What to buy a new mum??

[lindseyjane28]

Hi, i am new to Mumsnet and as I am not yet a parent I am after some advice on what to buy a new mum. My two best friends are both due to give birth in the next week and I would like to buy something nice for them as well as something for the baby? Any suggestions would be great.Thanks!

MN guide books might be work buying... plugplugplug

if you're flush, a nice bag that fits nappies etc.

I live in my dressing gown really - never used one pre kids but I'm up round the house in the cold at night. M&S do lovely fluffy ones.

What a thoughtful friend you are!

How about a Sophie The Giraffe teether for the babies? My DS got one as a present as a baby and he loved it. Amazon sell them in a presentation box.

Or how about some black & white baby books? They get interested in these very early on. If you search "black and white baby book" on Amazon there are loads.

As for mum - changing bags can be quite expensive (and she'll probably have one), but you can buy mini changing mats or changing pods from JojoMamaBebe for £10 - £25. I liked having a colourful one of these to slip into my ordinary handbags rather than carrying an enormous changing bag around.

Chocolates! Lots of chocolates!

My friend who has had two babies says she always buys new mums packs of pretty muslins these days. There something you always need more of, and most people buy the bog standard white ones, so it can be both practical and lovely.

some nice smellies for mummy....lush or something more premium.

Well, I know I've bought loads of the practical stuff for my baby, but we haven't really bought toys or anything like that. So for me, when people ask I just say toys and silly things. But everyones different. Baby gyms and things like that.

Hello, I hope you are secretly one of my friends lindseyjane! In the past, I've given friends really nice bath products at the same time as handing over presents for the baby. I get through tonnes of handcream now I'm pregnant and obsessed with hygiene - stuff from l'Occitane is great.
Went to see friends with a new baby the other week and took her take out coffee (and a card for the coffee place so she could get five more). She said it was the best treat she'd had in ages!

I'm not sure how good your cooking skills are, but the one thing I loved when back home with my DD was home cooked meals I could just re-heat in the oven!! Its the last thing you feel like doing with a newborn.

I know I have kinda banked on family buying my little one clothes. It was the one thing I have left off buying through my whole pregnancy - last week I was getting worried that I would need to go out and do a baby shop right before birth (now 36+5) as nobody had bought any clothes for DD but then my sister let me in on the not so little secret - her, my mum and my brother were off out clothes shopping for baby. Apparently now I needn't worry about it as they bought plenty for her first 6 months. I am relieved as now I can carry on focusing on the remaining little bits. :)

I also adore the bouncer my MIL and PIL bought for us as it wasn't an "essential" item I hadn't bothered thinking about getting one.

my friends got me a voucher to get my hair done which was lovely i treated myself after i had my first one.

i always buy for the baby but like to put a few wee things in for the mum if i am flush, pjs or something.

how about a themos-flask-type-coffee-mug? Its really hard to ever drink a cup of tea/coffee before it goes cold when you are chasing around after a newborn.

The best thing I heard of was actually on here. It was a small homemade hamper full of all the lovely food you can't way during pregnancy. A nice slab of Brie, some pate, some lovely fresh eggs and a bottle of plonk.
I know that would make me very happy if a friend gave me something like that!

It's great that you are being so thoughtful!
Something my sister gave me (and which I have since given to every new mum I know is planning to BF) is a selection of packets of high energy foods - dried apricots, mixed nuts, M&S's belgian chocolate covered toffee popcorn etc to help them get through those early overnight feeds. Simple, but always appreciated!
2nd the suggestion of nice hand cream as you end up washing your hands so often so really need it. Less keen on other smellies, but that's just because I was one of those women who's skin went really sensitive for a couple of months after the birth.

I'd agree with all the edible ideas... once I'd come down from the adrenaline rush of giving birth to DD I was huely ravenously hungry, and grateful for everything everyone offered me to eat!

clarabella the hamper is a fab idea -

Someone sent me a box of muffins, which was great for me but also handy for feeding visitors. Biscuiteers biscuits would be good too.

My neighbour brought me round a tray with a homecooked meal on it, and even came and collected it afterwards to save me the washing up. I gave her the biggest hug in the world for that!

Vouchers for 'Cook' or a similar online food delivery service?

Nice smellies (Mamma Mio is fab, also Burt's Bees do Mum and Baby stuff)/PJs/slippers also all good too.

For the baby, one of my favourite presents was a flower bouquet made of tiny pairs of socks. Very cute! Made a change from the acres of real flowers we drowned in during those first weeks.

What a lovely friend you are!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

If any close friend (or my mum!) asks me what I'd like I'm going to ask for Figleaves vouchers! I don't think any of my pre-pregnancy underwear is going going to fit and it can be quite pricey.

lavener oil to go in the bath helps with the tenderness.

A friend of mine bought me the most fantastic present ever when I had ds - she got me a voucher to get my hair done in my hairdressers. Granted I didnt get round to using it for a while but it was so lovely to go and get pampered when I eventually did have a night out!!!I really loved that present..

Was chatting to pg mate yesterday - she will be getting a PlayStation Move game (loves her PS3) so she can do some exercise and 6 vouchers for me to do a supermarket shop for her!

I am also promising baby-minding services, either at hers or taking baby out for a walk, in 1-2 hour blocks so she can have a nap, or a bath, etc. I am not expecting this to be before the first few weeks though, time will be redeemable at her discretion when she's comfortable with it

Haven't read all of the posts so sorry if I repeat anything!

I definitely agree that muslin cloths are a good choice,
a nice dressing gown/slippers and some nice food or drink - I got some very posh cordial from my dad and lots of organic lotions and stuff, one of them being the "Organic At Heart" mummy and baby cream which was lovely as I could use it on stretch marks and also massage baby with it.

One thing I wouldn't be without still (DD is 14mo) is the Palmers tummy butter, £5 a tub and is absolutely brilliant!

Last suggestion would be a "middle of the night hamper" full of things a new mum may forget or not wanted to buy initially, such as Infacol, a pack of dummies, some distracting toys (little rattles etc), things that might come in handy if your baby is struck with colic and you're pulling your hair out at 3am with no idea what to do! I'd also add chocolate to that list

For a first time mum and good friend I usually get a "survival pack" - Infacol, Kamilosan, Teetha, pack of newborn nappies, muslins, that kind of thing, plus a big bar of chocolate and small bottle of wine!

But it can work out rather expensive, depends how much you want to spend.

what a nice friend!

depends on your budget....

homemade meals are a great shout
dvd boxset for when they're feeding little one
voucher for a post pregnancy massage/manicure for when they feel their body is falling apart!