Best Gift Ideas for New Moms

Best Gift Ideas for New Moms

My name is Kristen, I am a mother of three living and working in Chicago. Today it snowed at O’Hare airport which means the holidays will be here before we know it. I like to try and start shopping early so I can enjoy the festivities of December. I have a lot of new moms on my list this year and because I just had back-to-back babies, I know the best gifts I received when I came home from the hospital.

1. Food! We need it to survive, and we don’t want to make it. We are happy if we brush our teeth in those early post-partum days! When we brought our daughter home in January of 2020, it was freezing out and I didn’t want to get out from under my couch blankets. We had a lot of people bring over meals which was great, but we didn’t have space for it all. Our freezer was chock full, and we couldn’t eat the stuff fast enough. That is when I realized that new moms need UberEATS, GrubHub, or any kind of meal delivery service gift cards so we can order it as needed. You could also organize a Meal Train so that people can sign up to bring dinner on specific nights to eliminate overlap. Those first few weeks are a blur and having to not worry about cooking is huge, especially if they have other children to feed.
2. Help with the baby: The best part of offering a new mom your time, is that it is free to you and one of the best gifts you can give them. If you have a couple hours to watch the baby she can sleep or (gasp) even take a shower! My sister would come over once a week and help me during the day when I brought my babies home. She would just hang out with us, change diapers, and feed them. It was the best gift she could have given me at the time. I got to be with an adult and had time to do whatever I wanted. If you want to give her a break and you don’t have the time to help yourself, you could gift her a certificate to a reputable babysitting website in your area. If you are a mom yourself and have access to great sitters, you could offer a night of care from one of your sitters as well.
3. Booze: This is a great one for new moms (who drink) that just abstained for 9 long months. You can give them all they need to make their favorite drink at home. Gather the ingredients and throw it in a cute basket that they can reuse for home organization purposes. Home goods is a great place to get inexpensive baskets and bows. You can get creative with how you tie it with a little something for baby like a hair bow or booties. Another option if you wanted to get it delivered is a Drizly gift card or delivery. You can make it so she can choose a time that works for her for the delivery so that no one is waking her or baby up!
4. Her Time: If you have had a baby, known anyone who has had one, or even watched a movie about having a baby, you know that it is no small feat. One of the best things you can do for a woman going through those sleepless, puke covered nights is to help her get a semblance of the woman she was and will be again soon! I got a spa and nail salon gift card that were a couple of my favorite gifts. I remember getting a massage, facial, and pedicure all in one day and came home feeling like a different person. You can get a gift certificate to their local nail salon, spa, or a gift card from SpaFinder allows them to go to one of their choosing.
5. Items that were probably not on her registry:

• Nightlight for night feedings- This is often overlooked because you don’t realize how bright your bedside lamp is until it’s burning through your sleep deprived eyes at midnight. You can find them almost anywhere but this is a rechargeable one from Amazon.
• Baby clothes for 6 months plus- Whenever I go to a baby shower, I always buy clothes for the baby’s next year. I cannot tell you how many moms have told me they have also had to donate clothes with the tags on them from the first few months of life. They are usually stacked in the beginning so it’s nice to think of clothing they can use when she isn’t receiving registry or new mom gifts. Shop our favorite styles here.
• Diapers in all sizes-There are NEVER enough.
• Gift cards-Target and Amazon are my favorite. New moms know that there is always something they need and with a gift card they can get it as needed and even delivered.
• A hug! - Remind her that these are the tough days but also the fleeting ones. You’ve got this mama!

The first few months with a baby can be overwhelming. Though it goes by fast, the days can be long. These were some of the most helpful gifts when my babies first came home. Any gift that can help make her life a little easier while she soaks in those early moments is something she will remember for a long time.