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Original poster

Question - what was the best new baby present you received?

35 replies

OllieWollieWoo · 07/10/2009 14:56

Sister and best friend are about to have babies (sister's second and BF's first). What was the best present you got when you had yours? Don't want to go along the cuddly toy/baby yearbook/silver cutlery lines (I got tons of those with my Ds's) and so far all I can think of is a collection (say 12) of good books to see them through baby and toddlerhood etc the tiger who came to tea/bear hunt/ etc etc. Great for BF but not so good for sister as she already has most of them from DS1!
Oh yes, I also got a great fleecey wrap which was great for the pram over winter - but have already given sister this to use! Any other ideas/suggestions to share???? Thanks

OP posts:
notnowbernard · 07/10/2009 14:59

Gro-bag (sleeping bag thing) V useful, used it every night for bedtime

Vouchers (used them for clothes when everyone had got bored of buying teeny-weeny newborn stuff )

GypsyMoth · 07/10/2009 15:03

i got a huge fruit filled basket and a red robin shrub/tree for the garden from my boyfriends mum,and the usual hand knits

the fruit basket was briliant and the tree will be there forever to mark the day.

someone here (liahgen?) makes those nappy cake things which look gorgeous,made from muslims,bottle,teddy etc.

books,yes,my friend bought the winnie the pooh treasury for my dd. still has it and she's 15 now!

GypsyMoth · 07/10/2009 15:05

oh,and wooden toys!! i got alot of them from my more 'stylish and rich' friends/ex employers. bricks,wooden clock,russian dolls,stacking rings,train etc

choccyp1g · 07/10/2009 15:09

LOL at a cake made of muslims.

choccyp1g · 07/10/2009 15:10

What'll it be next a packet of cheese and onion "Christians"

GypsyMoth · 07/10/2009 15:11

oh god!! MUSLIN!!!!!

GypsyMoth · 07/10/2009 15:12

not for a new baby,no. you can't take me anywhere can you!?

choccyp1g · 07/10/2009 15:14

But seriously, if money is no object, then ask what they NEED, like baby monitor, pram, car-seat etc.
Or for something more "keepsake", a book of nursery rhymes for the first-time mum, as she probably can't remember them.
For the second baby, you need to get something similar to what you got for the first one. To show that a second baby is just as special and equally important and all that.

LadyoftheBathtub · 07/10/2009 15:15

A 100% cotton, soft knitted hooded cream zip-up cardie, from my sister. V easy to wash, stretchy so fitted for ages, warm and cosy, went with anything, unisex, easy to do up, looked super-cute.

A soft knitted blanket which has become DS's comforter, again 100% cotton and fully washable.

I'm inspired by these when I buy baby presents - always think cotton and washable, then think functional, then think cute.

LadyoftheBathtub · 07/10/2009 15:16

For myself, the friend who got me a big box of prestat chocs was most popular. I got a lot of lovely flowers which made me fill up but the chocs were the business

paddypoopants · 07/10/2009 15:17

A copy of 'What to expect in the First Year' which I scoffed at when I got and then spent the next 2 months checking everything in it. Not much use I suppose when you've already had one baby. I also got a Merino Kids grobag which was great as it lasts from new born until 2. I really liked it so I bought a few more.

Montifer · 07/10/2009 15:19

Non denominational Tummy tub

HappyBump · 07/10/2009 15:30

My friend has these gorgeous muslin cloths that she was given by a generous friend. They are made by Aden & Anais. Hers has little animal prints on them. They sell them on amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Aden-Anais-Muslin-Pink-Shapes/dp/B001NDDHS0/ref=sr_1_65?ie=UTF8&s=baby&qid=12549256 04&sr=1-65
They are something you probably would never dream of buying yourself but they are really practical, pretty and fun... can't believe I just wrote that about muslin squares ... I put it down to pregnancy hormones.

igivein · 07/10/2009 15:43

My friend gave me a basket filled with all sorts of stuff - bum creme, baby bath, muslins, cradle cap stuff, nipple cream, breast pads - all the stuff you need but don't realise you need till 2 in the morning.
It was brilliant for a first time mum, because it had lots of things in it that it would have never occurred to me to buy.

wheresmypaddle · 07/10/2009 15:46

Ok maybe I have had too much coffee but an idea I had was a photo of the sunrise on the day the baby was born. Not easy to do, not practical and maybe just a silly idea but it appeals to me!!!

choosyfloosy · 07/10/2009 15:53

Champagne - for ME
Posh hand cream - for ME
M&S vouchers - which I used to buy underwear for ME

Unfortunately giving birth did not make me less selfish.

My standard baby present is doing a couple of baskets of ironing, but then lots of people don't iron, and you have to know the person quite well in case you think they are criticising their housekeeping.

choosyfloosy · 07/10/2009 15:54

sorry, obv in case THEY think YOU are criticising their housekeeping.

sleepwhenidie · 07/10/2009 16:05

lovely idea wheresmypaddle, but would have been horrible if baby had been born this morning..just a load of fog!

How about some indulgent stuff for mum? Silk pj's? Mama Mio tummy rub is gorgeous, or some expensive conditioner (pink tub of Kerastase was best I found)for when her hair starts falling out a few months after the baby arrives!

I have to admit that one of my favourite gifts I had for DD was a Brora cashmere baby cardigan - "how outrageous and ridiculous" I thought when it first arrived from DH's colleague....but I swapped the tiny size for the next up and DD wore it constantly for months, it was so gorgeous and snuggly (and little babies don't get grubby the way the ones on solid food do so providing you don't have a sicky baby its not that impractical!) Something you probably wouldn't buy yourself but great as a present!

Arsed · 07/10/2009 16:07

We were bought the Angel Care Alarm from Bil and Sil when DD was born, 5 years later we're using it for DS !

Bloody wonderfull thing.

Original poster
OllieWollieWoo · 07/10/2009 16:08

Ooo - great suggestions so far! I love the sunset idea wheresmypaddle - you could so some kind of scrapbook with stuff from that day eg newspaper headlines, cd of No 1 in the charts, list of famous peoples birthday. Think my sister would love that! Also like the idea of a blanket than becomes a comforter.
Forgot that my husbands employers sent us the biggest basket of muffins/brownies/cupcakes when DS1 was born - think it was from the Primrose Hill bakery as we then lived in London! I munched my way thro most of the basket and almost got resentful when we had visitors and DH offered them something from the basket!

OP posts:
oopsadaisyangel · 07/10/2009 16:10

My favourite gift with DS1 was a bag with all the things I hadn't thought about i.e. baby nail scissors, bath thermometer, nipple cream, baby comb, little sponge and loads more but I can't remember because it was 7 years ago!

MrsJohnDeere · 07/10/2009 16:10

Wine, champagne, nice cheese and pate, cake.

GypsyMoth · 07/10/2009 16:18

Www.myfirstday.co.uk

OmicronPersei8yourbrain · 07/10/2009 16:18

Chocolate - the good stuff.

Also from DH's work: Baby gap clothes in a whole range of sizes, so that DS had something that wasn't hideous, cheap and second-hand nice to wear every couple of months.

BertieBotts · 07/10/2009 16:19

Well wait, how are you going to take a picture of the sunrise if the baby is born in the afternoon? You'd have to get up at the crack of dawn and take one every day It is a lovely idea though. Someone (a morning person I am thinking ) should take one every day and sell them online as new baby presents.

Best present I got was some green and blacks chocolate, it was great for a burst of energy at the middle of the night feeds

I love this as a new baby present though and would buy it for anyone (I knew they wanted to bf): www.thefoodoflove.org

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