# what's a good gift for someone after having a baby



## daboywonder2002 (Jan 30, 2006)

well she is due feb 22. and i wanted to have the gift delivered to the hospital after the baby is born. do you think flowers and a card saying congratualations is good enough??


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## ColoradoMama (Nov 22, 2001)

After dd1 was born, I loved getting flowers at the hospital. However, after ds and dd2 were born, I loved getting food at home much, much more!!!


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## Mytwokids (Feb 2, 2004)

I second a vote for food. My sister did Dinner by Design which is where you go and cook a bunch of meals to freeze. She split them up (I think she made 12, we got 6 meals) and gave half to us. Its been very nice to have meals to cook without thinking about it. A gift certificate for their favorite restaurant may be nice as well, especially if they do take out.

Micky


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## kchoffmann (Aug 16, 2004)

Also great - if in your price range - is payment for a housecleaner to come for a few hours about three weeks after the baby's born. That's my dream gift anyway!


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## afishwithabike (Jun 8, 2005)

Post Partum dinners were so great. I got them with DD but not with DS. I also like to give those bank gift cards that are either Visa or Mastercard. They can use them "anywhere" including super crunchy websites.


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## zinemama (Feb 2, 2002)

Food delivered to the door beats flowers any day of the week. Or a gift certificate for a take-out place so the partner can run out and bring food back.

Your intentions are great, but I think any mother alive would tell you that having someone else prepare food in those crazy days after coming home from the hospital is the best gift anyone could possibly give.


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## meister31 (May 21, 2002)

I would vote food--either dinners or a snack basket--with some of her healthy and not so healthy treats,magazines etc. --breakfast baskets are always good too---Wolfermans is a mail order place that has a pretty decent price ranges & selection---offering to come over and do laundry would be nice too.


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

I agree with the food suggestions, but if you wanted to go for something less practical, a massage certificate could be nice...or a gift basket of things to pamper Mama.

I gave my SIL a basket of bath and lotions for her (not for Baby) after she had her daughter. She told me later she really appreciated it because it was like someone gave her permission to pamper herself, so she did.


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## Shenjall (Sep 14, 2002)

Instead of flowers delivered to the hospital, how about a fruit basket? (with a bar of chocolate hidden in the bottom)

I got one when my first was born, and man, it was the best gift ever!


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## Bethla (May 29, 2004)

I have two friends due in April and I'm going to make them each a dinner and a gift basket with some fun goodies. I'm just trying to think of fun stuff for the basket-tea, bubble bath, a magazine?


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## kchoffmann (Aug 16, 2004)

Add some lanolin gel to that basket to soothe and prevent cracked nipples. Also, soothies, which are those cool, comforting pads to put over sore nipples so you can stand to have a shirt on. Maybe also a sitz bath herb mix. That way you have a mix of pampering and practical needs.


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## myhoneyswife (Apr 30, 2005)

Oo, I think the basket idea is great, a breakfast basket or whatnot. I wish I had thought of that when my sister-in-law was in the hospital for her baby. I think something delivered to the hospital would be great, just to show that you're thinking of her while she's there- those hospital rooms can look kinda depressing!


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

Gift cert. for takeout.

Picture frames

Having a meal or two not to worry about is


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## *andiflipping* (Oct 24, 2005)

Food is the best!!! but if you wanted to stick with the flower idea, I would go with an easy to take of plant...That way it lasts much longer and you are always reminded of dc when you look at it


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## Peppamint (Oct 19, 2002)

I vote for a gift certificate for her to redeem for a hot homemade meal from you (this goes over really well), GC for a local takeout restaurant, a post-partum doula or a couple hours of housecleaning from Merry Maids/local housecleaning.









I'd love getting flowers, but man would I love a dinner that requires nothing from me or someone helping with laundry or cleaning house while I babymoon.


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## DoubleOven (Jan 7, 2006)

:


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## CountryMom2e (Apr 1, 2005)

Now that I've had a baby, whenever I get someone a gift after the baby is born, I either bring them a dinner ready to go (including veggie, salad, dessert) or if I'm not close enough, I send a gift certificate for a local restaurant to get takeout.

I also make it a point when I drop off the meal that I don't stay. I just did this for a friend who had her baby Dec 23 - and I said to her that when she's ready for a visit, we will come over and ooh and ahh over the baby, but in the meantime, I wanted her to have a homecooked meal and a night off.

We're meeting the baby next week


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## Birth Junky (Jun 14, 2004)

Earth Mama, Angel Baby makes a great postpartum recovery kit that you can find at several online retailers . . . seems like it would be a nice way to pamper the new mom.


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## Quagmire (Sep 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CountryMom2e*
Now that I've had a baby, whenever I get someone a gift after the baby is born, I either bring them a dinner ready to go (including veggie, salad, dessert) or if I'm not close enough, I send a gift certificate for a local restaurant to get takeout.

I also make it a point when I drop off the meal that I don't stay. I just did this for a friend who had her baby Dec 23 - and I said to her that when she's ready for a visit, we will come over and ooh and ahh over the baby, but in the meantime, I wanted her to have a homecooked meal and a night off.

We're meeting the baby next week









Totally agree with this. Also it's nice to do something if you visit in person: toss in a load of laundry, wash the dishes, vacuum the rugs, whatever. Makes you a more welcome visitor


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## ShellyK (Oct 14, 2003)

Not that it's a new idea or anything, but FOOD! I wish more people had done that for us with my DD, and I'm hoping to get some with the new one. If it's a really close friend, I make a pan of lasagna and take along garlic bread and salad, for someone a little less close or if I'm swamped, a pot of chili and a pan of cornbread, or if I don't have the time/energy I make a loaf of banana bread maybe with nuts and chocolate chips.

Healthy comfort food is so important those first few weeks, and if you make something that they can have as a meal and then left overs, even better!

Of course, if someone bought me a maid service gift cert. I'd be thrilled beyond belief as well.

Flowers? Well, a nice thought, but they die and you have to lug them home from the hospital and the toddler or the cats will probably get into them and make a big mess.


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## Collinsky (Jul 7, 2004)

Depending on the mom, I say maybe a maid service for a couple weeks (whatever you can afford) or a postpartum doula's services... a certificate for a massage is also a great idea. And naturally - food.


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## writermommy (Jan 29, 2005)

I vote for the Merry Maids certificate. Cleaning the house is always an issue for me. I never have the stregnth to do it, but feel guilty if the house is a mess. It's easier to relax and enjoy the baby in a nice clean house. Also, the food idea is great too.


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## lmonter (Feb 26, 2004)

I've done food, and every time so far it's gone over really well.
One friend got some sort of homemade soup and a few meals worth of homemade spaghetti sauce, another got crockpot vegetable soup and fresh homemade bread. Both were thrilled they didn't have to do anything other than heat something up - and they both *love* homemade goodies.
If we'd had the money at the time we may have done gift cards to take-out restaurants or something, but I was kinda already making all that stuff above for us anyway (but I made double/triple batches).

Fwiw, when I was in the hospital with ds, my work sent a giant bouquet of flowers and a teddy bear. It was more a PITA to get that thing out to the car (we should've just left it there at the hospital) and home safely without a mess than I care to remember.


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## ChattyCat (Sep 7, 2004)

My first thought, when I saw the title of the thread was... a bottle of wine.









But, practically speaking, I'd say a gift certificate for a restaurant that does take out. I liked getting flowers in the hospital, but I was really glad that most people just sent them to our house. It's really a pain getting all of the flowers home.


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## nichole (Feb 9, 2004)

i like to give diapers if i can find out beforehand if they prefer cloth or disposable.


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