Practical pressies for first time mums

[MakesCakesWhenStressed]

So I'm 7 weeks into this thing now and was musing over what items would have baffled me, but turned out to be infinitely more useful than, for example, a bib embroidered with 'I love my mummy'...

So far I have:

• A bar of vanish soap for treating pooey babygros
• A plastic bowl for soaking all the pooey babygros
• mini coldpacks to go in the freezer. I used them for the mastitis, but i hear they're good against your knickers as well if you delivered in the standard way as opposed to through the sunroof
• A smart phone - invaluable for prolonged hospital stays and night time feeds - I'd also supply a link to the MN app, solely for the white noise generator
• A bottle of olive oil - good for what ails you
• A thermos mug, so you might eventually get a hot cup of tea
• A set of really good breast pads
• A collection of old towels for a variety of usages, mostly to do with bodily fluids...

OK, so the smart phone is a bit extravagant, but all the rest are low price, and have proved to be invaluable to me and I would give them to any friend expecting her first baby - what would you add?

Olive oil? Never found a use for it other than cooking.

Alcohol. Cake. Chocolate. Thats what I'd have found useful

Practical, but I'd be gutted if my best friend bought me those things and not chocolate, flowers or lush smellies!

A Morrck baby wrap. Its like a coat and blanket all in one.

Great for keeping baby warm without the hassle of trying get a coat in them

In???? On

Very very nice, super-strength hand cream.

I found that I was constantly washing my hands, or smothering them in anti-bac hand gel, for the first few months after my PFB was born!

I had loads of flowers - I really appreciated the more unique and useful pressies

MrsMcEnroe - good point!

And it reminds me...
I got given some L'Occitane lavender hand sanitiser and I love it - smells yummy, far nicer than the bog standard ones.

And I swear by my wrap slings - essential for any hands free time and soothing overtired babies

Long-lasting cake (such as fruit cake). A megapack of nappies. A kindly person pushing me into a chair with one hand and passing me a cup of tea with the other, while saying 'I've brought you some dinner, let me heat that for you'. Kitchen roll for messy nappy changes.

And a voucher for a photography session (NOT to be cashed before baby is 6 months old and a bit chubbier, by which point mum might have found time to shower) would have been well received too!

Ooh - a selection of long-lasting snacks for when you're tied to the sofa! Cereal bars, fancy nuts and seeds, dried fruit, sweets and choccies

Kindle's are fantastic with a newborn! Incredibly easy to read one-handed. I was given one by friends before my LO was born and it's easily the best present I got. It's certainly better than 20 hours a day of Homes Under the Hammer, America's Next Top Model and the JML shopping channel!

Gro bags for babies are great. I always buy these as gifts for friends who have babies.

Our pil bought us a wicker basket full of bepanthen nappy cream, baby brushes, nail scissors, yellow natural sponge, cotton buds, Vaseline, wipes, shampoo and baby bath, baby towel, pack of nappies, soft toy.
I loved it.

Also love blankies and both my boys live theirs.

Really appreciated flowers, balloons, wine, luxury bath stuff, new slippers and pjs.

And brother and his gf put balloons and banners all over house for when we got home from hospital Which was lovely.

Buy loads of consumables in advance so if you do need to go shopping you have the essentials- like washing up liquid and powder, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, creams, nappies , wipes, tea, coffee, sugar, milk, juice and biscuits and all food you can store like meals you've made in freezer, bread all the basics really.

oh yes, baby sleeping bag is a lifesaver for babies who like to kick!

maternity pads, buy shit loads.

I didnt buy enough and kept having to send DH out to get more (poor bloke)