The Best Gifts for New Moms That Don’t Revolve Around the Baby
As any mom knows, you are inundated with gifts for your lovely new little baby at the shower, from thoughtful grandmas-to-be, excited aunts, and all the things you buy as you’re in nesting mode. Then the baby arrives and it’s adorable little onsies, swaddles, stuffed animals as new arrival gifts. Everyone coos and ahhs over the sweet little bundle, as they should. New life is so wonderously full of possibilities. In one day an entire trible of people get to welcome this little one and their clean slate of life…so full of hope.
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But the unsung hero of the show is the mother. She endures a monthly cycle from the time she’s a young teen to prep and allow for the possibility of having this child. Her body builds another body cell-by-cell for 40 weeks (give or take) only to have her own body become unrecognizable to her both during and forever after birth. She endures hormonal changes that affect her moods, her feelings, her entire world. She wonders if she will ever feel like herself again while also marveling at just what she is capable of. Using that changed body, she grimaces and screams her way through labor to bring that small piece of her into the world. And outside of her mother (and mother-in-law), husband and, if she’s lucky, a few loyal and understanding girlfriends, most of the attention goes to the baby.
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However, in my opinion, the new mother needs just as much pampering, love and attention as the baby. I’ve always liked to think that while the mother’s sole job is take care of and focus on the baby in those first 8 weeks, it’s everyone else’s job to take of and focus on her. Whether she had the baby, adopted, used a surrogate… no matter the way the baby came to be that joyful bundle sitting in her mother’s arms, it’s all of our jobs to make sure that the mother, herself is taken care of!
I was lucky enough to be surrounded by people (my mother and sister-in-law, especially) who did everything they could to make sure I was comfortable, fed, and taken care of. My husband made my favorite egg sandwich when I was beyond exhaustion with busy pumping or attemping to get the baby to latch. My mother came and massaged my feet, cleaned my house, made nourishing soups and took the baby for a walk when I needed just a few minutes of sleep. My dad brought us homemade dinners 2-3 a week. A good friend of mine sent in the most delicious food basket full of delcious treats meant to be had during 1am feedings. Another girlfriend picked me up and took me for a pedicure and brought me the most luxurious pajamas and robes after I told her I just couldn’t seem to get out of my pajamas for days on end. I most definitely felt the love.
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The Best Gifts For New Moms
The best gifts for new moms don’t necessarily have to be practical, although practical certainly doesn’t hurt. Sometimes it’s something that makes those long days at home a little more comfortable. Something she wouldn’t buy for herself. A small luxury, an easier dinner, really good pajamas or simply something that reminds her she’s still a person outside of being someone’s mom. I pulled together new mom gift ideas at a range of prices, including gifts for postpartum recovery, little luxuries, useful things for home and a few thoughtful splurges. Some of these are things I got and appreciated myself, some are recommendations from friends as to what they were gifted and some are things I’ve given to new mothers myself. I included everything for all budgets from little luxuries to splurges.
Ember Temperature Controlled Mug
The lack of sleep with a newborn is astonishing which usually calls for loads of coffee or tea. This mug will keep her preferred drink of choice at the perfect temperature without going cold before she can get up from feeding, rocking, or whatever other myriad of baby-related activities that could be taking up her time.
Bedsure Fluffy Faux Fur Blanket
You spend those first few weeks wanting to be completely nestled up in bed or on the couch and having a luxurious soft blanket makes anyone feel comfy and secure.
Mark & Graham Block Print Tote
Here me out… there is a new trend called “house purses”. It’s a bag you keep in your home that contains all the things you might need in a day – your planner, favorite pens, hair ties, chapstick, journal, nail clippers, etc. Gift her with this tote with HER initial (because when everything else is about the baby it’s nice to be reminded you’re still a person, too!) so that she can have everything she needs right beside her. Better yet? Fill it with some of the things a new mother might need to reach for on the regular: a water bottle, nipple cream, under eye patches, a hairbrush, wipes and hand sanitizer.
Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Robe
I lived in my pajamas and robe with my newborn. New mothers like to be as comfortable as possible as they recover and look after their little one. Barefoot Dreams is one of my favorites for robes and incredibly soft clothing. Pro Tip: I would gift her a robe in a darker color. She’ll be dealing with lots of spills and stains and white and cream will show it all.
Theragun Mini
Help ease those aching sore muscles. It’s hard to get out as the mom of a new baby so massages are a bit out of the question for a bit. This is like gifting her an at-home massage.
UGG Tasman Slippers
Long nights wandering the halls quieting a fussy baby calls for warm, comfortable feet. She will be wearing these 24/7. If you want some options that are at a lesser price point, there are some good UGG alternatives out there as well. Head on over to this post for my recommendations.
Amika Talc-Free Dry Shampoo
Unfortunately, showers can be few and far between when first having a baby. All the while, you have folks dropping by all the time to offer help or just visit. Dry shampoo is a great way to help her keep her hair looking fresh and clean. Think about putting this in a pretty basket with a few other pick-me-up items like dark circle eye patches, soothing face spray, and oversized shower sheet wipes.
Renpho Heated Eye Massager
These weren’t around when I gave birth, but I would have LOVED to get one. A friend of mine that recently had a baby received this as a gift and said she uses it when she’s feeling really fatigued and tired. A wonderful gift idea for comfort and relaxation.
Frida Mom Postpartum Essentials Kit
Not a glamorous kit, but I would have been so happy to get this as you don’t even understand all the essentials needed to care for your healing body until you go through it. They also make one specific to women who’ve had c-sections (linked here).
Beats Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
This is one of the pricier gifts, so I’m looking at you, dads and partners, to gift this to her. If it’s your night to wake up for feedings to give her a rest, noise cancelling headphones are a Godsend. But they also come in handy if she wants to listen to a podcast or audiobook during quiet nighttime feeds or during her walks with the stroller.
Boarderie Classic Cheese & Charcuterie Board
When you have a new baby, it’s harder to sit down for a formal meal and sometimes you just want to be able to snack. Breastfeeding women, especially, snack more throughout the day and evening and I love the idea of gifting a charcuterie board. Boarderie has so many different options like dessert boards, just cheese, and baked brie boards. Genius!
PrintFresh Woodland Critters Long PJs
If your mother of a newborn going to be living in pajamas for awhile. might as well get her an adorable pair such as this woodland critters print. PrintFresh has the most adorable prints.
Kindle Paperwhite
Is your mom a reader? It’s always good to give gifts that let her participate in things she loved before she was a mother, as all moms are still people with interests! A Kindle is a great way to read while holding the baby. Books can be pretty cumbersome and she’ll use it for everything else in life to come like travel or sitting on a beach.
Kitsch Satin Pillowcase
Sleep is coveted and this silk pillowcase is like heaven when your head hits the sack. Silk pillowcases are also known to be easy on hair. Women who have just given birth usually experience some hair loss so it’s great in that regard as well.
Frenchies Velvet Hair Pins
French hair pins work so well and do not cause the scalp discomfort that hair ties can often cause. This would be a great gift paired with Nutrafol Hair Growth Supplement.
As you can see, I didn’t pick some of the easy go-to gifts like birthstone jewelry, mommy and me sets, anything that says “mama” or “mama bear”. I tried to keep all of these selections geared just for the mother… things to make her life easier when you’re going through the hardest thing you’ll ever do, things to pamper her, make her feel seen and loved. It’s important to give gifts to a new mom that isn’t about the baby.
Other good gifts for moms of newborns? A homemade meal, a gift certificate to Door Dash, or a one-time house-cleaning service.
One of the best things one of my friends did every week for the first month? Every Monday, she would drop off my favorite Starbucks drink and a chocolate croissant to my doorstep and text me it was there. She didn’t expect me to welcome her in as she knew I wasn’t in the mood for company after a long night but she knew I needed a pick-me-up and sweet treat I didn’t normally get for myself. So really, any thoughtful thing you do for her will be meaningful. Seeing her for her, and not just a “new mom”, will mean everything to her.
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