Top things to buy for a 1st time mum

[Sazzle30]

Hi

My sister in law has just had a baby girl and none of us have kids so can't pass on any sagely wisdom. I want to get her a gift and wondered what 3 things you could recommend that have been invaluable to you as a new mum.

Any suggestions gratefully received

Thanks

Sarah

[HollieES]

Useful:

Nappies & wipes

Muslins (you can never have too many)

Sudocrem

John Lewis vouchers

Food (something like a nice homemade lasagne that they can just put in the oven)

Luxury:

A massage or a facial? Dr Boo are great if she's local to ED.

Any nice creams that will make her feel lovely....or a YSL touche eclat (God send for tired eyes!)

A lovely box of chocolates...Paul A. Young chocs are the best I've ever had, and super special for a new mum.

Or if you want to buy a gift for the new baby, there's a lovely website called http://www.noonoodesign.com who make gorgeous organic comfort blankets that you can have embroidered with the baby's name & date of birth. A lovely keepsake and babies love them.

[Pickle]

A few weeks of Graze boxes? I got them for myself when I had #3 and thought they would have been a great gift - individual little pots of yummy snacks, great for keeping energy levels up.

www.graze.com

[Coach Beth]

I just bought a friend of mine one of these lovely breastfeeding cushions/bags from the localmum who runs Thrupennybits.

New mums never quite realise the hundreds of hours they will spend nursing so I thought it would be a nice treat for her.

http://www.thrupennybits.co.uk/

[midivydale]

Aden Anais muslins. They are truly fantastic. Gorgeous.

[nancysmum]

when i had my daughter my lovely sister came over, put me to bed, tidied up and did the ironing and cooked dinner. i woke up when nancy needed breast feeding, and although i went to bed feeling really guilty that my sister was doing all the work, i woke up feeling really refreshed and a tad more human!

[Kes]

home cooked food,

DVD box sets to pass the endless hours of feeding

more home cooked food to save for later

(the food obsession may go some way to explaining why breastfeeding didn't help me loose weight!)

[Norfolkvillas]

My mother in law made a massive tin of fruit and oat (and treacle and butter) flapjacks that basically fuelled myself, my husband, and all our visitors, for the first few weeks of my son's life. I told her recently that we basically decided to have a second child solely because we would get another batch of them. That was a great present!

The other suggestion, especially for a winter baby, is longsleeved vests that cross over at the front - Petit Bateau do them and they're eye-wateringly expensive (for what they are), so make a great present. They make dressing newborns SO much easier, as it all just opens up and slips off, none of this trying to get a vest up over their heads whilst trying to hold them in a sitting position AND stopping their head flopping everywhere. They also have the additional advantage of solving the inevitable how-do-I-get-this-pooey-vest-off-my-baby-without-getting-poo-in-his-hair conundrum!

[GCOakley]

one of those wrap around baby slings or ring slings. all natural fabric, natural dyes etc, you can get some lovely patterns. they really help the mother and baby bonding, and are just wonderful if - like me - you have a baby that doesn't like going in a pram.

[cmacnew]

I would have loved someone to come round and just look after me, do some cleaning, make some home made food and just generally chat to me when I was sat on the sofa bored (usually between 4-6pm clock watching!) COOK is a good option for nice freezer meals if you are feeling generous and don't enjoy cooking, they also deliver and when my mate had her second set of twins (yes I know) we sent a whole load of things round there and she was stoked.

The facial/massage/treat ideas are all lovely too, but only if baby is not attached to the breast and demand feeding.

[Sazzle30]

Thank you everyone, I have plenty of ideas and will defo get myself in the kitchen. I didn't realise how much a few home cooked dinners (& a sweet treat or two) would be appreciated.

Will order one of those slings too

Thanks to all

[mrs f]

Defo home cooked food!

neither me or mrf had any energy to cook but you can't live of microwave food... especially if bfeeding

My mum also went shopping for us and did cleaning etc.... essentials for keeping us going in the early days

I was so over people buying us clothes, toys etc (really ungrateful I know, but i'm super fussy and we got a lot of crap!) spend your money on one nice thing that will be a treat for them / the baby or get them vouchers - even better, as the things you need never stop coming.