What to put in a box for new parents-to-be?

[FlukeSkyeRunner]

I'm going to make up a box of goodies for a friend whose baby is due in the next few weeks. It's seems such as long time ago that I had my children - what shall I put in the box? I thought muslin squares, hand sanitizer, breast pads, hot chocolate, an insulated mug... What else would be nice? Thanks in advance

If they don't already have a cleaner, a voucher from a cleaning company ( or a home made one from you, depending on budget!)

Box set of something funny ( useful when up in the middle of the night feeding)

Delivery of milk and biscuits/ tea + coffee. I had a huge amount of visitors, but didn't really feel like nipping to the shops every 5 minutes to top up supplies!

I love sock ons, they are so useful!! Other things I've found useful are a decent water bottle, some home cooked reasonably healthy dinners you can just shove in the oven and loads of snacks!

I wouldn't bother with breast pads, I've been BF for 7 months now and have never needed them, I bought lovley bamboo reusable ones that are sitting unused in a drawer. I just dont leak!

Fabulous ideas so far....
I'd be tempted to put in a box of Lindor chocolates and a voucher that said "one evening of an emergency dinner cooking sesh where I come round and cook you tea and then hold baby whilst you eat 😘 Just book in"

Gin.

Oooh I think @Espoleta will make up a fab baby basket!

Sudocrem! Wash clothes. Muslins are by far the thing we get through most of. Calpol. Wet wipes. Nappy sacks. Your friend is lucky to have you :)

My best gift when I had my first baby was a bag of Hotel Chocolat choc just for me! It was amazing.....😁

Bottle of wine. That first glass after the baby arrived was one of the best ever.

I wouldn’t do breastpads. I bought too many of them the first time and still had some left after my second. I’d also say be careful about bath products. Lots of people just use water for a long time and I wouldn’t touch Johnson’s with a bargepole as their wipes left my baby red raw.

I think the suggestions of metanium, calpol are really good as they are the sorts of things you’re less likely to buy initially but so useful to have in and will last.

Handcream is good. My baby is nearly 5 weeks and my hands have been destroyed. I’m getting through a ton of the stuff.

With my first I received over 30 soft toys. Although each one was lovely, I don’t buy them as gifts anymore because we’re drowning in them.

Some of the best things I had (first time round and second) were:

*Muslins- can never have too many

• summer rompers in 0-3. I only had sleep suits and vests for my summer baby but my baby lived in the gifted rompers during the hot summer.
• stacking cups. One of the best toys for a young baby and my toddler still loves them.
• clothes in 9m plus.
• weaning things like bowls, cutlery, bibs. It seems so far away at first but comes round really quickly.
• Sophie giraffe.
• toys- as first time parents we didn’t really know what to get. I had a playmat but didn’t have toys for the car seat or buggy until people bought them as gifts. Lamaze toys are popular.
• nice photo frame