Our sisters at Twin Cities Moms Blog shared this piece on 10 gift ideas to rock a new mom’s hospital gown off and we thought it was too perfect not to share with our Austin followers. Whether you’re in Minnesota or Texas, these ideas are sure to make you popular amongst your delivering friends!

When I was about 30 weeks pregnant, I started dropping hints to my husband about a “Push Present.” If you haven’t heard of one before, a Push Present is a gift the mother receives from her husband for no other reason than the fact that she just rocked cankles every evening for weeks on end, experienced an odd, yet unmistakable correlation where when she sneezed, she peed a tiny bit – quite surprising the first time, quite annoying the 54th time, gained 20 plus (probably LOTS of pluses, but who’s counting?) pounds in way too short a time period, and oh, created, sustained and nurtured an entirely new life form for the past nine months in her stomach, which when pushed out, felt eerily similar to trying to shove a VW Bug through a hole the size of her wedding band.

 

A Push Present is a far, far cry from what a new mother truly deserves, don’t you think? But she receives a child! Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that child isn’t going to have enough sense about them to say “thank you for growing and birthing me LIKE A BOSS” until they’re 32 – if we’re lucky – so let’s shower the new mom with presents now, am I right?

 

But I’m not really here to talk about Push Presents – because that’s between the husband and the wifey, and I’m not starting any marital disputes over whether or not diamond earrings will help a momma-bear forget her pain (although I’m preeeetty sure it would help me….). I’m here to talk about presents that are a little more pocket-book friendly – the presents that us girlfriends can lavish on our new momma-friends to help ease their transition into the feeling of 10 trillion daggers in the chest as their milk comes in, the reality that even though they  just had a baby, they’re STILL going to have contractions, and let’s not forget the fact that she won’t be sleeping for the next three months.

 

Yeah, I’d say she deserves a little something from her friends.

 

Here are 10 gift ideas that you can easily bring to a new mom in the hospital. While the gifts won’t necessarily erase the trauma of the past few days, they will definitely make it all a little more bearable.

 

10 Gifts for New Moms | Twin Cities Moms Blog

 

  1. Let’s start with the one all pregnant women love: FOOD. But while the new momma probably wanted to eat 24/7 when that little bun was in the oven, she may not be quite as hungry now. Things are a changin’ so she may not be so hungry off the bat, or maybe she’ll be ravenous, you won’t really know – but a safe bet is bringing over some homemade (or store bought, nobody’s judging) granola or granola bars. (We’re talking Lara or Cliff Bars, people. The good stuff.) Easy to store, easy to bring home, easy to eat at any time. If you’re really wanting to get your bake on, consider bringing a batch of cookies or muffins – she may not touch them, but it’s pretty nice to be able to offer some sweet treats with subsequent guests – and I’m fairly certain the husband won’t refuse them either.
  2. An initial necklace. These necklaces are all the rage these days and you can find them on Etsy for anywhere from $20 – $300, so you can buy the one that shows how important your friend is to you. JK. JK. JK. But seriously. These are super cute and you’ll be known as the “trendy, in-the-know” friend if you get this. If you don’t know the name of the baby yet, hand her a note letting her know one will be ordered asap.
  3. A sweet water bottle. If the mom plans to nurse, she’ll need to drink a lot of water. A LOT. Get her an awesome-looking water bottle so she’ll be inspired to chug-a-lug-lug.
  4. If you’re handy with the camera, snap a few pics of the babe while you’re there to print and give to her later. Those days in the hospital hotel are a blur – give her a few pretty pictures to remember the good parts.
  5. A house cleaning gift certificate. I think any woman, anytime, anywhere would love this gift. Need I say more?
  6. Some lotions and potions – or a candle. The classic go-to gifts for women continue to apply for a mom who just birthed a child. She’ll get around to pampering herself eventually. And when she does, your gift will ensure she does it right.
  7. A gift card to a coffee shop or for take out. Be sure the coffee shop has a drive through and the take out actually has delivery. Then make your purchase. She will love that little card as much as her still amphibian-like newborn.
  8. Massage and babysitting. Quite possibly the best gift I received as a new mom – a family member purchased a massage for me and offered to watch my son while I went. Mind. Blown. When I was finally ready to leave my boy, this was one of the first things I did. I was gone for two hours and came back feeling like I was ready to have my second child. Then I thought about it a bit more and, ummm, NO. But you get the idea.
  9. A gift certificate for free housework. Most people like to come over and hold the baby while the new mom “gets things done,” but when everyone wants to do that, the new mom never gets to hold the baby except when she becomes the canteen – and especially in those first few weeks, that doesn’t count at all. Switch it up and offer to come over and scrub dishes, vacuum the living room, and fold laundry while she cuddles the baby. You’ll be the belle of the ball – her ball. It’s a small one, but a ball none the less. Be proud, belle, be proud.
  10. While this is technically a list of gifts for just new moms, any mom will tell you a gift for her baby is a gift for her. Find a sweet beanie for that baby boy to replace the standard hospital stocking hat, or get that lil’ girl a pretty pair of those tiny, thumb-less mittens so she doesn’t scratch her angelic face with those ghastly talons she just came into the world with. Babies need lots of things – you’ll find something I’m sure.

 

Let’s wrap this up with one last piece of advice – whatever you do, be sure to keep it small so it’s easy to take home. While I know you’ve always wanted to get your friend a new Kitchen Aid, let’s just say this may not be the appropriate time to gift her with a 50 lb. new kitchen appliance. (Like, why are they so heavy? WHY?)

Alright, that’s my list – whaddya think? Anything you’d add that would rock a new mom’s hospital gown off? Please share below!

 

3 COMMENTS

  1. I think some of those are too involved. I’m taking my SIL a goodie bag with small things like bath bombs and face masks. More papering sort of items.

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