Good and bad presents for new babies/parents

[Pruni]

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My favourite presents for mummy this time round were expensive bubble bath and a large and very yummy fruit cake.

For the baby, our best were a swaddling blanket and Lamaze musical flowers.

And then there are bits of clothing that happen to really hit the spot, eg this time a white cardigan that got used all the time, but it's hard to predict.

chocolate and any babyclothes besides the downright ludicrous = good

champagne = not so helpful when breastfeeding and collapsing into bed at 8pm most nights it only got drunk this xmas and dd is 2!

For me this was the best and toys for baby.

Mummy - Beauty Flash Balm, Touche Eclat?
Baby? Anything returnable, be sure to keep labels on.

Get mom a voucher for a facial and massage and agree to babysit so she can do this

Newborns don't need much, so why not get something like the collection of Beatrix Potter Books (The ones that come with their own little shelf) The baby will love them when its older and Mom will think its adorable.

I liked getting expensive hand cream, because I seemed to be washing my hands every five minutes. Preferred shower gel to bath stuff, as I was more likely to have time to grab a shower than a bath, but that may just be me.

People are always giving new mums self-pampering kits and 'luxurious' bath stuff - but, at least IME, you never have the time or energy to use them, and you can't use the bath stuff in any case because you're too sore.

Delightful but vaguely practical stuff, especiallly of the sort you yourself would never buy is great - my sister bought my LOs clothes from Monsoon and White Co when they were new/still tiny.

One of the best 'gifts' we received was when friends cooked a slap-up meal, brought it over to us, served it, ate it with us, and did all the washibg-up afterwards. That was a real treat.

Not cuddly toys - dd got loads (and more for Christmas) and isn't interested at all. Keep clothes v simple if they are for the first few months.

For mummy, chocolate, home cooked meals that she can reheat quickly and simply, and lavender bath oil to ease the healing are great.

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bollocks -
sleepsuits that only do up at the back
fluffy dresses with lace and crap
nappy bin
absolutely tons of sleepsuits in 3-6 because everyone thought they were being clever buying the next size up
stupid rocking highchair that played annoying tunes
baby hairbrush/ mirror sets
talc etc - had enough for 4 years!
baby memory books/photo frames/boxes - lovely but again got so many
rattles, etc. they only need about two and then they grow out of them
cuddly toys - no room for baby left in the cot!
pram shoes
tiny little weaning dishes with 3 sections not big enough to put anything in

useful -
muslims and bibs - never can have too many
really lovely basic bouncy chair from exh workplace
Food and pampering stuff for me!
a camcorder to record their first year (dearest inlaws!)
bedding + blankets
nice basic cotton tshirts
socks - always losing socks!
pull cord lullaby thing for cot - dts still love theirs and they are nearly two now
bottle warmer (even jsut for expressed milk and baby pots)
beakers
baby thermoneter

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these are fun yet practical ... sent them a few times and they seem to go down well (although of course people might just be being polite) babyblooms

My favourite present for dd was a white company blanket. Second the idea of stuff like monsoon/white company.

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icod, because they kick them off and they are restrictive. those daisy roots types are better, but even they never worked for my lot. I much prefered the lovely thick towelling socks that someone bought us from mothercare.

I got given a huge stack of terry towels too, used those instead of muslins for the first two. MIL did intend them to be nappies, but never got my head round that one.

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good: treats from hotel chocolat, blanket, magazine subscription, one of those black and white face open-out books for baby

bad: bubble bath (wtf has time for baths with a newborn?)

Well, nail clippers only any good if you haven't already got any

Gap socks a v good idea.
The massage/facial is no good if you're breastfeeding and can't leave the baby.

Useful include offers to babysit, chocolate, boxes of cakes to offer visitors and/or scoff while bfing, (try the Beverly Hills Bakery as Frog suggests), ready meals for the freezer (sure a compnay has been recommended on Mn but can't remember the name), new dressing gown (for the mum) for the times when the old one is covered in sick.
Also things they might not know they need - good sling, muslins etc.

Useless things include 'keepsakes' esp ones you have to polish - have blaned all the other really ghastly stuff form my mind.

Also offer to lend them stuff yours have grown out of that they might not want / need for long - sling, bouncy chair, door bouncer thing etc.