10 Gift Ideas for New Moms

Welcoming a new baby into the world is so exciting and the ultimate gift a parent could get! Often we, as family members and friends, get wrapped up in seeing those cute squishy baby faces, little fingers and toes. Sometimes we forget to check in with the mom (and dad!) who just worked so hard to bring that little bundle of joy into this world. Even if they had an “easier” labor and delivery, there were still many months of a commitment before that baby joined the world.

Of course, new parents love to show off their little baby, but sometimes they’re also desperately needing their basic needs met. If you’re considering congratulating the new parents with a gift, I’ve listed 10 of the best gift ideas to help make a new parents’ life easier.

If you’re still not decided on a gift, consider asking the new mom or dad if there is anything they really need or would like help with. They may provide you with some suggestions that are on the top of their mind.

Not all moms (and dads) will want the same things. Use your best judgement for your friend or family. 🙂

FOOD

Most parents of a newborn won’t turn down food. Homemade meals can save them time and energy that they could be putting into taking care of their baby or themselves. A meal they can choose to store away in the freezer for a rainy day is even better!

Maybe they have a favorite restaurant that you could get take out from. If you can’t visit them in person, consider a food delivery service like Door Dash or Uber Eats.

Unless you know your friend or family really well, it’s nice to ask if they have any food preferences or allergies. If they’ve had a lot of visitors, it could be possible that they have more food than they know what to do with at the moment. If that’s the case, consider the next option.

GIFT CARDS

I know this seems like a no-brainer, but gift cards can be helpful since they can be used at a later time or when they have a need for items (or food). A new mom might want to buy some new clothes, maybe even new shoes if her feet grew. Getting a gift card for her favorite clothing store might give h to buy something that makes her feel good and confident in her skin.

There are also many late nights in the early weeks, and sometimes those late night feedings lead to late night online shopping (did this happen to anyone else??). A gift card might be a fun reason to online shop at 2 a.m.

GIFT BASKET

Consider putting together a new mom survival kit. You can mix and match so many items and cater to your family or friends interests/needs. Some of my favorite ideas are:

• Comfy pajamas or lounge clothes (button up pajamas are nice if they’re planning to breastfeed)
• Chocolate
• Wine or beer
• Insulated water bottle (love this hydroflask with the straw accessory!)
• Cute slippers
• Easy-to-grab snacks
• Coffee or tea
• Facial mask
• Dry shampoo
• Postpartum/healing items (these items are probably best given if you have a close relationship or you’re on that level with each other (i.e. tucks, perineal spray, witch hazel, etc.))
• Breastfeeding products (if she plans to nurse (i.e. nipple cream, haakaa, mother’s milk tea, nursing pads, etc.)
• Cute personalized ‘mama’ items (i.e. t-shirts, mugs, jewlery)

FLOWERS/PLANT

Flowers are a classic gift. I personally love fresh cut flowers and plants and like how they make any space look more cheery. Low maintenance tends to be best for the busy first months of being a parent. If the family has a potentially long hospital stay, flowers may not be the best option since some hospitals have rules against them. Also, consider if either person has allergies to certain plants/flowers. In that case, you may want to skip the flowers or plant all together.

PHOTO SESSION

It is true what they say, the moments go by quickly! All the better reason to document this stage when they’re so little. If you know a photographer, even better, you can support their small business. Some photographers offer a gift card to redeem the session at a later time. This gives the family some flexibility in when they’d like to do their photo session.

If you’re in Minnesota, check out Andrea Dobbs Photography! She photographed my wedding AND recently took some of our family photos. Can’t say enough good things about her photography skills. 🙂

HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE

For many people, especially new parents, cleaning is the last thing you want to do after a busy day. Adjusting to a new lifestyle with a little human might leave your house looking like a storm blew through. I can’t even remember the number of times I said, “I wish someone else would clean this for me” when I was tired and trying to juggle getting it all done during Q’s short naps. If you know a trusted house cleaning business in the area, I doubt you could go wrong with gifting a one hour cleaning session. It’s probably best to preface the gift with saying you don’t think your friends or family are dirty people, but you thought they could use a break from cleaning house. 🙂

MEMBERSHIP OR SUBSCRIPTION

Many memberships and subscriptions can make those first few months a little easier for new parents. Right before Q was born, we signed up for Instacart, and it made our lives a lot easier while we adjusted to being parents. Here are a few services and memberships a new parent might find useful:

• Netflix
• Hulu
• Disney+
• Costco
• Sam’s Club
• Shipt
• Amazon Prime
• Hello Fresh
• Green Chef
• Sun Basket
• Zoo Membership
• Museum Membership
• Toy Subscription Boxes (Lovevery)

If you don’t want to to be on the hook for paying for many months or years of a membership, purchase a gift card for the subscription. If the company itself does not offer gift cards, buy a visa gift card and use that to pay for the membership. This way, if it does not get cancelled in time, it does not continue to charge your card or bank account.

BABYSITTING

Offer to babysit, and set a date! It might be a few weeks or even months before they’re ready to let their little one out of their sight, but if you’re a trusted friend or family member I’m sure it’ll be much appreciated when they’re ready. This could be a good opportunity for the new parents to go on a date or run some errands without toting around their little one. It could even be as simple as coming over to their house and hanging out with baby while mom and dad take a much needed nap.

MASSAGE

After carrying a baby for many months, and experiencing labor and delivery, I’m sure a massage is sounding really nice to the new mom right about now! If you do a little research, you may even find a massage therapists in the area that specializes in postpartum massage. A postpartum specific massage may not be necessary depending how many weeks postpartum the new mom is and whether or not she had a c-section (see post on Emergency C-Section: 20 Tips for Recovery).

Speaking from experience, getting a postpartum massage was completely worth it! Not only was it relaxing, but it was time that I was committing to self-care, and a reason to leave the house.

BEAUTY

Does your friend/family member have a favorite salon to get her hair/lashes/brows/nails done? Consider buying a gift card, booking an appointment, or even planning a time to go together.

If you’re looking to buy a gift and show some support to a new mom, there are so many possibilities! Share some of your favorite gifts you’ve given or received as a new mom in the comments below.