It's been over a year since I was Mama to a newborn but I found myself off to visit one of my friends, Barbara, who just had a wee baby girl. I came at the ready with my gift bag and it got me thinking about how some people may get stuck for ideas on the best things to get a new Mama as a gift, or the things to stay away from.
Bear in mind these are my recommendations and may not ring true for everyone š
I'm going to focus mainly on Mama bear here, as that's what my mission is all about! But I personally included a few things for baby's big sis too. Here is what I packed and some other ideas thrown in too!
For Mama
š¹Wine or a favourite alcoholic beverage is always a winner - It's been a long time since Mama has chilled with a drink so gifting one means she feels she can!
š¬Sweet treat, whether it's chocolate, gummy sweeties, cake or whatever her favourite indulgence is.
šš½āāļøSpa voucher or something along this line of thinking to make Mama take time for herself in the months to come. She will need the push to have any selfless moments moving forward.
šÆāāļøMate Date IOU, you can create this in any way you wish - physical IOU, a promise, set a date in the calendar. Whatever works for your type of friendship but it helps reassure your friend that you are not going anywhere and encourages her to spend time being her still.
ā„ļøSentimental notes in a card - anything that lets her know that you are a proud friend.
For baby
šLarger clothes - I tend to lean towards 3-6 or 6-9 month sizes (keep in mind what season it will be in when buying though) because most gifts include Newborn/Tiny/0-3m so when you have baby you have millions of outfits at the start and tend to have very little as baby gets bigger. One further caveat about this gift is to do some research on Mama's colour/vibe for baby. Some Mama's don't mind but others may have a certain aesthetic in mind and it'll show how much you care by following Mama's lead!
š¼Something to make Mama's life with baby easier - Could be something you found useful when you had your babies or it could be a voucher for a service. Barbara mentioned a lady who does fittings/try-ons for baby carriers in my area and that would have been a great and useful gift idea.
For siblings & Dad
A new baby can be a massive change in their lives too so I like to include a wee something for everyone. I asked my friend
š¬Sweeties are always a winner.
šBooks can help others understand the changes happening and how to deal. There are a few cute books on becoming an older sibling and plenty of books for Dad too!
š« For Dad - I would include something that helps Dad to help Mama, because as I say looking after Mama's is my mission! Something fun like those made up voucher books that Mama can cash in for Dad to do or wee advice cards can be a god shout.
No No
šPersonally I would have hated flowers - It's just another thing to keep alive hahaha
šAnything that doesn't fit in with your friend's vibes, beliefs or values. Some people swear by using dummies, others can't abide by them. Make sure you know who you are buying for.
š¾Anything with small parts!
Like I say, these are just a few of my recommendations and if you have received or given someone a fantastic gift idea then please let everyone know in the comments below so we can steal them in the future š
Thank you for reading and I hope this helps you in some way!
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