To ask for advice on preparing a new mummy package for my friend

[EmperorPalpatitty]

Hi, I wasn't 100% sure where I should put this, but I thought I should ask in here because you are all the experts.

My friend is pregnant, and she's the first out of my close friends to be so. I want to put together a little gift hamper with some bits and bobs her and baby for when he or she arrives but I don't have anyone in my life I could ask.

Is there anything that you would have loved to receive as a new mummy?

(I feel terribly foolish for not knowing any of this yet when I'm a 28 year old woman, haha)

I made a caddy for my friend who had a baby recently so it would have lots of useful things close to hand when she was trapped under her baby. It had the following:

Extra long phone charging cable
Porridge bars, chocolate and packets of nuts
Elizabeth Arden 8 hour repair cream
Nipple balm
Huge water bottle
Insulated bottle for hot drinks
Muslins
Wet wipes
Hand sanitiser
Hair ties
Cooling facial mist spray
Breast pads
Starbucks gift card

I agree that the nappy cake wouldn’t have done it for me. Who honestly wants to receive nappies as a gift

Yeah, don't get a nappy cake. Also don't get smellies for your friend, if she has stitches she won't be able to use bath products for a while anyway and after my first I was so shell shocked I honestly felt like I didn't have time to brush my teeth sometimes Got my act together a bit by the time my second came!

I'd never heard of a nappy cake!

Nappy cakes are so naff. And I never use handcream so that would end up getting chucked too.

Is she planning on breastfeeding? If so then Lanisoh cream, breast pads, avoid chocolates and juice as it can upset baby's tummy. Muslins, biscuits, really lovely lidded mug.

Voucher for Cook/food delivery/Gousto or the like

Voucher for her favourite hairdresser (and an offer to babysit for an hour while she goes)

Netflix/amazon prime subscription voucher.

Pop a note in offering congratulations and a hug/shoulder to cry on if it goes a bit tits-up some days.

My BFF once texted me in the middle of the night on the off-chance I'd be awake feeding. Of course I was, and just having a quick text exchange in the darkness meant more than any physical gift.

Best I got was allplants box of freezer meals, so good to have ready meals that were healthy ready to go

@Moraxella

All the cheese that you are advised not to eat in pregnancy 🙂

When my friend had twins and I knew she wouldn't be breastfeeding, I bought her a bottle of champagne and the soft cheeses and paté (and crackers etc) she'd been missing. She was delighted.

I had no need for nipple cream or naply rash products but I loved

• lavender oil for the bath, so soothing
• childs farm baby wash smells amazing
• washable breast pads
• stretchy vest tops from H&M
• muslins
• glass nail file for baby nails
• aveeno hand cream
• chocolate, wine

It's personal isn't it? You know her best. Maybe just go down the food/drink route but add some hand cream or fancy shower gel you know she loves the smell of?

My sister did one of these for me, it was so lovely.

The only thing I can think of that I don’t think anyone has said yet is dry shampoo! Saved me a bunch when I didn’t have time to do my hair.

My friend sent me a gift for my baby (a ‘strong girls club’ vest, some books and a wooden hoop thing with rainbow ribbons that she absolutely loved - look for baby sensory ribbons or similar).

She also sent a pack for me that included:
Hand cream
My favourite tea bags
A travel mug
A cup holder for the pram (best thing ever) - if she’s having a winter baby you can also get like mitten/ hand warmers that attach to the pram so you can just slot your hands in when pushing, a friend had those last winter and said they were great
Space masks eye masks - amazing
Peppermint tea (I’d had a section and helped with the wind)
Some posh brownies
Sweet almond oil - for massaging my scar (never happened but I do use it after a shower still).

Other things we received/ bought for baby which were great:

• tuppence and crumble star wrap
• foil blanket - just the kind you get in a first aid kit, great for sensory play
• bubbles
• sensory scarves
• some black and white picture cards
• little wooden musical instruments
• lovely soft giant muslin cloths
• millions of blankets - too many really but we got some really beautiful ones and I’ve kept them all
• so many lovely books

Don't feel foolish - I wouldn't have known before my first child and I was 36!

For baby - Aden and anais Muslims (large) - I still have two I keep in the car now and my children are 13 and 7. Small teddy on a blanket - www.thewhitecompany.com/uk/Millie-Mouse-Comforter/p/MIUCO
That's not my ...... book

For mum - hand cream wipes left me with cracked hands
Nipple cream
Non spill drinks cup - these are great uk.keepcup.com/
A nice cardigan - feeding at night gets cold

Sock ons are a genius and inexpensive add.
Baby shampoo, bubble bath, sudocreme or metanium, cotton wool balls. Depending on budget... a voucher for a pedicure. For use towards end of pregnancy when cutting Toenails becomes a challenge. (Cheaper option... offer to do it yourself).

When my friend gave birth 20 years and I went to see her and I gave baby a present and bought her some Clinique body wash and lotion so she could pamper herself. She still talks to this day about how she loved the 100s of presents for her baby but the one that touched her the most was mine for her .