Gift ideas when your best friend has a baby

Those tiny baby grows are cute. Really cute. And as if they make shoes and dressing gowns in miniature sizes.

They’re hard to resist.

But please do resist them.

Coming from a mum of two, soon to be three, I can tell you that your best friend who just had a baby doesn’t need a tiny pair of shoes. Neither does the baby.

When I had my first, I was gifted with 100’s of clothes. I’m not even exaggerating. If anything, I’m down playing it. There was so much.

I found it really overwhelming. I kept changing her into different outfits during the day, even though she didn’t need it. I felt so guilty if she wasn’t wearing something someone had spent money on.

When it came to Martha, people did buy less. And I was grateful for that. I’d also culled loads of Ida’s stuff that she’d never worn. Dresses on a baby I just found annoying. There’s nothing better (IMHO) than a baby in a baby grow.

Leave the dresses for when they’re 2-5 and want to exclusively dress as a princess.

So what do you buy your bestie who’s just had a baby if not tiny shoes and dressing gowns that they will literally never dress the baby in — except for a picture to send to you.

What to buy your friend who had a baby

A bag of biscuits

I mean it. Get a gift bag, go to Waitrose and buy a shit ton of biscuits. Your friend is going to be tired, hungry, and in need of a snack.

A sleep mask and pillow spray

After you’ve had a baby, sometimes it can be hard to sleep. Or after a feed, it’s hard to fall back to sleep because you’re waiting for that time bomb to go off again. I found a good sleep routine really helped. Sleep mask and lavender pillow spray was my signal for sleep.

Cook meals

You can order Cook meals online and have them delivered to your friend for the early days when she won’t want to cook. Or would appreciate eating something other than toast. The Mac n Cheese is amazing. My sister did this for me after my second and I can’t tell you how much I appreciated having a hearty meal every day that I didn’t have to think about,

Snacks

Sorry, more food. Matt’s mum did us a food hamper full of confectionary and fancy crisps. This was great to pull out during night feeds in the very early days when my hunger levels were through the roof and my energy was on the floor.

Nappies and wipes

Your friend will be smashing through nappies and wipes. When you’re in the supermarket, buy her a pack of newborn nappies and a few packs of water wipes.

Bake bread

This was something someone did for us, and it was amazing. We came home from our day 3 midwife appointment to a loaf of warm bread on our doorstep!

PJS and socks

There’s nothing better than a fresh pair of PJs and socks. Your friend will likely be getting up in the night to feed, prepare bottles, so even if they’re usually starkers sleepers, they’ll appreciate some decent loungewear. Also, if it’s their first, they might spend a day in their PJs here and there. And nothing wrong with that at all!

Shower stuff

Night sweats are real. Real and horrible. A decent shower in the morning with some fancy shower bits is the dream. I love the ‘Sleepy’ stuff from Lush.

Nice tea, coffee or hot chocolate

If your friend is into hot drinks, treat her to a fancy pot of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. There’s something so comforting about a hot drink. Goes well with the biscuit gift too! You could even just take a coffee from the coffee shop when you visit.

A subscription to Netflix or Disney

If they don’t have it, get them a subscription to a TV streaming service. I loved watching classics I’d seen 1000’s of times before. Probably because if I fell asleep it didn’t matter. With the girls I watched The OC, Scrubs, Desperate Housewives, and Friends. These shows felt like a hug.

Baby grows and muslins

Don’t feel like you need to go to The White Company and spend a small fortune on one baby grow. Some of the best ones I had were from Asda! They all get that yellow stain-y poo on, so best not spend too much. Your friend will only be racked with guilt when it’s ruined, or will be afraid to ever dress the baby in it. Next and M & S are great, too. Look at different sizes, don’t get caught up in the first size and newborn options. And you can never have too many muslins!

Voucher for John Lewis

I say John Lewis because they sell everything. She could buy herself some make up, a new reed diffuser, something for the baby she didn’t know she’d need. A new bra. If you don’t have a John Lewis near you, go for a generic department store that has easy online shopping!

Parent and baby hamper

If you wanted to do a hamper, here are a few things you might want to pop in it.

• Baby grow
• Sudacrem
• Lansolin nipple cream
• If she’s breast feeding, a cabbage…
• Biscuits
• Chocolates and sweets
• Mints
• A water bottle with a straw
• An insulated coffee cup
• Nappies
• Wipes
• Shower gel/soap

What’s the best gift you’ve got after having a baby, surgery, or a huge life event?