Top Gifts New Moms Will Want to Use
Selecting a gift for a new mom can be a long walk down a fine line between something she needs but won’t buy for herself, something adorable but also functional, and something practical but splurge-y enough to be truly appreciated. We hope this guide to top gifts new moms will want to use will provide some inspiration.
And Baby Makes Three (or Four, or Five)
The baby showers full of burp cloths and bibs are several weeks in the past when your best friend, dear sister, or cousin welcomes a tiny new member of the family. When the baby arrives, it is time to think beyond bibs, bottles, and burp rags to something the mom can use for herself, for herself and the baby together, or for herself, her partner, and her other kids, if she has them. If you’ve been there, you know that first year is filled with exhaustion, joy, tears, and spit-up. New moms appreciate practical, useful gifts that comfort, soothe, and help her through.
Sleepwear That Does Double Duty
New moms spend a lot of time in their jammies. There isn’t a lot of time to get dressed up—much less get dressed—between feedings and diaper changes. A soft, cotton knit jersey sleep set that can rise up from a few hours’ sleep in the middle of the night and double as acceptable casual daywear takes the deciding-what-to-wear issue off a new mom’s to-do list.
Make a set of the night and day wear with non-skid slippers and socks, plus a plush bathrobe to cozy up in after a rough afternoon with her little fusser.
Food Facilitators
There’s a new mouth to feed in the house, but everyone who was already there still needs to eat as well. New moms and their partners might appreciate a subscription box service that delivers fully prepped meals for the adults in the house.
For nursing moms, products that make breastfeeding easier, cozier, and that provide privacy are a big help. No nursing mom wants to spend time with a squealing infant in her arms, struggling to get free from a top that doesn’t accommodate breastfeeding. A Milk Snob nursing cover that doubles as a top solves that problem. These are available in rayon blend fabric as well as organic fabric and double as organic car seat covers for trips to the pediatrician’s office or out for a stroll.
Sentiment Savers and Soothing Soaks
The baby showers may have taken care of milestone markers, but some moms like to save sentimental items and need a place to store them. Keepsake keepers with places to organize congratulatory cards, little locks of hair, and impressions of tiny hands and feet will calm a new mom’s nerves about preserving magical moments and miraculous milestones.
A new mom is on her feet a lot. Indulge her with a foot care set including salves for sore feet, pedicure tools to file off rough edges, and a massager or footbath. Many foot soakers come with exfoliating pads and massagers. They can keep water at a comfortably warm temperature and send it in gentle waves or tickly vibrations over a new mom’s tired tootsies.
Taking a bath is a luxury for a new mom. Encourage her to take the time for herself with bath products specially formulated for post-partum care.
Hair Handlers
A new mom will never forget how her baby showed the strength of their attachment by grabbing and pulling her hair. Once she’s over the shock (that little one has quite a grip!) and decides she’s not going to just cut it all off, she will need multiple ways to keep it out of baby’s reach. She also needs a way to keep it organized when she has so little time to wash and style it. Headscarves and wraps that contain braids and dreadlocks, ponytail holders, headbands, and clips can preserve a mom’s look when she has a grabby baby or a grubby day. Just remember that whatever mom has on, the baby will find a way to get a hand on it. Avoid sharp hair combs or items with beading or bedazzling that could come off and become a choking hazard.
Smart Sweeper
Housecleaning is low on the list for a new mom, but you can bet she worries about keeping the home clean and sanitized for everyone’s health and well-being. Bringing in an outside cleaning service may not be an option during this pandemic, so supply a substitute. A programmable robotic vacuum cleaner keeps the floors and carpets clean while parents care for their cutie. New moms can set these things to run at a time that doesn’t interfere with scheduled sleep times.
Hi-Tech Baby Monitor
New moms are world champion worriers. Baby monitors are standard equipment; plus, they’ve come a long way. Now, there is at least one version that includes a wearable smart sock that acts as a pulse-oximeter—monitoring the baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels. Combined with the coordinating camera that streams sound and video to a smartphone via an app, new parents can check on the baby from anywhere in the house. This is a splurge item, but it is a gift new moms are sure to use and appreciate.
A Good Laugh
A new mom, especially one who is not a first-time mom, probably has multiple copies of “what to expect” books, bedtime books, and squeaky books with mirror pages to entertain the infant. What she needs is a little entertainment herself. Have some fun yourself seeking out books that gently parody classic children’s stories or books that acknowledge parental exhaustion with a baby that just won’t go to sleep. Stories that help a new mom recognize she’s not alone, and that other moms have made mistakes and survived (and their babies thrived), take some of the pressure off.
Moms with newborns don’t have a lot of time to read for themselves, so offer up a quick chuckle with a funny t-shirt or mug that acknowledges her special status as a mom or baby’s position as the new boss in the house.
