of the same bunny from Waitrose for my DD

I second this^

Maybe a grobag if she hasn't got one already? It's nice to have a couple of summer ones and a couple of winter ones. And they're not cheap so I'm sure it will be appreciated. And a little food hamper for the mum is probably a good idea. Even just some nice snacky things. I have memories of my DD being pretty much attached to my boob the first couple of months so I would have appreciated it.

I’m going to honest and say what I didn’t like receiving. I got a few plants and hated it. For me it was just another thing to keep alive which I didn’t need! If giving flowers please at least offer to arrange them yourself or get them prearranged. Can you tell I was very tired with my newborn?!

Best present? Sophie Le Giraffe and food.

I am due in two weeks and personally I would not need any more muslins, breast pads, nappies, newborn/ 0-3 clothes.

I just got a bag of pressies from a friend and in there was a mummy mug, three bibs, sleeping bag in 2.5 tog ready from 6 months.

All things I had not purchased as they weren't newborn essentials so perfect for the future!

Toys and Autumn Winter outfits in 3-6 months would be useful for a summer baby. Don't buy any summer clothes at this point.

My favourite gift I got my ds1 was born was a keepsake box for things like hospital band and first curl and a memory book and photo album, also hand and foot casting kits.

My best friend got me a thermal mug with lid and a straw - perfectly hot brew, and no chance of spilling it on the baby.
Also kept cold drinks really cold which was great as I drank gallons of homemade lemonade when I was breastfeeding!

Food and adult conversation- from someone who also has a 3 week old

A bottle of prosecco and a set of 6 to 12 month clothes , make syre theyre winter suitable.

A nice blanket? They are useful in cot, pram, buggy, lying on grass, etc. Saw some lovely ones on sale with Best Years online. They have some baby toys and clothes reduced too at only £2. Look under sale on their website.
If you buy a blanket make sure it is machine washable - I was given one that was dry clean only and it was soon covered in yuk!

We had mostly clothes given to us for our newborn earlier this year. Lots of cute outfits, but for the first few weeks we found babygrows better to dress him in. We had that many outfits given us he's only worn some of them a few times.

The most useful things I received/would have liked to receive:
A meal that can be frozen in portions for reheating.
Nappies.
Nappy sacks.
Wipes.
Nipple cream.
Baby toiletries like Sudocreme, talc, baby lotion.
Vests. Leaky nappies and a boy that wees when you change him means lots of outfit changes each day.
Offers to do housework/ironing/weeding the drive/mowing the lawn etc.
Vests/babygrows in the next size up. Ready for when you realise that you can't squeeze them into the newborn ones any longer.

As you can see these are all practical things that will either save time or consumable items that get used a lot.

Posh ready meals from Cook

Sock ons, you can definitely buy them in sainsbury. They stop you losing all the socks by keeping them on their feet.

6-9 month babygros and then pate, cheese, cake and French bread for me!

Faye and Lou muslins if you’re going to John Lewis. They’re so lovely and useless.

Ewan the Dream Sheep is my go-to baby present

Breastpads is a very weird gift to buy a friend. She will have loads already. Sorry

If it's a present for the baby, I'd steer away from clothes/equipment/cuddly toys and get a classic book (something like "Dear Zoo" or "The Gruffalo") or something the baby will use when it's older - a nice plate/bowl/cutlery set?

Aren’t breadt pads a really weird gift? Isn’t it similar to buying someone sanitary towels?

I’d buy a book. Choose one of your childhood favourites and write s message in the front.