pregnancy presents?

December 17, 2007 1:23 PM

Please help me make a kick-ass care package for my best friend, who is starting her third trimester of pregnancy.

I want to put together an awesome gift package for my friend, who had a rough start to her pregnancy. Everything is fine now, and she will be working up until 37 or so weeks. I'm looking for ideas for her to chill out and look after herself with. Thanks!

posted by gaspode to shopping (12 comments total)

The Body Shop has peppermint foot scrub and lotion that work wonders for sore pregnant feet and ankles.

A good book and her favorite snack would be nice too.
posted by streetdreams at 1:28 PM on December 17, 2007

Some Traditional Medicinals Pregnancy Tea (available in most natural food stores).

The last month or two of pregnancy is really long and tedious. Mindless entertainment helps. Perhaps a DVD or three of fluffy comedic fare (emphasis on the fluffy..."Freaks" drifted to the top of our Netflix queue immediately postpartum, which was not at all relaxing) and a pile of non-baby related reading.

Cookies. Omnomnom.

Warm and fuzzy things. Robe, slippers, a throw blanket.

As a general rule of thumb, imagine what she would want to have at hand if she were going to spend a day sitting on the couch staring vacantly into space with her feet up. Send those items.
posted by Wavelet at 1:42 PM on December 17, 2007

Kohl's has college-themed throw blankets on sale (online), if she's a big sports fan. Would be especially good with the bowl games upcoming.
posted by cashman at 1:52 PM on December 17, 2007

What I would have appreciated: antacid, antacid, antacid; a dorm fridge for next to the bed so I could more or less eat and sleep at the same time*; a pedicure since I couldn't see--let alone reach--my toes; a henna or non-permanent hair-color and a hair cut--it was about 8 months after Baby Cocoa was born that I got a haircut; and a pint or two of good ice cream.

*We actually did get a dorm fridge for next to the bed to hold pumped milk after the baby arrived, so I wouldn't have to go far in the chilly house and could quickly slip back into bed.
posted by cocoagirl at 1:57 PM on December 17, 2007

All of these are good suggestions(*), and I would put anything you get for her into a kick-ass overnight bag for taking to the hospital.

Also, restaurant gift cards would be good, if she doesn't much feel like cooking.

*With the possible exception of anything warm, but she may be different from me. The last few months of my pregnancy were also in the winter, and my big pregnant self generated so much heat that I walked around barefoot and in shorts and t-shirts.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 2:17 PM on December 17, 2007

The last trimester is ITCHY. My god. So itchy. Especially in winter. I would have loved it if someone had gotten me a really rich fancy moisturizer and maybe one of those lotion applicator wands since your range of motion is shot.

Slip-on shoes are a must, since you can't really get to your feet easily.

Sleeping is massively uncomfortable, so a long body pillow or two would probably be welcome.

I also loved the people who gave me nice bottles of wine to look forward to.
posted by jrossi4r at 2:49 PM on December 17, 2007

Aww, you are so sweet to do this for her! I'm hitting my third trimester and things I am buying now are: cocoa butter, new bras (I just dropped $250 at the lingerie shop, maybe a gift card for a local shop that does proper fittings?), sexy clothes to show off my outstandng cleavage (depends on the woman obviously, but it is nice to feel sexy), pillows - I can never have enough pillows to prop around myself, my sense of smell is really acute so nice smelling things like candles to mask unpleasant odours are very welcome, sex toys and lotions (all those hormones), and easy to prepare snacks and meals. I've read about belly belts but never used one or known anyone who has, but they do get good reviews. If you were planning on getting a lot of smaller gifts you might want to do an advent calender rip-off and package them so she gets to open one gift a day/week as she counts down to her due date (you could address each present to mama and [insert joke name here] if she hasn't named it yet to give her a laugh). Have fun, it is great to watch a friend go through pregnancy, you get to hold the baby at the end with none of the sleepless nights!
posted by saucysault at 7:37 PM on December 17, 2007

I've been giving my friends with new babies portable high chairs, but they can't be used until six months. Does she like chick-lit? If so, I recommend Jennifer Weiner's Little Earthquakes.
posted by brujita at 11:15 PM on December 17, 2007

The most fantastically soft and wonderful pillow ever (two would be better, one for the head and one for hugging under the tummy and between the legs), a wheat bag for heating or cooling (as appropriate), luscious (and I mean really luscious) bath gel for showering (adding to the bathwater for a bubbly extravaganza works as well, as long as there's a sturdy handbracket available for pulling oneself up out of the bath afterwards), gorgeous comfy clothes for lounging about in whilst extremely large (if you choose well she'll wear it every day for three months and possibly many months more - go for a dark colour) and a massive box of newborn baby sized disposable nappies (diapers) or a million towelling nappies and a lovely big bucket and tons of oxy-soaker, or a subscription to a nappy service ((for after the happy event, according to whatever her preference re the poo and wee factor is).

Nice friend, I wish I'd had you :)
posted by h00py at 5:01 AM on December 18, 2007

These are all great answers. Thank you all so much!
posted by gaspode at 7:56 AM on December 18, 2007

I hope this doesn't come too late. I'm in my last month of pregnancy and the thing I want the most is an outfit to labor in that isn't a hospital johnny. I found these online and they look okay, but I am still hoping to find or make something nicer. http://www.dearjohnnies.com/ I would LOVE to find one or two of these in a gift basket!
posted by vermontlife at 9:08 AM on December 18, 2007

Just in case this thread comes up in someone's search: I bought Little Earthquakes on the recommendation above, to give to my friend. I decided to read it first, and upon doing so decided that it wasn't really appropriate for a gift in this instance, particularly after a tough pregnancy, because one of the plot points revolves around a woman whose newborn dies of SIDS.
posted by gaspode at 6:37 PM on January 23, 2008