Best Gifts for Second-Time Moms

People often are unsure of what to get for a second-time mom (or third or fourth, etc) for her new baby. Friends and family often want to get gifts to celebrate the birth of every child, but second-time moms are much less likely to register for gifts or expect a shower, especially if the kids will be close together in age. Many moms will use items from their older child again for the next one, which eliminates the need for many of the traditional baby gifts. Here are the things that are really the best gifts for a second-time mom. These gifts will never go unappreciated!

Bring food - The first few days (let's be honest...weeks) home with a new baby are incredibly hectic and exhausting no matter if it is your first baby or your fourteenth! New moms are still trying to recover from the birth and at the same time get used to their adorable, but demanding new family member. Add in a parade of well-meaning family and friends and who has the time or the energy to be cooking? Offer to bring by dinner one night and the whole family will appreciate it. It doesn't have to be fancy. Even pizza is fine. Make sure that whatever you bring is easy to prepare and ideally make enough for them to have leftovers the next day. One thing to remember when bringing food as a gift is to either use a disposable container or use something that you won't need back immediately. With all the other craziness going on in the new mom's life she is probably not going to be worrying about cleaning and returning your tupperware the next day and frankly she shouldn't have to!

Take the older kid(s) for an afternoon - One of the hardest things for a new second-time mom is trying to balance giving attention to their older child while they are also trying to meet the demands of a newborn. This can be hard for the older sibling as well because they may feel left out with all the attention going to the new baby. Offer to take the older sibling out for a special "big brother" or "big sister" afternoon and do something fun just for them. This gives the new mom a chance to spend some quality time just focusing on the new baby and gives the older child a chance to be the center of attention for a little while too.

Gift cards - Lots of people shy away from gift cards because they are afraid of seeming too impersonal, however for a new second-time mom this can sometimes be the best gift of all. The most often used baby supplies (diapers, formula, etc...) are the ones rarely given as gifts because they aren't as cute or cuddly. A gift card to a place that sells diapers or feeding items will always be helpful. Even the mom who has everything will need to buy diapers, wipes and either nursing accessories or bottles and formula. There are even websites, such as diapers.com, that offer gift certificates and will deliver bulk orders of baby supplies directly to your house at discounted prices and often with free shipping. What new mom wouldn't appreciate being able to have diapers show up on their front step for free?!

Everyone loves to pick out cute little outfits and stuffed animals, but these are some alternate ideas that will really be helpful to a new second-time mom. I hope that you will consider these ideas the next time that a friend or family member has a new baby.