Need to buy a present for a baby, young child, or a new mum?
As with all gift-giving, we want to select the perfect new baby gift – the one that shows the careful thought we have put into our decision, the thing that our friend will LOVE, or find genuinely useful.
But it can be difficult to know where to start.
What to buy for a new baby and new mum?
New mums are notoriously difficult to buy for. Having been one four times, even I struggle to think what would be a really nice or useful gift to give a new mum. Many of the standard gift options might be redundant in this situation. She’s unlikely to be heavily on the alcohol in the first few months, wearing perfumed products around new babies can be unsettling, and that leaves you with chocolates and flowers – the least original option and she’s bound to have quite a few of those already.
Thoughtful newborn gift ideas
Want to be able to gift them something that will be truly beneficial and appreciated? Here are my top ideas and advice for buying new baby presents:
The ultimate guide to buying baby clothes for a newborn
The new parents will likely have stocked up on enough newborn clothes already, and that’s before counting the newborn clothes they will be gifted (Everyone loves buying baby clothes!!).
If you are going to buy baby clothes, buy in bigger sizes to maximise wear and usefulness (anything 6 months and older is a good bet).
But most importantly! – Bear in mind that the clothes currently in the shops may not all be seasonally appropriate in 6 months time (ie, tiny shorts might look cute now, but won’t be much use in the middle of winter. Ditto for heavy knitwear in summer).
OK, so I know everyone loves buying teeny tiny baby clothes, it IS very fun. If you must buy the tiny sizes, why not buy independent? There are a wealth of small, online retailers offering great quality clothes that they might not have seen yet . (Known fact: pregnant people like to browse baby clothes. They’ll probably already be very familiar with all the baby clothes in the high street shops). Instagram is a great tool for finding independent childrenswear retailers, try a hashtag search for #babyfashion or #babystyle. I’ve also got an article all about where to buy colourful kids clothes, featuring all of my favourite independent baby clothes retailers.
How about clothes vouchers for a new mum?
It’s been a while since she was last in non-maternity clothes. Clothes that no longer fit well, are buried deep in storage somewhere, or aren’t breastfeeding-friendly – whatever the reasons, there is always a bit of a wardrobe adjustment in the first months after giving birth. A gift voucher for her favourite clothing store is bound to be appreciated.
Coffee shop gift voucher
Routine walks around the local high street under the guise of “Getting out of the house” or “Getting the baby to sleep” become a regular fixture. Moreover, caffeine and babies go hand in hand. How about a fully loaded gift card for their local coffee shop?
Club together to buy a big item
There is always something a pregnant person is lusting after but is hesitant to buy because they can’t really justify the expense for anything. Popular newborn baby gifts that fall into this category are sleep aids, pushchair accessories, and baby/maternity photoshoots. Perhaps this is a second child and they are unsure if a buggy board will be useful or not? Do some detective work to find out what it is they would LOVE to have if money were no object, and club together with your friendship group to buy a ‘big’ new baby present.
Name a Star
Imagine a star, twinkling in the vast cosmos, that shares a name with the new baby. It’s a poetic and beautiful way to commemorate this special arrival. A unique symbol that endures, just like the love for the child. It’s not a conventional gift, but a timeless tribute
A non new baby gift
It doesn’t all have to be about baby and new-mum-specific presents. She is still the same person as she was before. A top up of her favourite beauty or make-up staple is a fail-safe gift and she may well appreciate a gift that isn’t completely baby-focused.
If the new mum is a lover of fashion and design, perhaps a nice personalized trinket to add to her fashion sense? Similarly, if you want to give a gift related to the baby, you could also customize your pin with baby elements such as baby footprints. These custom pin badges can be used not only to decorate clothes but also for everyday use such as on small backpacks, hats, and other items. If you would like to give a new mom a unique and sophisticated custom pin badges, please visit PinBadges Co.
For more thoughtful gift-giving ideas for new mums and babies, check out these posts:
What to buy for a first birthday
Christmas gifts for pregnant women
Baby’s First Christmas gift ideas
5 comments
I LOVE these ideas! They’re so fab and original too- I especially love the coffee shop gift card idea, particularly for new mummies who might want to sit down in a comfy place to feed the baby in those early days. I know I’d have really appreciated that. Xx
I really think a coffee shop gift card would be a really good new mum gift! Surprises me that it’s not more of a ‘thing’.
I love buying baby gifts, I remember receiving them too as a new parent and it was so special.
Babies are so fun to buy for!
Thank you for the great ideas! I have a work colleague soon to go on maternity leave and I needed some “thinking outside the box” ideas.