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In the last month alone, I know three lovely ladies who have brought new life into the world and are currently in the throes of the newborn stage. Although blissful in many ways, the first few weeks with a new baby are also just plain hard – you’re recovering physically and emotionally from a really, really HUGEÂ event while at the same time giving 110% of your heart and energy to get to know and care for that precious new baby.ÂI can imagine it must be an even more difficult time if you have one or more other kiddos to take care of! Having been in the newborn/brand new mama phase myself just a few months ago, it got me thinking about some of the amazing gifts I received from friends and family that made me feel super special and/or helped me get through the first few weeks.

Prior to having my own baby, I really didn’t know what a new mom could really use or enjoy during this time, and usually bought something for the friend’s baby instead. There are a lot of things I seriously haven’t clue one about when it comes to being a mom, but I do know the gifts I personally received (or gave to myself) during the first few months of being a mom that are definitely worth paying forward.

All of us will know a friend or relative who gives birth and could use a special something during those first few weeks, so here are some ideas for gifts that would make any new mama feel spoiled.

What To Give A Mom Who Just Had A Baby:

Your time –

Hands down, the best gift I was given in those first few weeks was the time of my best friends and close family. If you can make a few hours to go to a new mama’s house and volunteer to fold laundry, do dishes, cook a meal, make a grocery store run, hold the baby so the mama can shower or take a nap, or whatever they need to catch a well-deserved break, do it. I was blessed so much in this way, and it would be my #1 gift recommendation to give any new mom! And, maybe bring along another one of the items below as well : )

A massage gift certificate –

To be honest, I did not get a massage until over 6 months postpartum (I’m actually going in for one tomorrow, yeay!), but I really could have used one within the first couple months. Time just slipped away from me. A mama’s body and spirit go through so much to bring that sweet little baby into the world. A massage is a wonderful way not only to release tension, but to have an hour of alone time to contemplate everything that has happened/changed, and reflect on the blessing of having a new baby. Having a gift certificate for a massage is sometimes more motivating to make and get to the appointment (new moms have plenty of other baby stuff to spend their money on!), and would be a much-appreciated gift. If you don’t know of a local day spa, you could purchase a Spa Finder gift certificate that can be used at thousands of spas nationwide.

Scented shower gel –

It may seem small, but this is truly an indulgence that a new mama probably wouldn’t buy for herself that will make those few and far between showers in the early days really count – the shower may be a new mom’s only alone time for quite a while! 6.5 months later I am still enjoying the Philosophy’s Pure Grace body wash that was given to me by my parents’ neighbors (because I use it sparingly, not because I take so few showers haha). It smells super yummy, plus every mama needs a reminder to give herself the gift of grace, especially during the first few months that can be so challenging. This was a thoughtful reminder for me to be gracious to myself during a beautiful, yet exhausting time with a STEEP learning curve. Unfortunately, the Grace body wash is no longer available, so I’m sharing something similar, Whish’s Bath & Body Gel. 

ToteSavvy purse converter –

I just recently purchased one of these for myself, the Mini version, and I’m obsessed! It’s basically an insert that transforms a purse or tote-sized bag into a diaper bag. This is the perfect gift for the style-conscious mama – and something she may not have come across yet! Read more on the Tote Savvy inset and all about what I pack in my {un} diaper bag in this post.

A meal sent straight to the door –

The way to a man’s new mama’s heart is through her stomach – especially if she is nursing around the clock. There are all kinds of online delivery services now that you can use to gift a new mom and her family a dinner they don’t have to cook. One of my best friends, who lives hours away, used Door Dash to send us pizza and Paleo chicken from one of our local favorite restaurants. Post Mates is another service for local restaurant delivery in many areas. Having food brought to us by family and friend was invaluable, but this is a great option when you live far away, but still want to show the love with a hot meal.

We also love to order weekly prepared, organic meals from Trifecta nutrition. You can use my code: SAMADANI20 to get 20% off your first order!

Instacart – This just might be THE most useful app for new and/or pregnancy moms, especially in those first postpartum weeks. You know, when all+ of your energy is taken up trying to take care and sustain a little life, and the last thing you can think about doing is getting out of the house to go grocery shopping? If Instacart is available in your area you can order groceries from your local store via Instacart, then one of their shoppers will pick them up for and deliver them to you at the time you specify. Say whaaaat?! This was a lifesaver for me as a new mom, particularly when I went back to work and didn’t want to spend any of my non-working time doing anything except being with T! My referral code is ALATIMER14 you’ll get $10 off your first order and I’ll get $10 too! You can then share your own referral code with friends and get $10 in InstaCart credit.

An emergency car kit –

This Emergency Car Kit for a baby is something that I didn’t come up with until several months after Taylor’s birth, and would have LOVED for someone to give to me already put together. You can find out all the details on what is in this car kit, and how to put it together in this post. I think any new mom would appreciate being gifted something like this, especially with a cute diaper wipes clutch like this one included:

A Motherhood themed graphic tee/sweatshirt –

I recently received this sweatshirt from ILY Couture as a birthday present from one of my best friends in the whole world, and I’m in love with it. For me, the mantra is 100% true, and it’s a truly comfy top – perfect for cuddling with Taylor. This and Lululemon black crops have basically become my uniform on my days off from work – yes, I’m that mom now. 

Below are some other options for fun graphic tees to welcome a mama into her new (or additional) role. I included super cute options for the rest of the family as well if you scroll through:

An Amazon gift certificate for online shopping –

My husband can attest that I did A LOT of online shopping, particularly on Amazon, during the first months after having Taylor. I literally didn’t leave the house for nearly two weeks (read more on my first outing here), and suddenly discovered there were a lot of things I needed but had not registered for/stocked up on (read all about that here)! I can imagine that most new moms find themselves in a similar situation – so many little things to buy for baby, but getting out of the house to the store right away is kind of intimidating/impossible. The Amazon gift cards from the baby shower thrown by my co-workers were an amazing gift that I will definitely be paying forward to my friends in the future as they have their babies. This might actually be my #2 recommended gift for new moms!

An outfit for Her –

Maybe not so much the pants part of an outfit, as I know I certainly didn’t fit back into my pre-pregnancy size right away, but a shirt and accessory would be perfect. A new mom is probably not going to be doing any shopping for herself for a while, and sometimes putting on something new and stylish can just make you feel good. My husband’s Grandmother was so sweet and thoughtful to bring Taylor many lovely gifts when she first came to meet her, but also a flowy white tank top for me that was perfect for the summer weather at that time, stylish and comfortable as well. I so appreciated that unexpected gift, and had never thought about bringing a new mama friend clothing for HER… but I will now.

There are several options for really cute teething jewelry on Amazon right now that would make a great pairing with the loose-fitting, comfy top below for a new mama gift:

A comfy robe –

Even if she already has a robe, I don’t think you can have too many for the first month after baby. Particularly if the mama is nursing, she may very well spend a large part of the day in a robe purely for convenience/comfort’s sake. A robe like any of these would be a perfect new mom gift:

These are all gifts I’ve been given and GREATLY appreciated as a new mom. What are some other gifts you received postpartum that could be added to this list? Leave a comment below so that anyone reading this can snag your gift idea to give to a friend.