Postpartum Gifts for a New Mom

By Rebecca

My sister recently had a baby boy (HI LIAM! I LOVE YOOOUUU!) and I did not want to go to the hospital empty-handed. However, I knew she was overloaded with baby stuff after her generous friends had thrown her multiple showers. So, I decided to bring her a big bag full of stuff that I personally found helpful after my kids were born. These were designed to be pampering gifts for her, not so much stuff for the baby.

Here's what was in it:

• Nice water bottle for the crazy thirst brought on by marathon nursing sessions. I got this one in purple.
• Flip-flop slippers for hospital and home lounging.
• Soothies gel pads.
• An iTunes gift card, so she could stock up on new music to enjoy while spending so much time at home.
• Lip balm
• Hand cream for dry hands due to frequent washing
• Good-smelling baby wash. This was the exception to the "gifts for her, not the baby" rule, but I did it because making a baby even more sniffable than they already are is a worthy pursuit. Don't you think?
• Coffee (for obvious reasons)
• Bottle of wine (for obvious reasons)
• Chocolate (why yes, as a matter of fact, I DO believe in self-medicating.)

I loved doing this because it was fun to pick things out for her, and also because the baby gets so much attention it's nice to have a few little things that I knew she would appreciate.

What would YOU include as essentials for a new mom?

Comments

[Emiliy M]

If there's an older sibling (especially ones that are 7+ years older), I like to bring a present for them too. I was 10 when my youngest brother was born, and my best friend's mom came over and brought me some nail polish and hair bands and lip gloss. I remember thinking it was really cool that **I** got something, and not the baby. So, I try to keep that in mind when my friends have older children - makes them feel special too.

[jb]

And don't forget a few trashy magazines...

[natalie]

I've been thinking about this lately and all the things that I needed. I was thinkingt that I would give a mom to be all the annoying necessities: Preparation H, Tucs pads, Lansinsoh nipple cream, stool softner, Iron pills, & depends!