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Original poster

Gift for second time mum and baby

17 replies

Ubergood · 09/08/2025 12:32

Hi everyone,

Posting this here to get more footfall…

My bestie has just had her second baby (little girl) and she has a two year old (little boy). I am due to visit her in two weeks from abroad. I don’t have any kids, but wanted to ask if anyone had any nice suggestions of things to get as a gift? I would like to get something for her, something for baby and something for her little boy. Nothing too big, just something thoughtful and helpful. She doesn’t want clothes as gifts, so no outfits.

She had a pretty rough birth so I wanted to treat her but I don’t have a big budget. Any mums out there got any tips? What would you have loved to have received from child free friends? Or other mothers?

OP posts:
3rdtimearoundtheblock · 09/08/2025 13:32

I've got three kids and the best presents I've had were, in order: A cooked roast dinner in a tray with a note saying it can all be frozen if I didn't want it, some really nice cheese crackers and chutney for snacking on when I was feeding and a posh frozen lasagne. I have a theme 🤣

Honestly: food for mam, maybe a small toy for the baby (they get loads of clothes) or a nice baby bath wash/cream. And a cheap sticker book for the 2 year old...bar of chocolate for dad (or mam to pinch) you can easy do it for under £20 depending on your budget👍🏼

Original poster
Ubergood · 09/08/2025 13:39

Aww thank you! I really appreciate that.

OP posts:
Iwantsandybeachesandgoodfood · 09/08/2025 13:41

I agree with food for mum 🤣 I remember being over the moon with someone for bringing round doughnuts. I loved blankets and you could never have enough. If you can afford it, I’d also get something little (maybe a teddy or toy) for the 2 year old.

Mrsttcno1 · 09/08/2025 13:42

I’m currently pregnant with my second and I have to say the best presents I received with my first baby were very similar to PP- food related! My baby had enough toys and outfits, but what was really helpful postpartum was the meals dropped off, the ready meals, the snacks, the JustEat vouchers etc- the things that actually made my life a bit easier!

ADayInTheLifeOfMe · 09/08/2025 13:49

Definitely food! maybe tea and biscuits as naptime treats. The small jellycat rabbits make a nice gift for newborns or little burts bees sets with nappy cream etc and and little figures for a 2 year old when my son was 2 it was sea creatures

longapple · 09/08/2025 13:57

I was given some massive Aden and Anaïs muslins for mine, they're about 150cm wide and they are amazing, work as a blanket or a sun shade or a play mat and roll up really small and they're beautiful. My 7 year old plays with them to make tents and cloaks now.
They may already have something similar, but everyone who has seen mine has said how fab they are so don't seem to be that widely known.

Food treats for mum and something with stickers and activities to keep the little boy quiet for a while?

SugarMarshmallow · 09/08/2025 14:04

I usually get an outfit but for a bigger size. I never buy newborn outfits for gifts and they usually have plenty of them. I’d buy an outfit she can wear around Christmas time or just a gift card

Rosybud88 · 09/08/2025 14:07

I have started buying a blow dry voucher for friends (for a local salon) and then a little outfit for the baby. I got stuck in hospital for a week with my first and my husband got me a blow dry when I came out, it was lovely.

TizerorFizz · 09/08/2025 14:10

Definitely not food for me! Very decent body wash! I’m into hair perfume now. Acqua di Parma. So lovely. New baby - first book. Peepo is a classic. Or Each Peach Pear Plum. Brilliant. Nursery rhymes? Underrated but still fantastic for language via rhymes. Babies never really need anything. Book for little boy too. Nick Butterworth, Shirley Hughes and Julia Donaldson are authors who excel in the pre school age group.

tarheelbaby · 09/08/2025 14:27

Depending how old DC1 is, maybe a little something for him/her? Some pens/crayons or lego?
I gave posh biscuits to the parents since they already had everything.
(Plus, she was a blogger and companies sent her amazing baby stuff to trial and blog about)
I think I brought her a pack of baby-gros and she ended up exchanging them b/c the baby grew so fast ...

Allswellthatendswelll · 09/08/2025 19:18

Present for older child
Chocolate and wine for her
Maybe something personalised for the baby? Or something like nice baby bath stuff from Neals yard

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 10/08/2025 07:54

3rdtimearoundtheblock · 09/08/2025 13:32

I've got three kids and the best presents I've had were, in order: A cooked roast dinner in a tray with a note saying it can all be frozen if I didn't want it, some really nice cheese crackers and chutney for snacking on when I was feeding and a posh frozen lasagne. I have a theme 🤣

Honestly: food for mam, maybe a small toy for the baby (they get loads of clothes) or a nice baby bath wash/cream. And a cheap sticker book for the 2 year old...bar of chocolate for dad (or mam to pinch) you can easy do it for under £20 depending on your budget👍🏼

As we say these days, first post nails it.

Best present we got when dc 2 was born was 2 days of m&s ready meals (meaty, veggie, toddler, prepped veg, pudding, custard), tea bags and biscuits. And a sticker book!

Original poster
Ubergood · 10/08/2025 12:13

Thanks so much for this everyone, some really lovely ideas there… but the overarching theme is food! I think I might get some food vouchers and take you up on the sticker book idea. And those books sound lovely. So I’m feeling a good bit more confident about the gift now!

OP posts:
ThisZanyPinkSquid · 10/08/2025 15:12

Food or a just eat voucher (if UK based). Someone gave us a just eat voucher and it was amazing!! Meant no cooking.

a little sticker/colouring book for the 2 year old. I personally never leave an older sibling out so make a big fuss of them when you walk in. Walk in and say ‘hi….you have got to big, I heard you have a new little sister’ then they are usually proud as punch to show them off 🥰

I would suggest a spa voucher/massage for a later date. But all budget dependent

Mcfluffin · 10/08/2025 15:20

I would get new mum a little 'pamper pack' . Nice few different coffee/hot chocolate/tea bag selection. I would go for a caffeine and non caffeine mix in case shes breast feeding. Nice fluffy socks, a magazine and maybe some under eye masks. Nothing that takes up too much time to use as she will be busy but also thoughtful and useful! Or a nice water bottle to keep her hydrated?

My two year old loves small world toys...a little box of farm animals or characters?

For a baby i would get something like a little branded teething toy for when its older like those monkeys or giraffes (forgot their brand names) sold in most supermarkets if she has plenty clothes. They ae super useful. Someone bought me one as a newborn gift and I remember thinking it was really handy! I kept it until my baby was teething and it saved me £10-£12 at the time!

thisismadness77 · 10/08/2025 20:59

Best gift when I had my second child was dinner delivered every night for 10 days by a rota of school mum friends. Priceless.

Imisssleep2 · 12/08/2025 19:15

If she likes a particular food that isn't allowed when pregnant I would suggest that, I got my friend a big brie after she had given birth as she had been wanting it the whole pregnancy. A small toy for the older child, maybe a memory box for the new baby to put special things in?

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