It’s no secret that becoming a new mom can be tough. It’s a time filled with joy and magic — and also sleepless nights, baby spit-up, and the challenge of adjusting to life postpartum. That’s where you come in.
If you’ve got a friend or family member in your life who recently became a new mother, you probably want to know how to best support her. What can you send her to make her life a bit easier?
Well, you’ve come to the right place: Below are the best gift ideas to show your love and support for a new mom.
Giver the Gift of Self-Care
After months of carrying a growing baby, plus then the physical demands of labor and delivery, every new mom could use a little bit of pampering. Waking up for night feedings (and breastfeeding in general) can leave a new mom in need of some self-care, too.
Overall, the whole postpartum recovery process is a lot to handle, especially for a first-time mom. If you know, you know.
One of the best ways you can show your love during the postpartum period is by treating her to a spa day package, complete with a massage, eye mask, manicure, and any professional skincare treatments you think she would enjoy.
Or, perhaps, she isn’t quite ready to leave her little one for a few hours. In that case, try putting together an at-home spa kit, including a soothing Belly & Bath Soak, luxe body oil or moisturizing lotion, or a hydrating botanical belly oil to moisturize and ease stretch marks. We know how revitalizing it can be to take even just an hour to yourself after a busy week, and no one deserves the gift of that time more than a burnt-out new mom.
Put Together a Wellness Package
Along the same lines as an at-home spa package, show your support for a new parent in your life by putting together a gift set of all the things they might appreciate now that they’re newly short on time. Throw in essentials like chapstick or nipple rescue balm (postpartum sensitive nips are real, y’all), body wash, a cozy blanket, and some bath salts.
In addition to some cute self-care items, post-maternity clothes are a welcome addition to any gift basket for a new mom. Cozy clothes are a favorite gift for any mom (or mom-to-be), as they’re spending the majority of their time at home swaddling their new baby.
That’s a task that requires a comfy uniform. Maternity leggings, t-shirts, and other forms of loungewear are all winners here. Nursing bras can be a huge help as well.
And, of course, don’t forget to add a personal note to your gift basket— the most important part of any gift is the thought and care that went into it. Be sure to let her know exactly how you feel about her and her new baby, and you’ll have the makings of a perfect gift!
Make a Few Meals (or Get Them Delivered)
When you wake every two hours to feed your newborn and haven’t changed out of your PJ set in three days, meal planning might be the first planning to get sacrificed. She is tired, so naturally, cooking anything more complicated than mac ‘n cheese tends to get put on the back burner.
One of the most helpful things for new moms is to bring over a few meals — think something like a casserole or lasagna that she can throw in her freezer and use for multiple meals.
Or, if cooking isn’t really your forte either, consider signing her up for a meal delivery service! There are a ton of subscription meal and grocery services out there, and making meals hands-free is something any new parent would appreciate. Alternatively, you could get her a gift card to her favorite restaurant so she can get takeout whenever throwing together a meal seems like way too much work.
Give Her the Gift of a Memorable Keepsake
Something we always hear new moms talk about is how much they wish they kept better track of the early years with their little one. The first year of motherhood can be so chaotic that it’s too easy for milestones to slip away without documenting them in a baby book or photo album.
For that reason, one of the best gifts you can give a new mother is the gift of beautiful, professional photos of her new little family. Finding and booking a good photographer can be time-consuming: Taking the work out of that and setting up a session for your loved one is an incredibly thoughtful gift.
Or maybe your bestie is crafty, and rather than a photography session, you want to help her memorialize all the milestones in a baby book or photo album. A beautiful memory book, scrapbooking supplies, or even a disposable camera (to ensure she gets the photos developed) also make great gifts.
These show her how much you care and help her preserve her memories of this special time. PS: Offer to come over and watch her new mini-me so that she can get some relaxing scrapbooking in, taking out the permanent markers and adult scissors without a care in the world.
Get Her Something Helpful
Some new mom gifts are great because of how thoughtful they are, others because they are so useful. The best gifts are a combination of both, such as a funny and inspirational book about motherhood, a beautiful planner, or that baby carrier from her baby shower registry that she never got. Even the classic onesie can be a hit, as it’ll definitely get worn.
Reviewing her baby shower registry can be an especially useful way to get her something that she desperately needs (and show her that you pay attention). Things like a baby carrier, sound machine, and high chair are must-haves for a new family. If she’s missing any of those items, she’d definitely appreciate the gift.
It doesn’t have to be a big-ticket item like a stroller or high-tech baby monitor, either. Something as simple as a night light for the baby’s room or a caddy for baby bath supplies can make a big difference.
Maybe she’s constantly running out of baby wipes, lost the headphones she uses to listen to audiobooks during feedings, or goes through baby formula like nobody’s business. Maybe she needs a new water bottle or a tumbler for her coffee.
Pay attention to what she needs, and get her a gift that she’ll truly use and appreciate. It doesn’t get much more meaningful than that.
…. Or Something Personal
Speaking of meaningful, don’t underestimate the power of a super-personal gift during this time. Postpartum emotions can be an absolute whirlwind, and it’s possible she’s feeling isolated, depressed, or overwhelmed. Reminding the new mama that you’re there for her can go a long way, even when you aren’t physically by her side during the early days of motherhood.
A great personal gift might be something to remind her of your presence during the milestones of being a mom, such as a photo of the two of you during your college days, a handwritten letter, or a book about motherhood with a little inscription in the front. And it doesn’t have to be homemade to have a thoughtful, personal touch — custom-made jewelry or home decor is a great way to add a personal touch to a gift and show her how much you care.
Now every time she looks at that gift, she’ll think of your friendship and be reminded how much you care.
Every New Mom’s Dream: A Cleaning Service
Finally, one of the most helpful (and most appreciated) gifts is every mom’s dream: A cleaning service. Things like dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, and even taking out the trash can get thrown to the wayside when you become a mom — you’ve got much bigger priorities now, like taking care of a new little human!
Shop around and see if you can find a cleaning service to stop in once (or even a few times) and get the house back to spick and span, just the way she’s probably dying for it to be again. Be sure to coordinate with her or her partner to make sure they’re on board — having strangers come in to clean your house when you aren’t expecting them can be, well, the opposite of relaxing.
Good, Clean Advice
Alternatively, you could come in and offer to clean things up yourself! There might be no better way to show the new mother how much you love her than by spending a few hours tidying things up and taking care of all the little chores the new parents are too sleep deprived to handle after waking up in the middle of the night. In fact, new to motherhood or not, this is a gift that probably EVERY mama would appreciate receiving.
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