Gift for a new mum and baby

[Kmg]

What was the best gift you had (for you or baby) after giving birth? [A good friend is currently in labour with her second daughter, so I want to shop tomorrow for something. My youngest is nearly two, but my memory is hopeless, and I can't remember anything at all about newborns!]

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My best friend came to my house (100 miles), brought in our lunch and did a few jobs round the house it was so good.
On the present front I found a baby shawl great it was so useful. It was thin so I could slip it in a bag I used it keeping my daughter warm, keep the sun off her, dry her and to cover up during feeding in public.
We did get a lot of clothes for her but somethings were never worn as by the time she fitted them it was too cold for summer wear. If you do get an outfit make sure you get the coat hanger too.
There are loads of sweet toys in the ELC.

I must be really selfish cos the best gifts I ever had after having a baby were for me! My MIL gave me £50 to buy myself something nice to wear the first time, that was great. or what about some nice ready meals from Markss or Tesco!!!

I like those towels with a hood for bath time. Trouble is I have always thought they are a bit thin, I would much prefer a fluffier one as mine were both born with full heads of hair. I still use one for my two year old and her hair is nearly reaching her bottom? Can't cut won't cut!

I ended up in hospital for a couple of weeks before my baby was born (4 weeks early) and so hadn't finished organising anything (hadn't started maternity leave yet either!), my Mum travelled over 950 km to help my husband clean the house, paint the baby's room and organise baby furniture etc. After the baby was born my MIL stocked our freezer with pre-cooked meals. My sister did a cross-stitch for the baby's birth and as soon as she heard what the name was (and the date) sat up all night adding them in and sent it off by express post so we got in the next day! My SIL gave us all the clothes, toys etc she had for her son (8 years old when our son was born) as wll as heaps of the basic stuff that's not so exciting to buy yourself but essential to have like singlets, face washers, towels, bibs etc. Our neighbours gave me a basket of all the yummy foods you shouldn't eat while pregnant, such as camembert and blue cheeses, salamis etc. All in all I don't think we received anything we didn't think was wonderful!! People are wonderful when you have a new baby aren't they?!?

A Bit boring but very practical was a 'protect & play' mat from 'Blooming Marvellous'. It cost about £10 and is about 3' square. It is cotton on one side & nylon on the other. First use was on the lounge carpet under the baby bath, then to let baby have a bit of 'nappy free play', then under the high chair and currently I use it still for meal times and also painting sessions. My little girl is now 2 1/2 and I've used it constantly. Another suggested use was over the mattress for 'nappy free nights' but we're not at that stage yet!

I would say the most important thing is not to forget a card - there is something about keeping a stack of 'new baby' cards. My sister has 3 children - when her eldest was born she had loads of cards, when the second came along she didn't have so many, when the third arrived it was weird, but hardly anyone sent any cards, they all brought gifts for her daughter and her two other children instead. She was really disappointed and upset by this. And flowers too - I was the only one who sent her flowers. I think she had a vision of being surrounded by gorgeous bouquets and it never materialised.

My mum gave me a beautiful teddy-bear for our son when he was born - not the kind of bear that could be played with really, but his name is Henry (the same as our son's middle name)and it just feels special to have a bear that will always be the same age as our child - do you know what I mean?

If she doesn't have a cordless phone at home, how about one of those. Very unglam I know but others have already suggested lots of delightful things. Having a phone I could sling in a pocket and answer in a trice when he was sleeping was really helpful, not to mention being able to gossip while breastfeeding (did not feel quite right to phone bank manager at these times...)

Your time in the form of helping with housework, meal preparation and babysitting 'vouchers'. Your friend will then have more time to devote to her baby and be more relaxed which helps immenseley in the early days!

Well, the best gift I got was a bottle of champagne. You can get ones with customised labels over the internet www.nextdaychampagne.co.uk It said congratulations, drink this as soon as feeding/ painkillers allow. And we did on our first night off and felt a little carefree again for one night at least.
Whatever you give/ send, not flowers - all those smelly lillies with their pollen rubbing off on everything crowded round my tiny hospital space - it was such a waste of money.

I got sent some lovely flowers, but people thought about it (or the florists did) and they were already arranged so I didnt have to do anything, nor fret that I only have one vase!

I loved looking at them, as I seemed to spend so long sitting on the sofa, feeding and snoozing, Plus the smell really helped disguise the sick/poo/milk smell of early days!

I liked a lovely photo album, with a velvet cover and BABY written on it for my really special photos. Another friend gave me a frame for two photos when I had baby 2, so I could put them both in, which I loved. Another friend (trendy london sort) bought me some gorgeous expensive smellies which became such a treat, as you dont buy those sort of things for yourself anymore. And good old mum, made double casseroles and freezer food (that is soooo helpful).

My favourite baby prezzie was the little mouse slipper/shoes for when he was 6 months old, gorgeous.

When the interflora van arrived for the nth time, I thought, oh no more flowers, but someone had sent me a teddybear with 'lovely baby' logo balloons attached. Excellant. The balloons stayed tied to the crib for weeks and the baby was fascinated.

Strangest gift i've heard of is a friend of mine who on having a baby boy, her father bought him a cricket bat!! original though!

I agree, balloons are brilliant for small babies - if anyone had given mine a cricket bat, they would have been in serious danger of being hit with it!! Showed nice intentions for the future though - it's often difficult for grandfather to have anything to do with a small grand-baby.

I gave my friend an ansaphone,as mine was invaluable when I had my first baby. The luxury of not having to pick up the phone but knowing you could get a message left for you was really useful.When I had my second baby I didn't receive anything handy. People insisted on sending flowers which I actually don't like.Who has time to arrange them all,and then you have to dispose of them aswell. If in doubt I always give chocolate, as even the most health conscious get a bit desperate in the early days/nights..

The best present we got was a copy of "Where the Wild Things Are" which is so much deeper than you realise as a child! It reads beautifully, so it's great reading even when your baby is tiny. Also hard books are good so that the baby can play with them on their own without tearing them. Lots of people gave us fizzy wine which became a bit of a standing joke, but it meant that we could offer it to people when they came round to visit.

when my son was born I received a lot of books on how to care for the baby... I of course never had the chance to read any ! I wish I had received something very useful like a play gym , booties or even a beautiful newborn sleeping bag from Bonne Nuit which I eventually got myself ! The next size up was on my Christmas list .This is the one thing I tend to buy now for friends as they come also in a luxurious gift box and are yet reasonnably priced ! www.bonne-nuit.co.uk 0208 8711472

Can't think of best gift (they were all lovely) but I did have a 'worst visitor' experience.

I'd had complications after giving birth and had to go to theatre until 2:00am. Next morning my best friend (who is also a work colleague) came to visit me. At the time she had another work colleague visiting her who I don't particularly like and who also happens to be very skinny and glam. My poor friend was so anxious to see the baby she didn't think and just brought this girl with her!!

There was I pale as the sheets, sore, shell shocked and definitely NOT glam, I nearly died when I saw her come round the screen...........

One thing I think is a fab idea (for mum rather than baby) is a magazine subscription - something luxuriously trashy like Hello. Great for something to look at whilst breastfeeding. On the baby front, those cotton jersey blankets you get in gap are really useful. There's also a new kids shop called gymboree (?) I've recently heard about which has some nice stuff - does anyone know where they are? Actually, the best thing I think anyone can give a new mum is total and utter respect for her time and her emotions (and hormones!).