‘Everything you didn’t know you needed hamper’ for new parents

[Giftser]

Some very dear friends are having a baby soon. I am sure they have the big items and everyone will obviously buy the clothes and nice bits. So thinking of putting together a small hamper of useful ‘everything you didn’t know you needed’ items to save the obligatory new parent dash to the 24hr supermarket 😅

So far the draft list is…
Infacol
Gripe water
Metanium
Milton wipes
Scratch mittens
Mam Air Dummy
Raspberry tea (to promote labour)
Lactation tea
Peppermint tea (for oversupply)
Ibruprofen
Paracetamol
Movicol stool softeners

Any other essential must haves that you cherished pre or post partum?

If they are first time parents, the Haynes Baby manual provides a bit of light relief
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Babies-Haynes-Explains-Owners-Workshop/dp/1785211021/

If it's an expected vaginal delivery, then those cold pads for your nethers gave the most blessed relief!

Similarly, perhaps an inflatable or memory foam ring to sit on post birth?

Cabbage leaves for boobs 😂

I think I'd feel quite awkward if someone gave me stool softener (I never used it) or breast pads, nipple cream etc
I remember reading that cabbage leaves were supposed to help with engorgement, and DH went and bought a cabbage and I stuck the leaves over my boobs....but I wouldn't have discussed that with anyone else, except a very close friend! I also drank loads of sage tea when I wanted to reduce my milk supply, it was quite disgusting and I don't know how helpful it was!

Ha, ha crossposted @WombatHouse !

Sooo... this is the kindest thought but the only things I used on that list was paracetamol.

Depending on budget, i'd aim for the nice to haves. I'd recommend:

• a digital thermometer
• a fun bath thermometer
• gro clock
• bamboo or similar reusable wipes
• a baby carrier or voucher for a baby carrier loan or trial
• an insulated cup
• An amazon giftcard or Prime trial
• contribution toward newborn photoshoot

id advise staying away from any feeding
stuff as it's a sensitive area because most people struggle one way or the other.

I don’t think this is a weird idea at all. I did something similar for a friend, and she said it was the best present she got and now does one for every friend who’s pregnant.

I do agree that some of the items won’t get used, but maybe you could interchange some of them with some of the other ideas in this thread

In facial and gripe water aren’t recommended any more according to UK nice guidelines. I get it one of my 3 was v colicky baby it’s so tough. Hopefully your friends baby won’t be. Having a caring friend like you will be helpful.
i liked sock ons which I was given. Movicol won’t be needed for a lot of babies and any constipation in a little baby needs reviewing to see if milk supply or any underlying problems causing it :)

Sorry autocorrect *infacol

I’m so sorry op but if someone gave me a lot of the things you have there I’d put them aside and forget about them or panic at what I didn’t know

Essential oils of lavender and tea tree

I needed a tea tree oil bath in the morning (not immersing fully due to feeding the baby!) and lavender in the evening to promote healing after a hard birth.

Ah I realise you getting the stool softener for mum lol!

I agree (sorry OP) but I've had 2 kids and haven't needed or used most of the things on your list (with the exception of the painkillers, which I didn't use post both birth but would have gone into our medicine cabinet for future use).

I did however want chocolate and cake. Plus cute things for the baby.

I do agree with the insulated cup recommendations though. I already had one and use it daily now I'm on mat leave.

Awful lot of pressure for breastfeeding in that list, not everyone can or wants to. I wouldn’t have used any of it.

Calpol. I know they don’t use it for a while, but if they get the 8 week jabs, the baby has a fever, they haven’t thought to buy it, it will be helpful! Or even if they don’t need it for the 8 week jabs, the first time the baby has a fever and is old enough, they’ll be glad it’s just there.

OP says they’re close friends, so I would assume she knows that they are at least aiming to breastfeed. So giving things that make breastfeeding a bit easier is helpful.

I’ve got a friend who is pregnant now and I know she isn’t planning on breastfeeding at all. Obviously I wouldn’t ever give her any breastfeeding related things in a hamper like this.

Definitely Cook ready meals. I didn't need any of the things you've listed but someone gave me a bottle of seaweed and arnica bubble bath from Neals Yard and that was wonderful! Ditto unpasteurized cheese, pate and lovely wine.

The one thing you might consider is a giant muslin, Etsy do them. They are great for a blanket for the grass, a nursing shield, a swaddle, mopping up whatever needs mopping. This sounds weird but something my newborn loved was a bit of black and white zebra fabric-it seems to mesmerize them when they're in their cot. You can buy then easily.

If you want to cover essentials they didn’t know they need, then Boots or Amazon vouchers would be better than trying to second guess what they will need. Infacol, Gripe Water, Milton Wipes, scratch mitts (they’re integrated in every sleepsuit I have), and all the teas are all items I’ve never even considered needing. My baby considers dummies offensive items. We already had nappy rash cream in. I did huge amounts of research into baby products before I had my baby, and I honestly haven’t needed to make any emergency purchases. I wouldn’t consider breastfeeding items too personal if she wants to breastfeed, but the items which I needed were Lansinoh nipple pads, creams and silverettes which I already had in.

My baby is eight weeks and things which I would have found useful in a box they either I hadn’t bought or duplicates are appreciated:

• large muslins like Aden and Anain
• sensory muslins from Etta Loves
• black and white book
• zipper sleep suits with fold over feet. Bonds are amazing but expensive, cheaper alternative like Bramble and Bear from amazon
• Owala water bottle
• Haakaa Ladybugs (passive collectors but risky if breastfeeding doesn’t work out and useless if (like some of my NCT friends) she doesn’t leak
• calpol, paracetamol, ibuprofen are fine and will be used eventually
• nice snack
• locally roasted coffee because I’m finally over my pregnancy coffee aversion

but I’m sure other people will look at that list and think it’s all useless

A lot of people asked me what I wanted for my newborn and the answer I gave most was things for when he’s older because I have this stage covered.

Yeah I agree, it's hard to know what would be useful for everyone. I wish I had known about silver cups, I only found out about those later from that group. I guess also OP knows her friend so that should help. But you can't go wrong with an insulated cup or frozen meals.

We had a full freezer already so although anyone cooking would have been appreciated it would not have helped us and we were cooking from the first day anyway

No not everyone is able too or wants too but I wouldn't do anything unless I knew it was helpful for the actual people needing it

A lot of people asked me what I wanted for my newborn and the answer I gave most was things for when he’s older because I have this stage covered.
Yes, I also think most pregnant women will be clued up and stocked up on things like muslins and calpol and nappy cream, and spend a lot of the nine-month prep time reading up and googling and coming up with their very personal birth and newborn essentials list. It’s part of the experience, to prep for yourself and make those choices; OP’s list is a kind thought but it’s very much her choices and, aside from the Calpol and Metanium, which I’d stocked up on anyway, I didn’t need and wouldn’t have used the rest. And of the alternative suggestions, they’re still all personal to the person, experience and baby: I don’t think I used one of the 100s of muslins I was advised to get for my firstborn; she simply didn’t spit up. The six-to-eight-week mark was when I really needed something; all the food’s gone, DP’s back to work, please shove a brownie or a sandwich in my face.

A lot of that could be wasted or not needed.

Most of that I wouldn't have needed or used. It would have been an annoying box of stuff to have to put away, pass on, feel guilty for not using. I think you're so much better off buying some delicious tea (decaf if breastfeeding), special biscuits and then a voucher from M&S or Waitrose.

Btw, it's raspberry LEAF tea for labour and it's used in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy. Even better than that are the raspberry leaf extract tablets, available in Holland and Barrett. They have been brilliant for everyone I know who's taken them.

It’s a kind thought, but I’d have been really annoyed if anyone had given me a dummy for my baby. And stool
softener is really far too personal.

Vouchers, snacks, and a non-spill coffee cup are good choices. You can never have too many muslins.