5 Gifts Every New Mom Should Get

I have been a new mother three times. I had baby showers with two of my children, my second child came the day of my shower so it was canceled. I went to the baby store and made a registry and got lots of wonderful gifts. Some things I thought I needed, but never used, other things I thought I needed and could not have lived without! Here are a few things that I wish I have given to new moms, or that I wish I had been given, or that I wish I had received more of at my shower.

Food
I know this seems like a strange request, and you definitely will not see it on any baby registry. However, when you are recovering from giving birth, tending to a newborn baby, and possibly other children, meal times are your least favorite part of the day. However, it is very important for you to eat well, and your family to eat well during this time. If you have a friend that just gave birth or will be giving birth soon, a wonderful creative gift is meals for her and her family. One thing not to forget though, is dinner is not the only meal of the day. Sure dinner is usually the most complex of the three meals in the day, but when you are being pulled in every direction like a new mom feels she is, every meal can be complex. Take by a few meals that are frozen or ready to eat. If they are frozen meals, then make sure you include instructions on the food container on how to cook them. You could also take by some muffins and fruit. You could even make a breakfast casserole or two that can be frozen and cooked at a later time. These meals will be such a huge help to the family! I have heard many new parents say that they are fine and don't need any thing, however when I brought by those meals they were so appreciative and really did need that help.

Diapers
This is a huge necessity with a new baby. I was always amazed at how many diapers we would go through in a day. Such a little tiny thing and they go through about 10 diapers a day on average. Standard packages of newborn sized diapers have 40 diapers in them. This means that you will go through a full package of diapers every 3-5 days. You certainly don't want to run out of diapers, and running out to the store with a newborn is not always feasible. New moms are not supposed to drive for the first two weeks after giving birth and if you had a cesarean section that time may be even longer. Diapers are always a good bet. when I give diapers as a gift I like to give size 1 diapers or larger. That way they have diapers for when the baby grows. They do grow out of the newborn size diapers fairly quickly.

Wipes
Pretty much the same as diapers, very important to keep on hand. The last thing you want to do is have to grab some of your nice wash cloths to wipe a dirty bottom. Wet paper towels just do not work the same, trust me on this one! Wipes are not expensive and grabbing a package of them while you are at the store to give to your friend would be a nice way to show that you are thinking of them. When I do this, I grab the refill packages. This way I am not purchasing another box when they probably have several already. They just open the refill package and put the wipes into the boxes that they already have on hand.

Clean up!
Similar to the dinner dilemma, keeping the house straight is a challenge after having a new baby. Mom is so busy making bottles, breast feeding, changing diapers, and rocking that new baby keeping up the house usually drops down on the priority list. What a wonderful gift for you to come over and help tidy up, or even purchase a month of maid service until she can get back onto a better schedule. A clean home makes for a calmer environment for everyone int he family, which helps baby to be calm too.

Babysitter
It is very easy for new moms to feel overwhelmed. With all they have going on, many times they are not getting much sleep, or some days they don't even get time to shower. What a treat it would be for a close friend or family member to come by and watch the baby for a little while for her. That way mom can nap or shower and not have to tend to baby too.

These suggestions are not the fanciest gifts in the baby store, but they are definitely practical and will be appreciated greatly by the new parents. Take it from me, a mom of three, these simple and practical gestures will mean an easier time for the new parents. When there is a new baby around, anything to make life easier is a good thing!