10 Gifts That New Moms Actually Want

10 Great Gifts for New Moms

When you have a baby, it’s amazing how friends and family surround you with love and bring lots of homemade meals and onesies for the baby. In a very overwhelming and scary time, it feels really good to feel loved. But after going through it myself and seeing countless friends have baby after baby, I’ve learned what new moms really want as a gift.

The baby gets so many outfits, stuffed animals, and blankets, but the mom herself really deserves to be spoiled too. Those first few weeks with a newborn are incredibly overwhelming, exhausting, and difficult. A little something for her will go a long way.

I polled you guys on IG and compiled your top answers with mine for this list of great gifts that new moms actually want and will greatly appreciate.

1. Dinner delivery: My personal go-to gift for new moms is to order dinner from the couple’s favorite restaurant 1 or 2 weeks into having the baby. I ask them to tell me which night they want delivery (important to ask because you get a lot of food postpartum!), what time they want it delivered, what their favorite restaurant is, what time, and any dietary restrictions. Then make all the other decisions for them. Don’t make the new parents think beyond a time and place. Two friends did this for us and it was so appreciated.

I always order more food than they need so they can have it for lunch leftovers the next day. And obviously, if you live close to the new parents, you can cook for them too. I have two friends in town who just had babies so tomorrow I’m dropping off homemade lentil soup so they can either eat it on the spot or freeze it for later.

2. Wine subscription box: A month or two of wine delivery is an incredible incredible gift for new moms. After 9 months of not being able to drink, it is the most exciting thing ever to receive. We use Winc at our house, so I gave my sister two months when she had her baby last month and not to toot my own horn but it was a great gift!

Transparency note: I recently completed an Instagram collaboration with Winc. Inclusion in this post is not a part of my paid partnership

3. PJs/Nightgown: One follower had the sweet idea to give oversized PJs with either the mom’s monogram or a pocket that says “Name’s Mom” which I thought was pretty cute. My favorite thing to wear to bed postpartum was Lake Pajamas maternity line. Either the PJs or nightgown. And I love their robe too.

4. Manicure GC or kit: Pre-COVID I would say to get a manicure gift card (many of you said the same too!) but there are a lot of great manicure kits out there you could get a new mom so she can give herself a little mani between feedings. Olive & June makes my favorite one.

5. Water tumbler: If you’re nursing, you get really really thirsty. My mom bought me a giant tumbler with a straw when Amalia was born and I lived for it. My favorite water tumbler is this one from Simple Modern. If you’re buying for a new mom, go with the 28oz size.

If she likes her tea/coffee or prefers hot water with lemon, a mug warmer for next to the bed would also make a great gift.

5. Basket of nursing snacks: I had never thought of this one but a bunch of you had the idea to create a gift basket full of grab-and-go snacks. You get very very hungry when nursing and you’re often in your bed so to have a basket full of goodies (please make them carb-heavy) on the nightstand is just a dream come true.

6. Foot massage: One of the best gifts I got from a girlfriend was a gift card to a local foot massage place for a 20-minute massage which is just about the right amount of time that you can take between feedings at the beginning there when you include getting dressed, getting there, and getting back. Again, this would obviously be better in a post-COVID world.

For these days, you could band together with a group of friends or cousins and get her an at-home foot massager which would be so incredible! Anel and I live for ours.

7. Self-care package: Love love love this idea! You can create a basket full of dry shampoo, bath bombs, bubble bath, face masks, hair masks, hand cream, and other items that will make the new mom feel relaxed and beautiful

8. Activity box for siblings: Drive Steer Play was mentioned a lot (I had never heard of it but looks cool!) and we have loved Tinker Tots Boxes. I’ve also heard great things about Kiwi Co. Boxes.

9. Local restaurant gift card: After a few weeks, the meal deliveries and homemade baked goods dry up so a gift card to a local restaurant (or Door Dash, Seamless, Uber Eats) so they can use it whenever they want. A friend of mine had her third baby recently and for her baby sprinkle, I packed up a bottle of her favorite bottle of wine and a gift card to her favorite local restaurant. She loved it!

10. Cleaning service: When you first have a baby, cleaning your house becomes the last of your priorities. Hiring a cleaning person or cleaning service to come over and clean a few weeks post-partum. I guarantee the new mom will cry with gratitude!

What is your favorite gift to get new moms?

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Comments

  1. Mary J said:

    I also always include a gift for the siblings as well.

    1.18.21 · Reply
    • Julia said:

      Same. So important for them to feel loved too when the new baby comes!

      1.26.21 · Reply
  2. Kristin said:

    I think the food ideas are always so appreciated. My husband’s work gifted a very generous meal delivery service for a few weeks after baby came. It was so great because I had a difficult time nursing and all of the meals were extremely healthy so I felt good about what I was eating. We could go online and pick the meals we wanted and how often they came. I think we ended up with both lunch and dinner about 3-4x a week so there was always something healthy to grab – and my husband really appreciated not having to cook during that time.

    Another gift that was a big hit for me was an essential oil diffuser and nice relaxation blend. I’d never had a diffuser and it was so nice to have something like that while I was pumping / nursing / relaxing at night. I still buy the oil blend to this day and the smell always takes me back to that special time.

    1.18.21 · Reply
  3. Jennifer Record said:

    Great suggestions.. pre COVID, I would also take the older sibling out for the day… take him or her to the zoo or park and a visit to a local bookstore and lunch etc and give him or her lots of attention…. that way the parents could sleep when baby slept (or do little things they wanted to get done like shower etc) and not worry about entertaining the older child….

    1.18.21 · Reply
    • Julia said:

      Aww that’s so sweet. The best gift you could possibly give!

      1.26.21 · Reply
  4. Sarah said:

    Love this list!! I would encourage people to opt for gift certificates to restaurants directly instead of Uber Eats, etc. Restaurants could use the direct support right now and Uber Eats has grown exponentially since COVID started. 🙂

    1.20.21 · Reply
    • Julia said:

      Good call! Especially in smaller towns.

      1.26.21 · Reply