What gifts do you wish you'd received as a first time mum?

[charlottemont]

Hi! My sister is pregnant with her first child, and I was just wondering - what are good gifts to give a new mum? I'm particularly looking for things that she wouldn't necessarily know to buy/things that will just make her life easier. Alternatively, what are things that I should steer away from giving her?

Thank you so much!

@Fueledwithfairydustandgin

Just to add I like to give the baby Einstein star and a Lamaze Pramworld toy as a gift. You get very few toys as presents and I find they’re always well received.

I was surprised how few toys DD got compared to clothes so I second this. Also, the Lamaze Freddy is 3 month old DD's favourite thing ever!

If you're in the UK, COOK do a new parents freezer meals which provide a weeks worth of meals for both parents. I've got some ready to go in my freezer so my other half can sort out dinners for the first week!
I've just gone on maternity leave and all my presents were either vouchers (great if you don't know the person but as it's your sister you might want something more personal) and baby stuff, I personally didn't really want anything for myself as a) we're in lockdown so not going to get much use out of a lot of things and b) I'm a FTM so literally had nothing for baby before getting pregnant so it was all greatly needed!

If you wanted to get anything for baby the star wraps are quite a nice present for baby to have in the pram!

Privacy for a month.

Lovely pyjamas and fancy snacks.

I was given quite a lot of flowers, they just added to my list of jobs to do. I don't think I would gift them to a new mum in future

Honestly, a digital termometer. She'll think its so crap, but when she wants to take the babies temperature she'll be thankful she's not trying to keep a normal thermometer under a wriggling babies armpit. For some reason, they REALLY hate it.

My friend did me a medicine basket containing things like gripe water, colief, dentinox, baby vicks, baby calpol, baby neurofen, bonjela, metanium saline drops, calpol plug in and some other bits and pieces it was an absolutely god send when dealing with a colicky snuffly baby or post injections as it'd would never have occurred to me to have stuff like that in on stand by

Food! Ready meals, snacks - healthy nutritious things that will make life easier so she can focus on baby. Nice lounge wear/cosy blanket for mum when feeding through the night. For baby best gift was a little hamper with thermometer, nail clippers, baby weaning spoons, sippy cup. So thoughtful and didnt cost a lot but every item used.

If she’s planning to breastfeed then soft, long sleeve pyjamas that button down the front are great (so she can easily whip a boob out but keep her arms warm)

A few board books or a sensory box for when the baby is a bit bigger. The “that’s not my...” books are good.

If you’re buying clothes for baby then don’t get fancy outfits in really small sizes, they’re a bugger to get on and are usually vommed on in 10 minutes. Go for bigger sizes that the baby can grow into if you can (and consider what season it will be!)

A popular purchase in my antenatal group was a love to dream swaddle

Larger underwear. He's enormous.

Definitely a present for the mum not the baby. My own mother paid for a cleaner for me for three months, that was a wonderful gift.

My favourite people were the ones who brought food! Either home cooked meals, or nice snacks, or a takeaway treat. Appreciated those so much. An insulated mug so she has a chance of drinking a brew while it’s still hot. A kindle paper white for late night feed reading without having to turn the lights on. An audible subscription for something to listen to on the currently endless pram walks when there’s nothing else to do!