Finding the perfect gift for anyone can be a bit tricky. Finding a great gift that's also convenient for new parents can be even trickier. Hopefully, this post will help you get some ideas of what gifts you could bring to friends (or family) with a new little one.
At the hospital:
The important thing to remember when bringing gifts to the hospital is this: they have a ton of stuff to bring home and, most importantly, a baby. If you want to bring something when the new parents are at the hospital, don't bring balloons or flowers. While they're super nice gestures, the problem with flowers/balloons is that they aren't easy to bring home. So now the new parents are stuck with either throwing away your nice new gifts for them or trying to cart them home with a new baby. Instead try:
- Their favorite drink. My friend Becca just had her daughter and the one thing that anyone that knows Becs can tell you is that she LOVES pumpkin spice coffee. So on my way to visit her, I grabbed some from Starbucks.
-Their favorite food. General consensus is that hospital food is terrible, but even if it isn't bringing your friend one of her favorite meals is going to make her very happy (well a little happier since she's probably already going to be ridiculously happy about her new baby).
-Your camera. If you have a nice camera, bring it with you just in case mama didn't think about it, or hasn't had a chance to get some candid new family shots with papa and baby.
At home:
-A home cooked meal. As in love with baby as the new parents are going to be, they are probably going to be way too tired to make a decent meal, and even if they are capable of making their own dinner, I'm sure they'd be glad to not have to make a meal. Bring them something that's already assembled and can easily be cooked in the oven, or put in the freezer in case dinner is already lined up. May I suggest Chicken and Rice Bake, or Cube Steak (which is still amazing re-heated so just bring it pre-cooked and ready to go!), or Hearty Taco Casserole?
-Something for mom. Everyone is going to be so focused on new baby (which is great!) that Momma may feel neglected. Bringing her something to help her relax, like Bath and Body Works Stress Relief Line or Sleep Spa Line, will make her feel loved and appreciated and will have the added effect of helping her relax a little.
-A personalized card. If you can't visit mama right away, sending her a sweet personalized card would be a really nice surprise. Treat by Shutterfly offers cute new baby cards that can be personalized and mailed out. Plus, if you brought your camera to the hospital with you, you could use pictures from that visit to send the new parents a card they'll cherish.
-Something un-purchased from their registry. Because unexpected gifts that are of necessity are the best.
What are some things that you've brought new parents? Or, parents, what are some of your favorite received gifts?