I’ll admit it: When I waddled through the final weeks of an exhausting first pregnancy and neared my due date, I had a short list going in my iPhone of great push gifts I would have loved to receive from my husband. And while I wasn’t so “pushy” as to share the list with him, I definitely perked up when he came up with an awesome push gift to give me, about a week before we welcomed our daughter. Even though I ended up having an emergency C-section, my hubby and I joked that I still deserved the present, minus the push. Trust me, you will, too — regardless of how you give birth.
The “push present,” as it has come to be known, is perhaps a newer construct floating around our generation of “Millennial Mums;” my mum and her friends didn’t use the term when they had us back in the 80’s and 90’s. But the tradition of giving a gift to the new mum is definitely not revolutionary; many of us have older family members who received a lovely piece of jewellery or keepsake upon welcoming a child into the world. And while jewellery definitely tops the list (and shows up on this list, too), the modern mama tends to like other creative ideas, too. When it comes to gifting a new mum, function often overshadows fashion. But not always.
Bottom line? The thought is mostly what counts, but the gift itself makes us feel pretty damn special at a time when our bodies are beaten up and puffy, we can’t remember the last time we slept or showered, and most importantly, we brought a human life into the world. Yeah, I’d say that warrants a little token of the significant other’s — or best friend’s — affection. Here are some cool ideas.
Hand-Stamped Necklace
If going the jewellery route, make it personal. I absolutely love hand-stamped jewellery because the pieces are made to order and they're always unique. Classy Mama Designs, a mom-owned jewellery shop, can customize any of the pieces in the shop for the new mommy. Whether you have it engraved with Baby's name, birth date, initials, or a special phrase, this is one piece she'll treasure forever.
Price: $44 (as shown)
Photo: Classy Mama Designs
Newborn Photo Session
Despite the nappy changes, sleep deprivation, and general sense of chaos with a new baby in the house, she'll want to look back on this time and smile. A professional newborn photo shoot is an amazing way to ensure she can. There's so much about my daughter's first few weeks on earth that I can barely remember. I was exhausted and recovering from a C-section, while trying to figure out how to be a mum, a wife, and a writer all at the same time. But when I look at this image from our professional newborn shoot, all I can remember is the love -- and that precious tininess, that is after all so fleeting.
Photo: Cristina Lee Marino Photography
Amazon Gift Card
If she's mostly only up for online shopping these days, an Amazon gift card is the perfect thing. If she needs an excuse to get out of the house, go the Target route. Either way, some money allotted for spending at one of these mummy must-haves will lessen her stress when gathering everyday items. And it might also encourage her to splurge a little on herself, too. After all, she's the one you're gifting!
Photo: Amazon
Pretty Handmade Nappy Bag
There are a lot of awesome nappy bags on the market these days, and the choice of which one to use as the daily lug-around is very personal. But I simply adore this handmade fold-over style from Cotton Candy Totes as an extra for brunches or quick jaunts to the store. Constructed of vegan leather and contrast floral print, it looks more like a handbag than a nappy bag, helping her feel more like her old, pre-mommy self. This sweet and functional bag is equipped with a roomy inside perfect for toting nappys, blankies, and more, with three large interior pockets that work for bottles and whatever other mummy essentials she's toting around town.
Price: $52
Photo: Cotton Candy Totes
Charm Bracelet
A charm bracelet is a classically sweet way to mark the addition of a new family member, and I love the modern stacks of arm candy you can create with Alex and Ani. Their Special Delivery charm bangles are simple and chic, and look gorgeous alone or layered with her other jewelry. I personally love building meaningful Alex and Ani stacks for the special women in my life -- you can get her this one now, another for her first Mother's Day, and so on as the years and occasions unfold.
Price: $38 (each)
Photo: Alex and Ani
Mom's One Line a Day Journal
New mommyhood is all about collecting memories, and it can be tough to keep up the first year and even after. I love the concept of this journal designed to have Mum write one line a day (let's face it, this will not happen every single day and that's fine), for the first five years. It will allow her a creative outlet and place to mark down fears and milestones now, and later, it will fill her with sweet memories when she flips through its pages (on the first day of Kindergarten, box of tissues in hand).
Price:$10.52
Photo: Amazon
Some Cash
Sound silly? It's really not. Right after I'd had a baby, I felt squishy, exhausted, and not quite myself. I would have killed to spend a little money on some in-between jeans to fit my post-baby body, or a pair of comfy slippers that weren't hideous. There's no "right" amount to give, but as a new mum it seems like every cent she has, she's compelled to spend on the baby. The gift of a little budget to spend on just her will make her smile -- and literally force her to do something nice for herself, just when she needs it more than ever.
Photo: Getty
Stacking Ring
Nothing puts a twinkle in a gal's eye like something sparkly, and building to her ring stack is an amazing way to mark Baby's arrival. A lot of mums like to add a ring featuring the birth stone of each little one. You can also choose something that best complements her other jewelry. If she has an engagement and wedding band, you can work around those and differentiate the push ring with a similar style but the addition of a new metal. If her rings are platinum, consider leaning toward yellow gold. Rose gold is also gorgeous to commemorate the birth of a little girl or boy. I am loving this one from Tiffany & Co.
Price: $1,900 (as shown)
Photo: Tiffany & Co.
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It might sound excessive, but if you've been thinking about adding a family-friendly car to the driveway and there's room in the budget, this is a great time to go for it. On the very long list of things that got me through the first year of having a child, my freedom was definitely at the top. Having a safe, reliable car that offered plenty of room for a carseat, stroller, nappy bag, and the massive bags of baby essentials I was constantly buying, made getting around town so much easier and more fun.
Photo: Getty
Laptop
This is what I got. As a writer who works from home, I spent five years before becoming a mum chained to a desk in our master bedroom. My husband knew I was worried about having to shelve my career when the little one came along, and how much pressure it would put on me to always find ways to put her down or situate her somewhere safe and then be working at our desktop. The laptop allowed me the freedom to work on the couch with my baby cuddled close, and he knew it would be the perfect new home for lots of pictures of our bundle of joy.
Photo: Getty
Magazine Subscription
Chances are, she thought she'd never have the quiet time to sit and read a magazine again. But not only do new babies nap at awkward times, there's no place they prefer over Mama's arms. And over the course of the first year, a piece of happy mail once a month with a focus on her non-baby-related interests will be absolutely perfect. Pick a few titles she used to enjoy before she became consumed by baby-reads, and have them sent her way.
Photo: Getty
A Night Out
It might be a few months before she's comfortable heading out on the town (I was ready to go a little sooner than that!), but whenever she's up for it, treat the gal to the good time she needs and deserves. Whether it's dinner, drinks, dancing, or a night at the movies, plan her favourite combination of night-out fun, and let her feel a little like the woman she was before. Just don't be surprised if she texts the babysitter twenty-plus times, because after all, she isn't the woman she was before -- she's a mum now.
Photo: Getty
Spa Day
Ironically, nothing ever made me feel like less of a woman than the most womanly of all things -- delivering a baby. The months I spent dragging around post-baby, I looked and felt like a hot mess. New mums spend so much time and energy perfecting the worlds of their little ones, they hardly take a moment to focus on themselves. But when she's ready to leave the baby for a few hours (or a whole day!) treat her to a manicure/pedicure/facial/massage or whatever combo will make her feel most alive. Even if she just goes right back to her normal routine right afterward, the relaxation and feeling of being cared for will continue to keep her glowing long after she leaves the spa.
Photo: Getty
Newborn Survival Kit
Even the most detailed planner runs out of essentials in the first few weeks. An amazing gift for a first-time mum from a gal pal or experienced mama would be this survival kit. You can stock it up with whatever you relied on the most in that first month when leaving the house seemed like a gross impossibility. If she's breastfeeding, she'll no doubt enjoy some breast pads (I loved the reusable cotton ones) and a NurseLet -- this handy contraption holds her shirt out of Baby's face while nursing and doubles as a bracelet to remind her which side she's on for the next feeding. Either way, she'll definitely need heaps of extra onesies, a Starbucks gift card, and whatever else helped you get through it.
Price: $15 each
Photo: NursElet
Cute New-Mom Clothes
Charlotte and Ezra makes this adorable tank for the new mama and its flowing fit will rest flatteringly over her post-baby midsection. Not to mention it's just a cute shirt, period, and she'll continue to wear it long after the newborn days. (I wear mine constantly). Put together a little goody bag of stylish yet comfy clothes like this tank and a pair of of great leggings -- Lululemon's High Times Pant with a support waist were my new-mom standby -- so she can look extra-cute while running around town on errands, or just hanging on the couch with her little bundle all day.
Price: $25 (as shown)
Photo: Charlotte and Ezra
More for Pregnant Mums:
Creative Ways to Tell Your Husband You’re Pregnant
30 Epic Gender Reveal Ideas
Celebrity Mums Show Off Their Beautiful Baby Bumps
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