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!

Hi there, I remember the best gift I ever got was a pamper voucher at a local beauty salon! Just what I needed! x

I usually buy a large tube of posh handcream for the mum - something like l'occitane, because with all the extra hand washing, new mums often end up with dry hands. I also usually get an outfit for the baby with gift receipt from high street store, so easy to exchange. Also agree with chocolate, wine, and other food suggestions.

I have a 4 week old, and these are things I have really appreciated:

-lavender oil for bath (great to relax and soothes/heals stitches too)
-voucher for a 3hr spa visit at my local place, valid for 2 years
-homebaked cake
-fish and chips!
-hamper of lovely illicit pregnancy foods (pate/goats cheese/brie etc)
-lansinoh nipple cream if breastfeeding

A very good hand creme, I didn't know that I would be washing my hands so often.

If you know her taste a couple of paperbacks or a DVD box set to entertain her over the long periods of feeding and/or being awake in the middle of the night. My friend got one of these clip-on lights so she wouldn't disturb her DH while feeding in the middle of the night.

Chocolate, chocolate and chocolate.

I personally don't give smellies as I found my DD didn't like me smelling of whatever.

For the baby: the biggest hooded towel you can find, at least 1x1m. The usual ones are far too small.

Another vote for l'occitane or similar hand cream. It was the best present I got.

Love the idea of the fancy muslins as well - you can never have enough of them and most people just buy the plain white ones.

If you're going to get clothes then I would recommend getting a 3-6 month or larger size and keeping the receipt - some babies just never need newborn stuff and they can always grow into them.

I wouldn't get a diaper bag for the new mother unless she has chosen it. I was given one as a gift and DH insists on using it. I wanted one that was machine washable. After 10 months the bag we have is so filthy. It doesn't look filthy but I find myself boaking at the thought of her dirty nappy (in a bag) being in the same diaper bag as her food and a machine wash not being between the two events. DH won't back down on changing the diaper bag.

Burt Bees diaper cream for the baby (for after the baby gets to six months). The stuff has worked miracles on DD's bum. Hylands teething tablets and their gel is very good. I would get a couple of nice books such as 'Guess how much I love you' and 'The night you were born'.

I love the suggestion of handcream. I like the neutrogena norwgian handcream as it aborbs easily and doesn't smell. I took myself off for pedicures after DD was born and it felt great to have tidy feet again. A pedicure was needed as you can't do your feet in the last trimester. Depending on your budget, a lovely gift would be for a baby photographer to come in and take family pictures.

A friend turned up the day I came home from hospital with bags and bags of homemade delicious meals ready to go in the freezer. With that and my nesting I think it was about 4 weeks before we had to cook. I still feel teary thinking about it.

And then my MIL brought us a big fruitcake when DD was 2 weeks old and having a massive growthspurt and I was hoovering up food day and night.

One of my sisters brought me a big tin of hot chocolate flakes for warm milky drinks before bed. The other sister came to stay and went to the local deli to buy brie and pate and all the stuff I hadn't been allowed to eat. Oh and lots of fruit. My Mum bought me the biggest box of chocolates Thorntons do. Was massive. Lasted three days.

DH brought me in a bag of crisps and an egg sandwich and a fruit salad and a smoothie and a mint Aero when I rang him in a panic from the ward because I'd missed breakfast and had no tea the night before due to giving birth (old school maternity hospital - breakfast was served from 8-8:15 in a secret room).

I think other people gave us some flowers. Not sure. I think the fact that I remember the above in such detail is significant...

I was bought a clevermama towel (the type that fastens round your neck). Fab! Still in use for DS2, and DS1 used it til he was 2. In fact, so impressed that it is now my staple gift to all my expectant pals!!!

I would say handcream, chocolates, thermos mug and something for dinner.

Booze. And lots of it.

Absolutely NOTHING by Gina Ford. She's a twat.

haahaha, oh dear

Sock ons! If they're first time mums they may not have heard of them but they are fab for keeping socks on tiny feet. Food and flowers for mum.

Agree with MissL. No Gina Ford.

Cake and handcream. Those are the two gifts I most appreciated after both my DCs.

Your friends will not believe how dry and cracked their hands will get with all the washing; after each nappy change (10-12 a day with a new born) and each time you visit the loo (weeing out all that water you've been retaining means lots of trips to the loo, and tea you're drinking while sitting on sofa feeding newborn), plus other incidental hands in water situations = very dry hands.

Something lovely like the above suggestions plus a couple of meals for the freezer.

My LO is now 10 weeks old, and the best gift I had was home cooked meals that I could just pop in the oven, and people doing stuff round the house unobtrusively. Tidying I could take or leave, but if someone offered to clean the bathroom or wipe down the kitchen, empty or fill the dishwasher, hang out or fold and put away the washing, I jumped on it. Its a HUGE help :)

A friend of mine, who lives a bit of a trek away sent me this www.bakinboys.co.uk/shop.php?p=m&kw=muffin%20the%20mail&fl=954&gclid=CIen1OKogLACFRAQfAodBDyRFA
through the post when I had DD to help keep my energy up for those night feeds, I was well chuffed.
And I'd agree with the good hand cream, its the only time my hands have ever been chapped with the constant hand washing!

The best present my friends got me after having my baby was coming round with pies and pizzas, cooking me the pizza and putting the pies in my freezer. Then they ran the hoover round for me. Fantastic.
And lots of cake!!

This book
A cleaner
Doula vouchers
Meals or a cake/flapjack

Go round and OFFER to do the washing up/load dishwasher or washing machine/hang out laundry or anything else that looks like it needs doing. In fact, if you can do anything that obviously needs doing without them noticing (e.g. wiping down the loo and sinks whilst you're in the bathroom), then go for it.

Offer to pick up anything they might need on your way over. This could really be anything random. I remember begging one friend to being me some tea tree oil for sore stitches, and bless her she did .

Ask "How are things?" and then just listen, and I mean really listen to what she says. Don't comment, give your own experience or offer advice, make mmm noises, look sympathetic etc. New mums often need to talk. Repeat this as often as seems needed. Tell her she's doing a great job.

You sound like a lovely friend

I gave a friend of mine a silk-cashmere plaid (it was not too expensive, but depends how much you want to spend) and she loved it! She was using it for the baby but also for herself while breastfeeding.. found it on a little webshop that was recently recommended to me on fb (minimalisma). Otherwise, the Organic Pharmacy always brought happiness to my pregnant friends too.

I always think that a copy of Zagazoo should set them up for the next 18 years. Repeat: 'It's just a phase' :)

I was bought stretch mark cream ....

Don't want to hijack but... I also have a friend expecting and it's 8 long years since my youngest arrived. I think the nice muslins idea is wonderful as I remember having millions, but all bog standard John Lewis plain white. Do more recent mums have any links to pretty (for a girl) embroidered muslins?

Wooden dancing music boxes are gorgeous here or wooden mobiles. I've bought them for two friends. They'll still be loved by older children.

Touch base lamps save fiddling for the switch in the dark when you don't want to turn on the main light, these are at John Lewis.
Or a warm dressing gown.