Gifts For New Parents

I was recently having a conversation with a friend who was telling me that she...

I was recently having a conversation with a friend who was telling me that she was stumped on what to get her friends that recently had a baby. She wasn’t sure if she should get something for the parents, the mom, or the baby. She wanted to get something to pamper the mother, but wasn’t sure if that would offend the husband? Note to all of you friends of new moms: NOTHING will offend the husband/spouse. The spouse is happy if the postpartum woman is happy. She just went through the most physically challenging event of her life, the spouse wants her to be celebrated and taken care of. I remember when someone sent me a basket of organic, high end bath products (creams, oils, etc) and Lu saying, “Wow, that’s so thoughtful, you deserve all of this.”

As I was speaking with her, I thought to myself, “This would make a great blog post idea!” and I also thought that no matter what you get new parents, anything will be wonderful. In the chaos of those first few weeks, a sweet gift (even a congratulatory note with a vase of flowers) brings a little moment of happiness for you and your newly grown family!

And just a note: don’t stress yourself out! The littlest gesture during this time goes a very, very long way. Take it from a mama – and mama to be. Just a text is wonderful to receive!

The best kind of gift

When Luca was first born, the greatest gift I received was the gift of time from my mother. My mother stayed with us for the first two weeks of Luca’s life, and I couldn’t have done it without her. Not only did she teach me ‘baby 101′, she was there to give me a break to shower in between feedings, to tidy up while I napped with the baby on my chest, and to have someone to talk to. If there’s one thing you could give to new parents it would be the gift of TIME.

Offer to send over a cleaning service at her designated time. Offer to cook a casserole and bring it over for a meal. Offer to literally come over and just donate your time – literally offer to do laundry, to clean, and tell the parents, “I just want to see the baby, but I want to be helpful – please let me help!” I remember in those early days, my Grandma was there and she was our “laundry fairy” and would just miraculously do the laundry, fold it, and put it away. HEAVENLY.

Food is #1 (or at least it was for me) – the less time I had to spend thinking about anything but the baby and my recovering body, the better. Luckily, we live in an urban area with great delivery options, so we ordered out a LOT in those early weeks, but it was so nice when my mother would make a homemade meal for us. She did that for those first two weeks and it was the best time to just sit down and enjoy a warm, healthy meal (with my little Luca either next to us in his Rock n’ Play or in his Dock-a-Tot slumbering nearby.)

Gifts for the mom, specifically

If you want to pamper and shower the recovering mama with gifts, that’s always welcomed! Here are some simple ideas:

Cute and comfy slippers: you do a lot of house lounging and there’s nothing better than a great pair of slippers to make you extra comfy, especially if your baby is born in the wintertime and you have hardwood floors.

Headbands: it seems like a silly little gift, but between postpartum hair loss and never having time to wash your hair, headbands become your new best friend as a new mom. It’s nice to have a few cute ones!

Along with headbands, maybe pair it together with some great Dry Shampoo!

Showercap: another savior to new mamas who don’t have time to wash their hair but want to clean up. The Shhhowercap is my favorite!

Letters To My Baby: Now, I’m not one of those moms who does things like this, but there are plenty of moms who are the scrapbooking type, and if your friend is one of those moms and things like this relax her, this is the cutest gift. I have one and I am going to try to do it with baby girl, because I think the idea is precious.

Comfortable loungewear: I love the LAKE brand, my favorite house robe and PJ dress are from them and I wore it almost every single day in newborn life with Luca.

Breast comfort packs: these are so adorable, and for the nursing mama, can be such a Godsend!

Nursing beads: these were my absolute favorite nursing (and teething) beads. There are so many beautiful colors, shapes, and styles.

Audible gift card: there’s no time to read during newborn life, but if you’re a nursing mama, you have plenty of time sitting alone with your baby, why not listen to a book then – or listen to one on all of those stroller walks.

Personalized mug: there’s nothing sweeter than drinking a hot cup of coffee in the morning to fuel you for a day of newborn life with “Luca’s Mom” on it. I loved this gift and I get it for a lot of other mamas as well as my family (my husband, my mom, my dad, and my sister!)

Wine labels: I saw this on Pinterest once and thought it would be such a cute postpartum gift for those mamas out there who like their wine! Of course, make sure you pick a wine she likes to go with the stickers!

Lactation bars: I love Milkful lactation bars and I used them throughout my entire pregnancy (I also made these lactation bites.) Just make sure your mama is nursing, so you don’t offend her!

Daily Harvest subscription: you may know already that I love Daily Harvest smoothies – and I lived on them during newborn life! They’re the easiest way to pack in the nutrients. Use code INSPIRALIZED to give the mama 3 free extra smoothies with your order!

Gifts for the new baby

What I love about gifts that were sent for Luca specifically is that, whenever I used them, I thought of that friend. Also, it shows a little bit of different style. For example, my friend Cassidy bought my favorite shirt for Luca, which says, “Save the drama for your mama.” I love it and always think of her when he’s wearing it!  Don’t feel bad about giving something simple like a onesie – they spit up on everything, it’s nice to have options. You can never have enough!

Anything personalized, like these burp cloths: I love personalized gifts for my babies, because it can turn into a keepsake afterwards! It’s just a little extra special. I love these personalized Burp Cloths, especially because Luca was such a happy spitter and we used them to death. I have a couple saved (the cleaners ones, haha.) We give these to every friend who has a baby!

Baby moccasins: shoes may be one thing the new baby doesn’t have enough of (can you have enough shoes?!) If it’s a baby boy, go for some cool sneakers and if it’s a baby girl, try a cute sandal! Or, just go with whatever the family’s style is. I LOVE everything Freshly Picked!

Clothes that match: Hanna Anderson has adorable matching PJ sets. It’s fun to match your little one, especially before they can protest it, haha.

Latchy Catchy: this should probably go on the list for Moms, haha, but it’s for the baby’s nursery, so it’s making the baby list. This is an ingenious invention and it was such a game changer for us. It enables you to open and close your baby’s nursery door without the clicking noise of the door hinge. We love ours and still use it.

Organic sleep hat: this is great especially if you have a lot of light in your apartment and it can be hard to get it completely dark or you want the baby to nap outside and need some immediate shade. It’s so cute – and organic.

Baby milestone cards: there are so many cute ones out there, but my sister gave me these and we used them especially in the beginning months. They’re so fun!

Month milestone blocks: for the mama who likes her Instagram or Facebook feed curated, try these blogger-y blocks!

Piggy bank: nothing more traditional than a baby piggy bank! It’s great for nursery decor and as a keepsake.

Cute swaddle: there are so many adorable baby brands out there that your friends may not know about. A whimsical swaddle is always a welcomed gift to bundle up their new bundle of love!

The Honest Co. gift set: if you’re a gift set type, this is a great bundle! I love The Honest Co brand and use all of their products with Luca – this is a cute starter set if you just really don’t know what to get the new baby and want something useful.

Baby handprint & footprint kit: I wish I had received this as a gift! I did an ornament one a couple of months later, but this is a great idea!

And remember… you can always check the parents’ baby registry and if there are any outstanding items, grab them!

So tell me, mamas – what was your favorite gift you received postpartum?

with love, Ali

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