The first time I was a new mom to a newborn baby, my sister gave me a whole basket of gifts for mom. Or well, actually they were gifts for our newborn baby, but I was so thrilled by the idea of a whole basket of gifts for us! The basket contained 10 parcels with stuff like baby clothes, bibs, toys, a soft blanket and more. Much like the things you might get on a baby shower.
It was just so great to get these things right after the baby was born; being an overwhelmed, very happy new mom, with a bleeding, aching body.
Apparently this is a Dutch tradition - the first 10 days with a new baby, mom and the new infant should just rest, get to know each other and receive gifts.
A wonderful tradition!
Becoming a mother is such a huge thing, not only the pregnancy and giving birth, but also practically giving up yourself for someone else 24 hours a day.
I think it is dad's and everybody else's responsibility to support New Mom as much as they can.
Pampering mom the a little something especially for her is a great way of showing appreciation.
Here I've gathered a few things that can be fun to get as a new mom.
A friend of mine received a new diamond ring for every baby she gave birth to. (Well, two babies, don't what had happened if she had continued with five more...) I really think that was a nice gesture by her husband. ”You’ve done a great job carrying and giving birth to our daughter/son. And a ring with the baby's name and birth date engraved. Wonderful!
(Tips to dads: Moms like getting all kinds of jewelry, not just diamond rings, so money is not an issue.)
Many moms are simply too tired and get disturbed too often to be able to concentrate enough to read a thick book. Magazine subscriptions are great gift for mom. A baby magazine is very likely to be popular, but just about any magazine that relates to Mom's interests is good.
Magazinedealsnow.com
has a lot of really good offers on magazine subscriptions, such as American Baby Magazine and Elle and many, many more.
Breastfeeding moms are hungry. All the time! Healthy and tasty (and some not-so-healthy and even more tasty) snacks like nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit and dark chocolate are great to have at hand for snacks between meals. Buy a nice looking bowl or basket and fill it up.
For Mom who as expressed very clearly that she wants to start exercising this can be a great gift. For mom who is still just tired, don't even think about it. Personally I like yoga and Pilates as a start after pregnancy. They focus getting the strength and mobility back, which many new moms really long for.
A baby carrier is a wonderful piece of baby gear. For many newborn babies it can be used right from the start. A big help if your baby is fussy or just prefers being carried around. A great help for Mom (and Dad). And yes, Madonna is absolutely right. Baby Bjorn is the best brand for baby carriers. I like their
Baby Bjorn Active Carrier
very much, because the back support is excellent.
My husband has found a new love... No, no not a new woman, but his IPod! He cuddles more with it than with me, hmmm. Well, I almost understand him. The newest IPods are really cool. The sound is so good and you can download just about unlimited amounts of music (or film, or TV show etc, etc.
For a mom who is planning on going for walks with the baby, an IPod is really fun gift. Some cool music, a pair of good new walking shoes and the post pregnancy belly will be gone in no time. Yes!
A breastfeeding mom is always short of cool tops. Buy her a really nice nursing top. Not just casual wear, but something extra. And of course, cool tops are always good gifts for mom, breastfeeding or not!
A friend of mine, who is a really high executive in a large company, used her maternity leave to just relax. She bought the whole DVD Box of her favorite TV show and went to bed with her baby. She nursed him, watched TV and absolutely loved her time at home.
Why not give mom a film that she really loves or wants to see. She might just have time to watch it while feeding her baby.
If you want to give mom a parenting book, give one that you know she want or one that is funny. If you are mother-in-law, give her something else! For some people parenting books can be sensitive, so use your judgment.
An important tip: Mom (or mom-to-be), why don't you "just happen" to keep this page with gifts for mom up when dad comes home from work, or your friends and family visit... Hopefully it will catch their eyes. I you want to be a bit more straight forward, bookmark it below and show it to dad or your friends or mail it to them.
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