Once you learn you’re pregnant, a whole new world of products becomes available to you. As you’re learning how to care for yourself and your baby buying necessities or even items that aren’t essential, gets pushed to the way side.
Here’s a gift guide that you can share with family and friends who want to support your mental, physical, and emotional health needs throughout pregnancy and as baby is rolling through their first year and beyond. It’s not selfish to share your list; use it in the future to pay it forward when you’re supporting your pregnant relative, friend, or co-worker.
Gifts by Season of Pregnancy
Talk to anyone who has given birth to babies in different seasons of the year, and they’ll tell you the pros and cons of being pregnant for each season. Consider which trimester you’ll be in each season; you may want to add some items to your baby registry or send a text message when a loved one asks if there’s anything you need.
Winter
Coat that fits over your baby bump
- If you receive a large or puffy coat, you may need to remove it to drive safely.
- Repurpose to wear and tuck baby inside their carrier for short outdoor walks once they’re 2-3 months old.
- Short walks are great for bonding and helping you relax mentally.
- Seek out pregnancy support groups to find the shops that have the most comfortable and fashionable options. Then you’ll know exactly what store gift card you want for the holidays.
Spring/Summer
Swimsuit that enhances your pregnancy beauty
- Swimming during pregnancy reduces stress and anxiety, improves your heart health and sleep quality, and lowers your risk of developing gestational diabetes.
- If you have a swimsuit from a previous pregnancy, maybe a family member would sponsor your membership at a local pool.
Fall
Workout clothes and shoes that get you moving
- There are multiple walks and health fairs as the school year begins and as folks are renewing their first of the year fitness goals.
- Get into the yoga studio, join a friend on a 5K, or take a short hike with a club on a brisk fall morning.
- If your parents are thrilled to be welcoming a grandbaby, ask them to support you with new walking or jogging shoes or a cute and comfortable outfit that’ll make you a star crossing the finish line. Check-in at a shoe store in case your feet have expanded during pregnancy.
Need more ideas? Sure thing. You’re pregnant and there’s no more joyful time where you can have those who love you most pouring over you to help you get prepared for baby.
Other Great Gift Ideas
Nursery
- Rocking Chair: You don’t have to wait for your baby to arrive to sit in their nursery and rock away the back pain, swelling, and stress that you feel.
- Cleaning Service: Before and after baby arrives, consider your best friend’s cleaning service to vacuum, dust, and clean out multiple rooms in your home. Start with your baby’s nursery and be sure they use products that are environmentally friendly. This gives you more time to rest.
Kitchen
- Cooked Meals and Snacks: If your ankles are swollen and cooking is becoming more difficult or you know that you’d like a fully stocked fridge and freezer once baby is born, allow friends to prepare cooked meals and freeze them. Fill your pantry with easy to reach granola bars, set up fruit you can hold with one hand by your breastfeeding station, and prepare small bags of your favorite trail mix that you can throw in your baby’s bag when you need to run out.
- Large Water Bottles/Cups: Pour and sip water with a splash of fruit all day to stay hydrated; if they really love you, they’ll get the bottle or cup personalized!
- Vitamins/Supplements: If approved by your pregnancy care provider, have a friend support your quarterly subscription.
- Gift Cards: Accept gift cards to your favorite grocer and restaurants that prepare meals high in fiber, low in salt, and packed with nutrients.
Bathroom
- Head Wraps: You may experience hair shedding as your hormones shift and return to pre-pregnancy levels. If you’re hair isn’t braided, consider wearing a headwrap so that you can get up and go and not worry about how much hair is in your brush.
- Hygiene Supplies: There’s a lot going on everywhere on your body, especially after baby is born. Other family who’ve had babies know that you need nursing pads, nipple cream, pads with wings, perineal cooling packs, a peri rinse bottle, and that almighty manual breast pump! Don’t be shy. Ask for what you need. Send a photo of the brand you’d like or kindly signal that you need a gift card.
- Beauty Products: Moms should never run out of body wash, bar soap, loofahs, body sponges, and nail kits. Between the holiday season and Mother’s day, carefully request gifts that help to offset frequent purchases from online stores. Preserve your time for spending with baby.
Bedroom
- Slippers, Robe, Pajamas, Comfortable Socks: You just gave birth and definitely deserve to feel like royalty in your new house clothes!
- Nursing Bras and Tops: Feel reassured that your bras help you feel in control of breastfeeding and that your tops facilitate your right to breastfeeding in public.
- Underwear: It’s likely that your size will change, and you’ll want a new set of underwear that are designed to make you feel valued.
Gifts Needed As Baby Grows
There’s a great deal of change involved when you’re having a new baby. You and your partner may shift your finances around to take parental leave, buy a new home or car for more space, or move cross country to be closer to family. You may feel that you don’t need to rely on or ask others for help.
However, your family and friends want to show you how much they care and having a baby is an opportune time to allow them to care for you. Consider these non-traditional types of gifts over the years as your baby grows or as you welcome more children.
- Postpartum doula to support you in the first few weeks at home
- Out-of-network therapy sessions
- In-home chef
- Family photos
- Hotel stay for a weekend
- Spiritual retreat conference registration
- Childcare membership registration or coverage for short-term babysitting services
- Membership warehouse club subscription
- Family subscriptions for entertainment
- Central visiting locations or dual years between visits
- Children spending summer visits with grandparents at their home
- Support with college funds and summer camp
A great deal of gift-giving focus is centered on when you have your first baby. However, your needs will change over time as your baby becomes older. Get creative with ways that family and friends can tag on to some of your goals and support you in meaningful ways.
