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AIBU?

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Original poster

After having a baby

98 replies

Mostmylarbles · 18/05/2023 12:35

What is something that you think is useful/a good idea for someone who is pregnant/ just after had a baby.
Maybe something that isnt usually thought about when people are giving gifts to new parents. Is there something you received that really stuck with you/helped you?

Looking for ideas for baby shower gift for a friend, she has lots of friends and family so I know she'll get some great stuff, but wanted to give something that was maybe a bit different and useful! Also she lives 2 hours away so I don't get to see her much.

Thank you in advance :)

OP posts:
TimeToStopLurking · 18/05/2023 13:28

Someone gave me a voucher and I redeemed it on an annual subscription at Picture House Cinemas. They do 'The Big Scream' baby screenings. I spent many days watching films with baby sleeping away in the bassinet or on me. Bliss.

Whiteroomjoy · 18/05/2023 13:31

Wrongsideofpennines · 18/05/2023 12:50

Insulated cup so you get a hot drink rather than a lukewarm one that you never get round to drinking.
As well as a bit of a pamper thing for mum - chocolates, bottle of fizz (alcoholic or not), bath salts etc.

I also found things like baby toiletries useful. Clothes are cute but really I needed bepanthan, snufflebabe, calpol, lansinoh.

Baby toiletries not a good idea. Many can cause susceptible babies eczema (baby bath oil even). I stupidly made mistake with my first in giving him baths every day and using baby toiletries, he’s 30 and his skin still flares up and causes huge suffering from any soap, and other chemicals in baby toiletries. Don’t do this please.

Whiteroomjoy · 18/05/2023 13:33

TimeToStopLurking · 18/05/2023 13:28

Someone gave me a voucher and I redeemed it on an annual subscription at Picture House Cinemas. They do 'The Big Scream' baby screenings. I spent many days watching films with baby sleeping away in the bassinet or on me. Bliss.

This is a brilliant idea, best by far , I would have loved ugh we didn’t have baby screening in cinemas in my day 🤣🤣🤣)

Dilemma19 · 18/05/2023 13:33

Cap89 · 18/05/2023 13:12

The greatest gift people got us after our second was home cooked food. We were given cook vouchers as someone has already suggested which were great, but we also had a friend batch cook us a delicious pasta sauce and a curry. They portioned them up and we put them straight in the freezer. After our first we were so dead we just lived on takeaway and it felt really grim. After our second it was so nice to know dinner was covered and it would be yummy, comforting, didn’t break the bank and wasn’t crazy unhealthy. So if you can cook, bring food!

This. I had some gifts of hand cream, bath stuff and things like that which were utterly useless to me. I needed time for that which I didn't have. Having proper meals sorted and done makes all the difference.

Justlovedogs · 18/05/2023 13:33

YouWonJayne · 18/05/2023 12:45

Everyone always buys stuff for the baby, my favourite gift after having my first DC was a pamper pack for me - bubble bath, face masks, a bottle of fizz, bath bomb, a voucher for afternoon tea etc. I LOVED it, it’s about the mum too and I felt very special my lovely friend thought of me not just the baby

No suggestions, but my late DM was always a big advocate of getting something for mum rather than baby. Baby gets loads of presents, but something that made mum feel special is a great idea. She always said it was very easy for mum to get lost as a person otherwise.

Beginningless · 18/05/2023 13:36

My sister did a really cute basket thing for me and she wrapped up giant bars of chocolate with funny little labels on them like ‘for days when you want to kill someone’. Also lots of little self care things for me, nice drinks etc. This was given post birth when I already knew how hard it was but maybe at baby shower time you could have more positive encouragement!!

Whiteroomjoy · 18/05/2023 13:36

Cap89 · 18/05/2023 13:12

The greatest gift people got us after our second was home cooked food. We were given cook vouchers as someone has already suggested which were great, but we also had a friend batch cook us a delicious pasta sauce and a curry. They portioned them up and we put them straight in the freezer. After our first we were so dead we just lived on takeaway and it felt really grim. After our second it was so nice to know dinner was covered and it would be yummy, comforting, didn’t break the bank and wasn’t crazy unhealthy. So if you can cook, bring food!

What a lovely friend …that’s perfect . I did batch cook before births and freezer wasteful, but we got through it quickly and even just having one or 2 days where dinner was made and was home cooked helps so much

SunnySaturdayMorning · 18/05/2023 13:37

MaybeOneAndDone · 18/05/2023 12:40

Ewan the white noise sheep. This was the most helpful baby gift we received.

I hated that thing! Totally useless for us. So many times nearly threw the bastard out the window 😂

inappropriateraspberry · 18/05/2023 13:37

Nothing! They will be inundated with clothes, toys etc and I'm sure they'll have all the basics.
Give them a card and tell them to let you know what they would like/need in the future. After having my babies, I didn't want loads of things, just visitors and well wishes were enough.

Wrongsideofpennines · 18/05/2023 13:42

Whiteroomjoy · 18/05/2023 13:31

Baby toiletries not a good idea. Many can cause susceptible babies eczema (baby bath oil even). I stupidly made mistake with my first in giving him baths every day and using baby toiletries, he’s 30 and his skin still flares up and causes huge suffering from any soap, and other chemicals in baby toiletries. Don’t do this please.

Show quote history

I meant the kind of things I'd listed sorry, not baby bath type stuff.
I found it useful to have things like calpol and a recommended nappy cream from a mum-friend helpful so then when we actually needed them we weren't having to scour the shops for something not really having a clue what.

Marblessolveeverything · 18/05/2023 13:43

I remember a friend arriving just as I was home from hospital. She dropped shopping, a warm lasagne and a little set of clairns beauty flash balm with a note to get a few pics with the baby being a glamorous mum.

It really resonated for the practical elements and the message I was me still. I am grateful there is a few photos where I look back with very rose tinted glasses and see a woman who looks put together as opposed to the liver reality 🤯

Marblessolveeverything · 18/05/2023 13:44

*lived rather than liver reality 😔

Hollyppp · 18/05/2023 13:56

COOK vouchers!!!

RonObvious · 18/05/2023 14:16

Cap89 · 18/05/2023 13:12

The greatest gift people got us after our second was home cooked food. We were given cook vouchers as someone has already suggested which were great, but we also had a friend batch cook us a delicious pasta sauce and a curry. They portioned them up and we put them straight in the freezer. After our first we were so dead we just lived on takeaway and it felt really grim. After our second it was so nice to know dinner was covered and it would be yummy, comforting, didn’t break the bank and wasn’t crazy unhealthy. So if you can cook, bring food!

I was going to say this! Nothing better than food. The first week after my daughter was born was amazing - we didn't have to cook at all. People kept bringing food. I was so excited when I had my second, as I was looking forward to it again, but nobody bothered that time. Humph.

Although, Ewan did work well for us too. So maybe a vote for that, too.

PiriPiriChicken · 18/05/2023 14:33

Someone got me what I like to call a Mega Sudocrem. And nothing else. Just a nice card and a Mega Sudo. At the time I was like “mate, I’m swimming in Sudo but thanks”

Less than 3 months later, I was cracking into that Mega Sudo with purpose. Smashed my way through that Mega Sudo. It was my bezzie mate.

The babygros they wear once are nice and the tiny rabbits stitched to tiny blankets are sweet. I never used a single well-meaning face mask, I’m afraid.

Mega Sudo. Do it.

cocksstrideintheevening · 18/05/2023 14:33

Deliveroo vouchers
Cook vouchers
Hand cream
An iou for a meal out for you and mum when she's ready
An iou to babysit when she's ready

And a jellycat toy for the baby

The baby will get tons of stuff, loads
Will be doubles.

Daffodilmorning · 18/05/2023 14:37

YouWonJayne · 18/05/2023 12:45

Everyone always buys stuff for the baby, my favourite gift after having my first DC was a pamper pack for me - bubble bath, face masks, a bottle of fizz, bath bomb, a voucher for afternoon tea etc. I LOVED it, it’s about the mum too and I felt very special my lovely friend thought of me not just the baby

This! Having a baby is wonderful and I appreciated all the baby stuff people gave me… but my cousin sent me a gift bag full of my favourite chocolates and pamper products and honestly, it meant so much that she was thinking about me as well as my cute new baby.

Bedtimemode · 18/05/2023 14:54

Someone got me some really nice shower stuff and I loved it. It sounds really basic but I really valued long hot showers when they were tiny, it was bliss to leave baby with DP and spend half an hour on my own in the bathroom making myself feel human again. That and food.

RosaSkye · 18/05/2023 14:57

Ok my best two have been

useful- a cook voucher. It provided delicious freezer meals to our door for a week and it genuinely made a huge difference to us, so generous and so helpful

sentimental/different- a close friend gave me a soft photo album (it’s really soft and floppy, designed for babies) with 8 slots for photos.. she’d been online and printed off a photo of each of our family members, including my late dad, for our baby to look at and learn

loveisstrange · 18/05/2023 15:00

Definitely something for the mum (or parents)
ideas :
Bubble bath, shower gel, hand soap, antibac gel, etc
A quick pop into a supermarket (or delivery) a few easy ready meals for parents plus lots of fruit, nice pack of biscuits/ choc, tea bags ect

ShirleyPhallus · 18/05/2023 15:02

inappropriateraspberry · 18/05/2023 13:37

Nothing! They will be inundated with clothes, toys etc and I'm sure they'll have all the basics.
Give them a card and tell them to let you know what they would like/need in the future. After having my babies, I didn't want loads of things, just visitors and well wishes were enough.

This would come across like you hadn’t been prepared enough to get them a gift. And cheap. Of course they will never contact you in the future asking you for something specific!

3girls1boy1puppy · 18/05/2023 15:03

My sister bought me a COOK voucher and I filled up my freezer with ready meals ready for when baby came. It was a godsend to not have to cook myself in that first week at home.

Justalittlebitduckling · 18/05/2023 15:27

HDready · 18/05/2023 12:45

A cup holder for the pram!

And a nice insulated travel mug

MuddaUdders · 18/05/2023 15:55

I was unable to bend or crouch down for ages after birth. A litter picking tool was extremely useful during this time! I appreciate it's not very "gifty" but it was extremely practical. I received a personalised baby towel + bath robe which were cute. Things I bought that I couldn't live without include snuz pouch sleeping bags, I also liked the dock a tot to temporarily place baby in when they were cat napping

Changedmynameforthis55 · 18/05/2023 15:56

I got given a Terry's chocolate orange as part of a gift, it was the only thing for me, and I thought a fab present!