Have a read of my top 8 baby shower or new parent gift ideas...
1. Food or Gift Vouchers for Food Deliveries
When you have a baby, your time and energy is all taken up with caring for your newborn. However, it is so important to eat healthy and nutritious foods when you are taking care of a new baby, you are sleep deprived, breastfeeding or just given birth. Many parents, however, find that they often end up neglecting themselves and miss meals, opt for take aways or fast food during this time. Whilst there is nothing wrong with having takeaways or fast food once in a while, it is not going to give you the nutrients or energy that your body is craving right now.
As a family member or friend, giving a new family a home cooked meal, full of nutritious ingredients is going to be just what they need. You could deliver it in advance of the birth, so the family can freeze it or do a doorstep drop after they are home with their new addition. Having a basket of fruit delivered is also a great option. I received a basket of fruit after the birth of both my children and it was so appreciated.
Another great option could be a gift voucher for healthy restaurant food deliveries. After you’ve just had a baby, you won’t always feel like you want to be eating out in restaurants just yet. However, you could order some restaurant food, to be delivered to your door. Check out www.plateaway.com. Plateaway offer gift vouchers, so a great gift to buy a new family would be a meal gift voucher. This way the family can order what they’d like, when they’d like it. Plus, it’s much healthier than rotating through the various take away options each night.
2. Doula Gift Voucher
The best gift that you can buy any new parent is the gift of a doula. Doulas offer antenatal support and birth preparation during pregnancy. They also offer support during labour and birth and postnatal support too. Having a doula present during labour and birth has shown to significantly increase your chances of having a positive birth experience. Check out my blog about why hire a doula. Many doulas and Doula UK offer gift vouchers that can be used against the services that they offer. Have a look at my website to find out about the different doula support packages that I can offer new parents and parents to be.
3. Sling or baby carrier
A sling or baby carrier can be so useful for new parents. Many babies love being in a sling, being held close to their parent’s chest and rocked from side to side, as the parent moves. It reminds them of being in the womb and brings them great comfort. It also allows parents to be hands free, whilst being able to hold their baby close and get some household jobs done. E.g. hanging out the washing, cooking dinner or going for a walk. There are various different slings on the market and they all have various price ranges.
4. Star Fleece Baby Blanket
A star shaped, fleecy baby blanket is perfect for keeping your baby warm outside, when they are in a pram, sling or car seat. Very often babies will fall asleep during transit and when you arrive at your destination and go indoors, you will need to remove their blanket/coat/pramsuit, so that they don’t overheat. Very often this can be difficult to do, especially if you are trying avoid waking them up. However, with the star shaped blankets, they can be easily unwrapped. They have no poppers, zips or buttons and they can be used underneath a 5 point harness. Checkout Tuppence and Crumble, for their beautiful star shaped blankets.
5. Pram Hand Warmers
Your new parents will definitely thank you for this. Particularly during the winter months. Pram hand warmers or pram hand muffs are basically large gloves, that are attached to the pram. It makes your hands lovely and warm when you are out pushing the pram and allows your hands to be instantly free, if you need to assist your baby. Check out the blog below, from mother and baby, about their best pram hand muffs 2022. https://www.motherandbaby.co.uk/reviews/for-mum/pram-hand-warmer-hand-muffs/
6. Room Spray
Room sprays are great hypnobirthing anchors. During pregnancy, practising calm breathing techniques and relaxation can really help you to feel in control and relaxed in preparation for labour and birth. Whilst practising these hypnobirthing techniques, if you spray the room with your favourite room spray (lavender is a great aroma for calmness) and use it again during labour, your brain will trigger that calm, relaxed state that you were in when you were practising your hypnobirthing techniques.
7. Postnatal Affirmation Cards
Positive postnatal affirmations cards are great for new parents. If they are read and repeated regularly, they can help you to change your negative thinking patterns and replace them with positive thinking patterns. They can remind you to treat yourself with love and compassion and that you are not alone in this new chapter of your life. It can be tough being a new parent and being reminded that you are doing a great job, is sometimes all that you need.
8. Hair and Beauty Voucher
Many new parents find that once their baby arrives, they don’t have the money or time for themselves anymore. They spend all their days focusing on the baby and they forget about themselves. Getting the opportunity to have some time out for them, be pampered with a haircut or receive a beauty treatment, can really help to give them the TLC and confidence that they need right now.
If you are thinking of hiring a doula for yourself or thinking about buying a doula gift voucher for a new parent or parent to be, have a look at my website, at the support packages that I can offer.
Julia x