Top Ten Gift Ideas for New Parents

Having a new baby is a joyous event! Everyone is so excited about the new addition to the family that "normal life" seems like an intrusion. So, what kind of gift can you give this holiday season to new parents that will allow them time to bond with their baby?

Try one of the following gift suggestions to make their new baby's holiday homecoming truly unforgettable:

1. Hire a House Cleaning Service

Any new parent will love you for this. The last thing that they want to do is clean their home. Typically, you can hire a house cleaner for a one time cleaning, although it may be a bit more expensive than an ongoing service.

2. Meals to Go

Most new parents are too tired to cook meals three times a day right after coming home with a new baby. Hire a catering or meal delivery service for a week to deliver meals three times a day.

3. Hire a Lactation Consultant

Typically new moms have a harder time nursing than experienced moms, although this isn't always the case. And new dads need to know what to expect during breastfeeding too. A lactation consultant will help guide the new parents and baby through the first few difficult days of nursing.

4. Babysit

If the new parents have other children, offer to take them out for a few hours or for the night if they are old enough. This allows the new parents to settle into the house and know that their older children are getting the attention that they deserve.

5. Breast Pump

Not all moms can breast feed right away or even at all. However, if she does want to try it but is unable to for some reason, you can offer to rent or purchase a breast pump for her. This also gives new dads the opportunity to feed the new baby! Additionally, you may want to hire a lactation consultant to show them how to use it (see Gift Idea #3).

6. Personal Shopping Service

There are always things that new parents forget to buy before the baby is born. On the other hand, there may be items they need that didn't even know they needed to begin with! Offer to go to the store when they need something so they can stay home and rest.

7. Registered Nurse

Hire a registered nurse temporarily to help in the home for a few days. This may alleviate some of the concerns that all new parents have when bringing home baby for the first time, especially if there are medical concerns.

8. Prepare Holiday Meals

If the new baby comes home around the holidays, the last thing new parents want to do is cook and entertain for 20 people. Cook and host the holiday meal for them so that they can socialize without the stress.

9. Laundry Service

If the house keeping service does not include a laundry service (most typically don't), you can offer to wash, dry, fold, and put away the family's clothes.

You may also want to offer taking clothes over to the dry cleaners too.

10. Decorate for the Holidays

If the home hasn't been decorated for the holidays yet, you may want to offer to do so for the new parents. Let them "direct" you in placing all the holiday decorations.

Also, offer to take all the decorations down and put them away after the holidays are over!

Offering these gift services can make coming home with baby an easy and wonderful experience. All new parents appreciate help, regardless if this is their first or even tenth child! You don't have to spend a lot of money on these gifts either since most can be done by you. So, go out and give a gift to the new parents in your life today!