Good gift ideas for new moms?

January 17, 2013 5:47 PM

What are some good Birthday gift ideas for new mothers....

... that are NOT baby-focussed? (I'm sure my friend has plenty of new for-baby stuff recently already!)
Looking in the $20-$50 range....

hip/stylish is good
gadgety is good
foody is good
eco-friendly/new agey is also good!

it's her first kid, if that helps...

thanks for any ideas!

posted by Bwithh to shopping (10 answers total)

Gift certificate to a spa for a mani/pedi/massage or some such. With an offer of babysitting so she can go (if you're in the area).
posted by Go Banana at 5:48 PM on January 17 [3 favorites]

Housecleaning. It's not exciting but she would love it!
posted by dawkins_7 at 5:51 PM on January 17

Sassy/comfy loungewear.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:08 PM on January 17

There were a zillion "best gifts" holiday guides in December covering every imaginable niche interest and price range, maybe browse those? The PopSugar sites are probably a good place to start (GeekSugar, FabSugar, etc.)
posted by desuetude at 6:35 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

Chocolates from the best candymaker in the area.
posted by brujita at 6:37 PM on January 17

Previously. Previously. Previously.
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:46 PM on January 17 [3 favorites]

Whatever you would give her before she had the baby. She's going to get a ton of "mom stuff."
posted by sonika at 7:19 PM on January 17 [2 favorites]

A subscription to a gossipy entertainment magazine like PEOPLE or US or something fluffy like that. The person who recommended it said "think about it - there's gonna be a day when the baby's crying, and her husband is being a pain, and the laundry isn't done and there's food spilled all over and she hasn't slept, but -- it's okay, because here's pictures of people in pretty dresses." I did give this to someone and can confirm it was very well received (my best friend admitted to actually balancing issues on the head of her infant daughter so she could read while she nursed).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:29 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

Tiny sexy handbag. I think this came up recently here, but new moms get a lot of "NEW MOM!" shit that isn't all that useful. Spa day stuff is all well and good in theory but I really never wanted to bother with that shit when I was feeling chubby and milky. When I was breastfeeding, offers of babysitting, at least early on, were kind of pointless, as I only had tiny windows of funtimes available.

But when you can't leave the house without a giant, possibly ugly but even if it's cute you will learn to hate it very quickly diaper bag, a tiny wristlet or minipurse is such a sweet blessing. You can put all your real girl adult things in there--ID, debit card, lip balm, and then when you are lugging your stupid Top Rated Stroller into the coffee shop, you can actually find your money in the morass of diapers and pacifiers and change of clothes for when your kids poop themselves, which is like three times a day for some babies.

What is her favorite color? Get a tiny cute purse in that color. She's still a woman. She's not JUST a mom.
posted by padraigin at 7:45 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

Thanks for the excellent suggestions, everyone!
posted by Bwithh at 8:56 AM on January 18