When you’re thinking about gifts for a first time mom, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? Do you automatically think of items like baby onesies and diapers?
While most new moms will appreciate any gift they receive, it’s time to start thinking out of the box a little bit.
I mean, after all, new moms get so excited about baby shower gifts! But what if you could give the new mama something that she would actually use?
Choose non-baby gifts for new parents, and spoil them a little! We love the idea of items and gift sets to help make their lives easier.
If you’re interested in unique gifts for new moms, there are tons of great options available! From cozy bathrobes to restaurant gift cards, gift boxes, and items to help with sleep deprivation, our team has put together a list of the most popular options on the market.
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Mom Gifts that are Actually FOR Mom
When my first daughter was born, my husband and I were seriously spoiled. Our family and friends showered us with the sweetest gifts for our little one. We truly wanted for nothing.
I’ll never forget, however, the day that one of my best friends brought me a gift to the hospital after our girl was born. I opened it up and was surprised to find a beautiful pair of earrings. I was delighted…but shocked at the same time.
She then told me that the baby had received plenty, and I deserved something special, too.
Given my emotional postpartum state, it should come as no surprise that I cried.
I was bewildered by the idea that I’d never even thought about the fact that someone might want to bring me something that was just for me. A loving gift that recognized the triumphant event my body had just gone through and the miracle I helped accomplish.
This moment has stuck with me in the years since our daughter’s birth.
It’s now something I reflect on every time I buy a new mom a bottle of wine, a restaurant gift card, or something else that’s just for her.
In case you aren’t aware, it takes a lot of work to bring a baby into the world.
Gifts for first time moms are the perfect way to say, “Hey, good job bringing another sweet life into the world!”
What Are the Most Popular New Mom Gifts?
Before starting this article, I took a poll in one of my favorite local online mommy communities. I asked this great group of women what type of new mom gifts they’d wish they’d received and which ones were their favorites.
While some of them I expected to see, like delivery meals and gift certificates for massages, others were a little more surprising.
Here’s a list of some of the most popular suggestions for unique gifts for new moms:
- House Cleaning Services
- Car Wash Gift Cards
- Nursing Supplies, i.e., breast pads & nipple cream (if you know, you know!)
- Restaurant Gift Cards
- Subscription Boxes (particularly for meal delivery services like Blue Apron)
- Comfy Pajamas: find the perfect pair by learning about the best maternity pajamas, our favorite postpartum pajamas, the best nursing pajamas, and the best postpartum leggings!
I have to say, my favorite suggestion, however (and also one of the ones that popped up the most, surprisingly!), was a good bottle of dry shampoo. It’s not something I’d typically consider as a gift for a first-time mom, but it’s actually pretty perfect.
Meal Trains: One of the Best Gifts for a First Time Mom
One suggestion appeared over and over again: meal trains!
It was a favorite among the new parents who received one, and a parenting wish for those who didn’t.
If you’re not sure what a meal train is, the concept is pretty simple. A group of family and friends gather together and assign days where each individual, couple, or family will provide the new parents with a meal.
I think one of the reasons meal trains are so wonderful is that they’re the gift that keeps on giving.
Those first few weeks as a new parent are an adjustment period, to put it lightly. How nice would it be to put more of your focus into developing a routine with your little one instead of figuring out what you’re going to eat?
There is even a great website, Mealtrain.com, that helps make organizing one of these easy!
Finding the Most Relaxing Gifts for New Moms
Spoiler Alert: Becoming a mom for the first time can be stressful (to say the least)!
If you’re searching for the perfect present idea, why not consider relaxing gifts for new moms that will help alleviate some of the extra tension they are experiencing?
Here are some of our favorite options:
1. Luxurious Bath Supplies
When we say bath supplies, there are really a plethora of different products you can go with. From bath salts to bath caddies, find anything you think will help her wash away the stress of the day. Just be sure mama knows to check with her doctor before using any bath products after birth!
Some of the most popular options in our community include:
2. Essential Oils & Diffuser
In an age where essential oils are more popular than ever before, these little bottles of love could be an ideal selection when you’re looking for relaxing gifts for new moms. Learn more about relaxing and immune boosting essential oils.
Even if you don’t believe in the health benefits touted by oil enthusiasts, there’s no denying that one sniff of lavender is enough to send most people into a nirvana-like state of relaxation.
If you want to help the new mom in your life relax and unwind, a set of oils and a Homedics oil diffuser are a great place to start.
3. Spa Day
Birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas–is there really any bad time to receive a gift certificate for a spa day? Why would post-delivery be any different?
If you want to really hit the nail on the head with the whole relaxing gifts for a new mom thing, why not go with a gift certificate for a pedicure, facial, or massage?
Not only will this help her alleviate some parenting stress, but it will also get her out of the house for a little bit of “me time.”
4. New Mom Coloring Book
Ok, I don’t care how old you are; there is something so indulgent about sitting down with a nice cup of coffee and coloring…am I right?
If you’re looking for a cute but relaxing gift for a first-time mom, how about a new mom coloring book and a nice set of colored pencils?
5. Bathrobe
Ask any new mom how much spilled milk and baby spit-up is currently on their clothing, and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about, particularly breastfeeding moms!
A cozy bathrobe not only takes away the stress of actually having to put on clothes, but let’s be honest, they kind of feel like a warm hug. What’s more stress-reducing than that?
The New Mom Gift Basket – An Ever Popular Option
Many gift-givers like the idea of creating DIY new mom gift baskets. If this strikes your fancy, why not go with the ultimate handcrafted gift: a new mom gift basket?
There are so many great new mom gift basket ideas, depending on the type of gift you’re looking to give. Here are some of our favorite options, along with lists of different items you can include in them.
1. Breastfeeding Gift Baskets
Is the new mom in your life starting a nursing journey with their new arrival? Then a breastfeeding support gift basket would be much appreciated.
Here’s what to include:
- Snacks! Anything that’s easy to eat while your hands are full with baby
- Nursing PJs
- Foods and vitamins to increase a mother’s milk supply
- Nipple cream
- Reusable nursing pads
- Nursing tanks or shirts (Ingrid & Isabel has some of the best options on the market!)
- Milkmaid Tea
2. Gift Basket for Wine Lovers
If you love wine like me, nine months, or more in some cases, is a long time to go without any!
That’s what makes a wine-themed new mom gift basket an ideal gift option. Grab this pre-curated basket, or DIY. Include multiple bottles of wine, a corkscrew, and even a “New Mommy” wine glass!
Do you want to take your wine gift basket up a notch? Why not affix each bottle with one of these adorable “mommy milestone” wine labels?
Before any new mommy partakes in said vino, however, don’t forget about the relationship between breastmilk and alcohol.
While one drink per day is nothing to worry about, per the CDC, anything beyond that could affect your breastmilk.
The general rule of thumb is to wait two hours per drink before nursing your baby again.
Many new moms might think pumping and dumping is the key to the problem, but that’s actually not the case. Just because you express breast milk after drinking, it doesn’t mean it’s safe to start nursing before the 2-hour wait time is up.
Whether you’ve expressed milk or not, the alcohol will still remain in your bloodstream and could affect your little one.
3. New Mom Survival Kit
For anyone woman who is stepping into the world of parenthood, a new mom survival kit is crucial!
Grab one that’s ready to send, or create your own!
Include a collection of different items, such as:
- Water Bottle
- Dry Shampoo
- Lip Balm
- New Mom Socks
- Wine
- Snacks, especially chocolate
- Ibuprofen
Including Dads & Partners, Too: Non-Baby Gifts for New Parents
Listen, there’s no denying how much diapers are appreciated and how cute baby clothes are, but when push comes to shove (no pun intended), parents could really use more than just things for their little one after delivery.
If you’d really like to set yourself apart, why not consider non-baby gifts for new parents?
We’re not just talking about bottles of wine, however (although let’s be real, most new moms and dads aren’t likely to turn up their nose at alcohol if they are into imbibing).
There are tons of great unique gift ideas for new moms and partners that can be helpful and beneficial during their first few months as parents, including:
1. Gift Certificates
Who doesn’t love gift certificates?
Not only are they easy to give, but they’re great for parents because they come with a little flexibility. They can be used whenever it is most convenient for them.
Stumped for ideas on what types of gift cards make the best non-baby gifts for new parents?
Here are some of our favorites:
- Restaurants (Bonus points if you find a place that delivers takeout!)
- Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub, and other delivery services
- Grocery stores, including Target and Walmart
- Prepared meals delivered straight to their door (Freshly)
- House cleaning services
- Netflix, Hulu, & HBO subscriptions
- Audible subscription
- Amazon Prime
- Amazon gift cards (what new parents can’t find tons of things they want from Amazon?)
- Errand services, like grocery delivery (Instacart), dry cleaning, or personal concierge
2. At-Home Date Night Kit
It’s not always convenient to find a babysitter, especially if it’s the last minute and you want some quality time with your partner.
Send someone date night in a box for an amazing and unexpected gift!
This amazing box won the Best of 2020 Award from CrateJoy for sending couples fun activities curated for a different theme each month.
Whether you choose one box or a subscription, know that the new parents will really appreciate your thoughtfulness (and the change of activity!)
Think your couple is more of the dinner-and-a-movie type? My husband and I love setting up at-home date nights.
We’ll order some takeout, rent a movie, pop open a bottle of wine, and voila! All the makings of a great date night from the comfort of your couch.
Get your loved ones a gift card for a local food delivery service or restaurant, a bottle of wine, and top it off with some adorable new mom and dad wine glasses.
They’re guaranteed to love it!
Baby-Related New Mom Gifts
Okay, okay, I know I said this was going to be about non-baby related gifts, but here’s the thing– there are plenty of gifts that can be helpful to mom AND baby!
If you want to buy gifts for a first-time mom that will assist her in her new role, here are our favorite options:
1. Baby Wraps
Unless my calculations are off, women still only have two hands after a baby is born. Why not help them free up those appendages?
Babywearing a newborn is a great way to help new parents take care of more than one thing at a time. At some point, they’re going to have to do things like cook, clean, and generally function while still managing their little one.
There are tons of great options, but Solly wraps are our very favorite. They’re a beautiful and functional option any new mom is sure to love!
2. Diaper Bag Backpack
Diaper bag backpacks are one of the latest and greatest trends in new mom essentials. They free up your hands and make lugging all those baby-related items around a little bit easier.
One of our favorite budget-friendly options is the Skip Hop Diaper Bag Backpack.
3. The Baby Shusher
The Baby Shusher has been hailed as a miracle tool by Amazon mamas, but it may not be something your favorite new mom knew to include in her baby registry must haves.
This little device mimics the human shushing sound babies have grown to know and love. Trust us when we say that any new mom will thank you greatly for this incredible gift!
The Best Ways to Deliver Gifts for a First Time Mom
Here’s the thing – while new mom gifts are very appreciated, long-lasting visits when you drop them off can be a little, how shall we say this…unwelcome.
If you’re interested in purchasing some sort of unique gifts for a new mom, be sure to have a plan in place for how you’d like to handle the drop-off.
First and foremost, ask the new mom what she feels comfortable with.
Right now, in the time of COVID, many new parents aren’t interested in a bunch of random people showing up at their house for visits.
For situations like these, consider mailing your gift or performing a “ding-dong ditch,” where you drop it off by their door and make haste back to your car.
In the event that your friend is up to a visit, keep it short.
Don’t expect to stay for hours on end, asking for labor stories and grilling them about baby’s current sleeping pattern.
Lastly, make yourself useful.
Please don’t show up to your friend’s house expecting them to entertain YOU while you snuggle on the couch with their new babe.
Offer to wash dishes, throw in a load of clothes, or even look after the baby while they take a nap or a shower.
Be sure to read the room, as well! If the new parents are making hints that they’re over the visit, take your cue and leave.
What Would the New Mom in Your Life Prefer?
From non-baby gifts for new parents to a new mom gift basket, there are so many different gifts for a first-time mom that you can choose from.
Think about who you’re buying for and pick a present that suits them. If you’ve already had children of your own, consider what you wish you had received or which gift items helped the most.
Becoming a new mom is a challenge, but with the right type of new mom gifts you can help them get off to a great start!
If you’ve had children already, what are the best gifts for a first time mom that you received?
