Tips for gifts

[seafooodplatter]

My friend is due to have her baby soon (looking like it will be in the 25th or 26th week due to major problems).

I know the baby will not need anything as she will be in an incubator in just a nappy for quite some time. I'm thinking just a tiny soft toy or comforter for when she is a little older.

I'm thinking more of my friend and her husband. The baby could potentially be in hospital for 2-3 months. Anybody who has been in this position, what did you need/want/appreciate the most?

For the parents:

Nice ready meals
Magazines for when sitting by the cot or expressing
Hand cream
Hand sanitiser gel

For the baby:

Normal baby present - clothes or toy. Even if it won't get used for ages, hopefully it will someday. Maybe add "for to grow into" on the card. Not a soft toy IMHO. We got mostly soft toys when prem DD was born, they didn't get much use tbh and then we had nothing for when she was older.

PS you could wait and do the baby present once the baby comes home - when it will be more needed and also more clear how the baby is doing and so what is appropriate

Thanks for replying!

The little soft toy was just going to be a little something in the mean time, a proper gift/clothes will definitely follow when she gets home!

Thanks for the ideas!

Fair enough! I think the main thing is keeping in touch - by text is great so she can reply when she gets a chance. I found I had a lot of contact from friends in the first week post birth and then everyone went a bit quiet till DD came home.

A memory box to put everything in during their time in hospital, magazines, puzzle books, healthy snacks, hand cream, if you can cook any meals to go in their freezer or just offer to do them a food shop that can be massively appreciated.
When you’re going to the hospital constantly you have no time to shop or cook but you need to eat well to keep your strength up.
A baby card saying congratulations; sometimes when you have an early baby people don’t think to say congratulations but it’s important as it’s still a baby being born.

When I had a baby at 27 weeks, I couldn't really deal with much in the way of presents or congratulations at that time.
Things that might be useful though are hats and small blankets or a woollen octopus.
Also we received a pack in the ward that had a scrapbook and also a no-ink handprint kit. That was nice.

I found this list helpful (it's from a website with specialist clothes and gifts for premature babies) www.little-mouse.co.uk/pages/premature-baby-clothes-buyers-guide

www.amazon.co.uk/Premature-Baby-Milestone-Cards-Animals/dp/B01NBSX8SK/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_75_bs_t_1/259-3152839-8874118?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforum-21&refRID=ERNMV3FN6MR22EVVNPT1

Premature baby milestones - most babies never have these as goals but for some babies they're as big a deal as smiling, walking, talking.

Also done by bliss
www.bliss.org.uk/Shop/baby-cards

I've gone for one of these incubator vests for my friend's baby www.little-mouse.co.uk/collections/premature-baby-clothes

When I had my preemie I was really upset by the lack of Comgratulations cards when dd was born. Everyone did eventually send one when she was home, but i was a bit saddened that this part of the "experience" of having a baby was also taken away. i must admit I found the bliss milestone cards extremely depressing and refused to use them.
After dd was born I read about some knitted octopus toys which go in the incubator with baby and comforts them as it feels like the umbilical cord, I would have loved this as a gift! You can get them from etsy

www.little-mouse.co.uk/collections/new-premature-baby-cards This site have some cards for premature babies, and also lovely gifts and clothes for babies in NICU.

A personalised incubator cover would be nice and can be used as a quilt/playmat when the baby comes home.

Do they have any older children?