What should I buy my Wife as a gift after the baby is born ?

[bluemooner]

Does anyone have any good ideas what to buy my wife after our baby is born ? (now only about a week away..)Just to say she is not big on jewellery, but was thinking along the lines of a day at a spa ? other ideas have been a new digital camera (to take lots of pictures of our new arrival)

Thanks

[ThatDamnDog]

You say she's not big on jewellery. I'm not big on jewellery - only wear plain silver earrings usually - but diamonds given to me on the birth of our child would be very different! Nobody's that not big on jewellery when it comes to diamonds, right?

[bluemooner]

to make things harder, its her birthday 5 days after the little one is due and then Christmas 6 weeks after !!! She is hard to buy for at the best of times :-)

[Simbacat]

Just remember that when she shouts at you and says you are a crap cleaner, ironer and chef that is just hormones- she doesn't mean it and carry on!

[BellaBearisWideAwake]

remember you'll be exhausted too - a cleaner is a GREAT idea. You can still cook and iron of course!

[PutTheKettleOn]

awww, the only thing DH brought me after DD2 was born was OK magazine and some cheese and onion crisps

How about a lovely snazzy baby change bag like this ?

Or arrange for a lovely bunch of flowers to be delivered on her first day at home alone with the baby (when she'll be feeling a bit nervous and low) complete with a soppy card saying how much you love her/what a fab mum she is etc...

[bluemooner]

she says that now :o

[BellaBearisWideAwake]

actually I second the idea from further down the thread - really lovely hat scarf and gloves

vouchers for bfing tops from a nice company? (if she's bfing of course)

takeaway vouchers

photo frames for all the photos you will take

some kind of help for when your paternity leave finishes

[notcitrus]

Chocolates. Possibly with alcohol in.
A few Hotel Chocolat truffles per breastfeed made things much more bearable at 4am...

Otherwise cleaner and/or clothes vouchers, and go shopping with her to hold the baby while she tries stuff on.

[notyummy]

Would second the people who say that practical help is the biggest gift (cliche but true...) Like the idea of HUGE bunch of flowers on the day you return to work. Perhaps a luxurious scarf - although I would say NOT the posh change bag. A present should be entirely for her really, not baby related IMHO.

TBH, my DH is usually very generous and romantic, however he didn't buy me (and nor did I expect) a present when DD was born. What he did do was ensure that the house was IMMACULATE when we came home from hospital. All the beds had been changed, fridge was fully stocked. All my favourite mags and newspapers were sitting at a carefully constructed pile of ciushions on the sofa, along with the phone and the TV remote. This was the bf spot and I would stay there for a long time! This meant more to me at the time then any other presents would.

When I got the mad baby blues 4/5 days after the birth, without asking he ran me a big bath with lots of delicious smellies and put a cup of tea beside it. He virtually had to undress me as I kept crying over nothing and then helped me in (was still sore after tricky delivery.) Was very much appreciated.

[Matsikula]

If you do get flowers, please do find a vase and put them in it yourself, and get rid of the flowers when they are dead.

We got a beautiful and enormous bunch of flowers when our son was born, and I must have spent nearly an hour trimming them, stripping all the extra leaves off and then finding suitable containers to put them in (we only had one small vase). Not what you want when you can barely find the time to make yourself a cup of tea.

[GoreRenewed]

Don't be so sure jewellery isn't her thing OP. I was never big on jewellery but that was mainly because I never got given any I'd have given my eye-teeth for something beautiful and significant when my babies were born Not forthcoming unfortunately.

[Bobbiesmum]

Present???? You mean we are supposed to get a present off our dh's?
I'm off to have words, can it be backdated do you think?

[bendybanana]

a camera to catch those precious moments?

yes most of all she will need you to do lots round the house - cook/clean loos/hoover/freeze meals/change beds/washing. Then organise a cleaner for when you return to work - maybe for 3 months.

[Lotofdamnationandhellfire]

dh got a present too, he had a lego millenium falcon when ds was born and I got a lovely pair of earrings . Now ds loves his lego collection, dh not quite so keen on sharing!

[Lotofdamnationandhellfire]

Meant to add, go for the ironing sent out or a cleaner in when you go back to work.

[Paribus]

jewellery- noone will be unhappy about the box from tiffany ;-)
alternatively, nice cashmere+silk wraps/shawls- hermes does beautiful ones and it will last her through bf and well after

[spookyhalloweenFluffypomkins]

any of these?

[spookyhalloweenFluffypomkins]

Or this?

[notyummy]

Not the 'yummy mummy' paperweight on that last link though, unless you want to run the risk of it being redirected to your head. If she is in a good mood, she may just look at it and chuckle hollowly...

Sometime after the birth she may wish to consider how 'yummy' (shudder) she looks. Directly afterwards, some lip salve and a comb are about as detailed as its going to get.

[Tortington]

she might not be big on jewellery, but get her a diamond.

[LittleRedPumpkin]

... um ... I know this is against the consensus of the thread, but I think I would feel very uncomfortable to get a diamond as a present after giving birth, especially if I didn't like jewellery much.

Feels a bit sleazy, no?

[5DollarShake]

DH got me an iPad when I had DD 11 weeks ago, and it's the best thing he could've given me. Perfect for wiling away the hours spent feeding, and is ideal for night time feeds as it keeps me company whilst not disturbing him. [hwink]

He also got me a beautiful bunch of flowers. I [heart] him!

[deliciousdevilwoman]

I am due to give birth early in the New Year, and would love it if my H got me a voucher for a spa day. You could get an "open" voucher which can be redeemed within 3-6 months,so it doesn't have to be used right away. Failing that, a voucher for her favourite clothes store, something cashmere like lounge pants or some lovely perfume. In short, anything to help her feel a bit glam. Many moons ago, when I had my twin sons my then partner bought me a gorgeous silk underwear set and a bottle of perfume. I appreciated the sentiments-even if I couldn't fit into the undies immediately!

[FannyBrawne]

Afew weeks after the birth, my DP got me a locket with a picture of DS in. One of my best presents ever.

[PortoFangO]

Ooh an iPad! I think I got nothing. Mind you I had been in and out of hospital for weeks before dd was born, then it got all traumatic so I really didn't care. Just to go home (to a fantastically clean and tidy house ) with dh and new dd was plenty for me.

And I had a large g&t and a chinese takeaway - after we threw the in laws out - twas heaven. Diamonds - pah! I did get lovely flowers and chocs for Valentines Day when I was still on the ante-natal ward though...