Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

People love the arrival of a new baby, it is a great excuse to go out and buy sweet little teddy bears, tiny pink or blue outfits, silver baby bracelets, and plenty of other impractical gifts. There are, however, many useful presents you can buy which will really make a new mom’s life easier. If you are worried your gift will seem too functional you can still get pretty baby paper and a big ribbon to wrap it with.    

Here are a few ideas for practical gifts that all new moms will love:

Gifts that will put baby to sleep
It’s amazing how much time a new mom will spend trying to get her newborn to sleep.  There are a whole range of practical gifts you can buy to help make bedtime as easy and painless as possible for her. Look out for cot mobiles with soothing music or light displays that will fascinate the baby until he falls asleep, or perhaps a CD of gentle baby lullabies. If you are looking for a larger gift to help get baby to sleep, bouncing or rocking cradles can save mom’s arm muscles, and are a great addition to the nursery.   

Gifts to keep mom and baby clean
Most new moms are totally unprepared for how much mess their tiny little bundle of joy can make.  Whether it is burping their milk back up, constant dribbling, or the occasional diaper free accident, very few new moms have enough materials to hand to protect their clothes and clean up spills. Bulk buying bibs, muslin cloths, and baby wipes can be a godsend to your friend and can help to keep her and baby clean and shiny.

Somewhere to put baby down
It’s incredible how much time first time moms spend carrying their babies around.  They often feel like the baby is too fragile to put down or they’re worried about the baby rolling off the sofa or chair.  Buying a bouncing cradle, a comfortable and stimulating play mat, or even a play pen, can give mom a safe place to put baby while she gets on with all the other things she needs to do.  

Practical baby clothes
While you can leave buying cutesy designer outfits to someone else, stocking up on the practical basics, like simple cotton vests and sleep suits will really benefit the new mom.  Make sure they can be thrown in the washing machine, and can be washed at a high temperature without shrinking.  They need to be quick drying too, although mom will probably just put them in the dryer. White, or another light color, is best for a newborn as milk stains will not show up too clearly and all baby’s clothes can be washed together at a high temperature without worrying about bright colors running or fading.

A baby medical kit
Of course you hope the new baby isn’t going to need any medicines or treatments, and there aren’t that many things you can give a newborn anyway, but if you have found particular products that have worked well on your own children, stocking up on these for your friend is a great idea.  Some of the items to include might be an especially effective brand of nappy rash cream, some nose drops or a spray to clear stuffiness, and a calming lotion perfectly suited to baby’s dry skin or cradle cap.

A completed baby book
Most new moms love the idea of tracking their baby’s progress, and have a beautiful baby book all ready to record that first smile or tooth.  Unfortunately the stresses and trains of motherhood can mean that the book is still untouched in its wrapper on baby’s first birthday.  If you are close to the mom and see them often, you could buy a baby book yourself and offer to keep a track of all those special milestones.  This has the added bonus that when you finally hand over the book it will be full of your photos that the mom hasn’t seen before, instead of her own which she has pored over hundreds of times. 

There are so many great gifts you can give a new mom that can be both practical and cute, and that will really make looking after baby easier for her.  Don’t leave buying your gift until the last minute, when you are on your way to visit the newborn.  That will just mean you buying the first thing you see.  Start to think about what would make a good gift as soon as you know your friend is pregnant, so you will be well prepared when baby arrives.