Entries Tagged as 'Pregnancy and Maternity'

newborn gift ideas girlnewborn gift ideas boycute newborn gift ideas

Whenever I hear a friend announce their pregnancy, I get so excited for them especially if it’s their first.  Although these days most of my friends are on their second or third ones and even fourth ones (what are they thinking 😉  When you’ve had more than one kid, the chances are that you have more than enough clothes, toys and all the other baby paraphernalia you can possibly need.  So when it comes to newborn gift ideas for these babies, I like to try and think outside the box.  I recently came across Ma Premiere Box and thought it was such a sweet little idea especially for those babies who have everything.

Ma Premiere Box is a ready made gift box that comes in two sizes – small or large.  The small box contains an adorable stuffed toy, a security blanket, a notebook, some badges and a funny postcard.  The larger box has all this plus scented water and a tote bag.   This is all beautifully packaged in a cute keepsake box.  And there’s a boy version and a girl version.  I love that the box is just as much for the parents as it is for the new baby and I also love that you can be sure that your gift will be unique and fun even for a baby who has everything.  It’s also a great present to give from a group of colleagues or friends of the expectant mother.  Next time a friend announces their 2nd, 3rd or 4th child, I know what newborn gift I’ll be giving.

thoughtful gift ideas for new mums

If you had walked in to my home in the days after I gave birth to Anya, you would have been forgiven for asking if I had suddenly turned in to a florist.  You could not move for the beautiful flowers I had.  While I adore giving and receiving flowers, I think there are many more useful things that you can give new mums. I often get asked for ideas and so I thought why not share a few of my favourite new mum gifts on here.

Sometimes it’s hard to think beyond the obvious gifts like flowers, baby clothes, toys or anything for the baby. But chances are the baby will already have everything it could possibly need and much more so I think with a little thought you can give the new mum something that she really needs and something that may just help make those first few weeks and months a little bit easier.  Here are some of my favourite ideas for some unusual and thoughtful gifts for new mums:

gift ideas for new mums

1.  One of the biggest things new parents lack is time.  Time to look after themselves and that includes not being able to eat well-balanced meals.  So instead of a gift for the baby, you could give them a week’s worth of fresh meals cooked by you.  But if that’s not possible, you can still give fresh meals from somewhere like the Food Stork who have ready made boxes of lots of different meals that you can have delivered.

thoughtful gift ideas for new mums

2.  Another lovely and personal gift for a new mum is a pamper treatment – a facial or a massage would both be a much appreciated gift especially at a time when you’re not feeling your best.  This would have been top of my list of gifts to receive.  Think of how you felt in those days and weeks after a birth and then imagine escaping for a couple of hours to be pampered in a quiet, tranquil environment.  Pure bliss!

3.  Thinking on from pampering gifts for the new mum, you could even gift the new mum a baby massage session.  It’s a thoughtful gift that gives both the mother and baby some special bonding time that’s just for the two of them.  And the new mum will also get to meet other new mums around her.  There are many places that offer these but if you’re in London, The Portland Hospital has weekly sessions open to everybody.

4.  If you really do want to give something for the baby, then think about clothes in bigger sizes like 6-9 months or even 9-12 months.  The baby probably has more newborn clothes than she could ever wear so bigger sizes are much more likely to come in good use.  An alternative to clothes is a baby journal which is more of a gift to the parents but it’s something that will be kept and eventually be given to the baby. I remember my mum giving me my baby journal and it was so great to look through and read.

5.  New mums want advice, especially first time mums.  So I love the idea of all her friends and family (who already have kids) each writing down their best piece of advice in a beautiful journal.  It will be something fun and meaningful to read especially during those endless night feeds and it may just turn out to be the most useful parenting book ever.  This is what a friend of mine received and even though her son is now 5, that journal is something she will keep forever.

best gift ideas for new mums

6.  If the new mum in question has an older child or children you can buy little gifts for them to keep them occupied.  Things like reading books, colouring or puzzle books, board games and small toys will distract the siblings for a little while at least.

7.  Another thoughtful gift for a new mum with older kids is to offer to look after them or take them out for an afternoon so that the new mum can spend some one on one time with her baby.

ideas for gifts for a new mum

8.  One of the things I regret not having done properly is taking enough photos in the newborn days.  At the time I felt too camera conscious but I regret it now and I’m sure I’m not alone.  Newborn photography is very popular and it’s a wonderful thing because those fleeting moments will never come back.  So the gift of a photo session with a photographer who visits the new mums home is a wonderful thing to give as the memories will last forever.

9.  This may sound a bit impersonal at first but a voucher for the mum to buy something for herself is a thoughtful gift. It could be a voucher for her favourite clothes store or an amazon voucher if she loves reading or a voucher for her favourite beauty brand.  As a new mum it’s a treat to take a few minutes out and browse the internet looking for something you want that’s not baby related at all.

best gifts for new mothers

10.  One of the best gifts I received as a new mum was a 1kg box of the most divine chocolates ever.  That box of chocolates became my reason for being.  Every night, I looked forward to the time when my baby was asleep in between feeds and I could open that box and get my daily fix.  So the gift of a box chocolates or sweets or cookies, depending on what the new mama likes will be a sweet little gift and from experience I say the bigger the box the better!

thoughtful gifts for a new mum

11.  Last but not least, becoming a mum, especially for the first time, is a huge mix of experiences – some good and others not so good.  Loneliness is definitely one of the not so good things so instead of spending money on your friend, why not commit to visiting her once a week or more often if you can.  Once the dad has gone back to work, any new mum will cherish a bit of adult company over coffee and some conversation to help pass those long days.  This gesture will go far beyond any gift can.

Whats the most thoughtful gift you received as a new mum?  I’d love to hear in the comments.

This post is brought to you in partnership with The Portland Hospital – UK’s leading private paediatric and maternity hospital.  All content, words and ideas are my own.  Thank you for supporting my work with partners that support this blog.

"the best maternity jumpsuits"When I was pregnant, I didn’t come across a single maternity jumpsuit.  I so wish I had.  Jumpsuits are the perfect thing to wear when you’re pregnant because they’re comfy, flattering and stylish.  They’re great for everyday casual and office wear but also for dressing up too.   Some of the more formal ones would be such a great choice for an occasion especially in the later months of pregnancy when comfort matters most.  But even the more casual ones can easily be dressed up with heels and accessories for an evening look.  Versatile and easy to wear, for me the maternity jumpsuit is a pregnancy must have.  I think if I had found a jumpsuit at the time, I would have worn it throughout my pregnancy and beyond! 

I went looking for some of the cutest maternity jumpsuits and selected 7 of the best ones that I could find.  I chose a mix of casual and formal so there’s a jumpsuit for every occasion:

1.  black maternity jumpsuit with elastic waist | 2. nile blue wrap-top maternity jumpsuit | 3. grey cashmere onesie style jumpsuit | 4.  grey lounging maternity legging jumpsuit | 5.  high-waisted black pregnancy jumpsuit | 6.  black wrap jumpsuit with leather belt | 7.  low-waisted black jumpsuit with sheer chest and sleeves

"win baby products giveaway"I remember the crazy buying I did before Anya was born.  I bought way too much because somebody somewhere convinced me that I absolutely needed it.  Of course I never ended up using a lot of the things but at the time I didn’t know any better.  Recently I came across the Finnish concept of all expectant mums receiving a baby ‘starter pack’ and I thought it was such a sweet and practical idea.  The State sends all mums to be a cardboard box filled with baby essentials like bodysuits, sleeping bags, bathing products, bedding and more.  Once emptied, the cardboard box with a supplied mattress becomes the baby’s first bed.  Isn’t that a lovely custom and so helpful for a new mum?

"almondella baby gift box""win baby products giveaway"

Almondella (a new-ish Finnish brand) has taken this concept and created a range of beautiful boxes to suit various ages from newborn to 3 years old.  Depending on the age and sex of the baby, Almondella put together a box with stylish toys, clothes, books, bathing products and more.  I think this is such a lovely idea so I’ve joined hands with Almondella to giveaway one box of goodies to one lucky reader.  The winner’s box will be tailored to their childs age and sex and will be full of the cutest goodies as you can see from the pictures. 

"win Scandinavian baby products giveaway"

Most of Almondella’s products come from small, independent Scandinavian brands which offer beautiful design and products that are practical and built to last.  You can order these boxes on a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription which will be delivered to your door or they also have one off gift boxes.  The idea of getting a beautiful little package for your baby tailored to their developmental and physical needs is lovely.  Much like the Finnish State concept, it takes the hassle out of buying and choosing.  These gorgeous boxes of goodies also make a wonderful gift especially for a new mum.

The giveaway:  One lucky winner will receive one Almondella gift box that has been put together specially for them based on their babies age and sex.

To enter:  Simply leave a comment below with your babies age and sex.

One entry per person and this competition is open to all my readers worldwide – yay!  The competition closes at midnight (UK time) on Sunday 25th May 2014.  Any entries after this time will not be counted.  The winner will be announced on this post and on my facebook page on Tuesday 27th May 2014.

This giveaway is now closed.   The winner is Maxine.  Congrats Maxine!

Hatch, in style…

November 8, 2013

"not just maternity clothes"When I was pregnant I invested in a few key maternity pieces.  I spent a quite a lot on them simply because I didn’t want to compromise on my style just because I was pregnant.   They were great to wear while I was expecting and for a few months after but now those pieces are hanging in my wardrobe gathering dust.  Last week I came across Hatch and all I can say is where were they when I was pregnant?!  Hatch make super stylish clothes but the best bit is they’re not just for pregnancy.  Hatch collections are clothes that you can wear at pretty much any stage of your life including pregnancy.   And they’re especially great if you’ve got a bit of a post kids tummy… what’s not to like?

Have a happy weekend and don’t forget that you can still get 20% off a stylish budu baby carrier with the code: ebabee.

"budu unisex baby carrier"Baby wearing was one of those things that passed me by.  I did briefly look in to it but found that some carriers were a bit too girly so my husband would never use it and others just didn’t look easy enough to put on by myself.  With all the other stuff you have to deal with when you first have a baby, I soon forgot about getting a carrier.  Looking back I can think of so may occasions where one would have been a life saver.  Like the many times I traveled on my own to India.  I came to dread the whole security scenario where I had to take off my shoes, coat and then take my baby out of the pram and hold her while trying to fold the pram and carry the hand luggage and all the time wishing for an extra pair of hands.  I think it would have been very useful around the house too.  When Anya was crying I could have easily carried her and still had my hands free but instead, I had to stop whatever I was doing and soothe her before getting back to my chores."budu stylish baby carrier"So today I wanted to introduce you to the stylish Budu baby carrier and I’m giving one away to one lucky reader (read on for the giveaway details).  The budu baby carrier probably would have been the one for me had it been available at the time.  I love the whole clean, modern vibe and I know my husband would have happily worn it too.  Apart from the looks, the carrier is made of natural soft bamboo fabric, vegetable tanned leather straps and looks super easy to wear.  Even if you’re past the baby years, this would make a great gift for any new or expectant mum.  The Budu baby carrier is the creation of Danielle, a model, a mum and now a designer too.  In addition to the carrier,  Danielle has just added a beautiful nappy bag to her collection.  Even if you’re not the lucky winner, as a special bonus, Danielle is offering all my readers a 20% discount on any carrier.  Just use the code: ebabee at checkout.

The giveaway:  The winner will get one Budu baby carrier in the colour of their choice which is valued at approximately £175.

To enter:  Simply like ebabee and budu baby on Facebook and then leave a comment below to say you have done so.  If you already like the pages, then just leave a comment.  All 3 things are needed.  This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to everyone who entered.  Congrats to Faiblessed our lucky winner!

One entry per person and this competition is open to all my readers worldwide.  The competition closes at midnight (UK time) on Sunday 20th October 2013.  Any entries after this time will not be counted.  Winner will be announced on this post and on my facebook page on Tuesday 22nd October.  And don’t forget, even if you don’t win all my readers can get 20% off any carrier with the code ebabee.

Chevrons seem to be all over at the moment and I’m loving it.  Simple graphic patterns like stripes and chevrons work so well across nearly anything and best of all they look so stylish in an understated way… the best way according to me.  I’ve picked out some sunny yellow and black chevron adorned goodies for both mama’s and babies:

"yellow and black chevron dress, art, mobile"

1. Love this gorgeous black and white chevron print maxi dress by the ever stylish Anthropologie and you could even wear it when pregnant.  2.  A sweet airplane baby mobile in yellow and teal by Cactus & Olive.  3.  Simple and stylish bird prints for a nursery or an adult space by Tessyla.

"chevron baby blanket, dress, plush"

4.  A super modern and super sophisticated black and white baby blanket by Handmade by Paisley.  5.  A yellow and white pinafore style dress that is perfect for spring by Sewn Natural.  6.  A very cute chevron print elephant soft toy with big flappy ears by Lil Kingdom.

"lale suitcase""lale suitcase"

How super cute are these retro suitcases?  They’re gorgeous and I’m thinking no little girl (or big girl even) should be without.  Use it as storage indoors or better yet take it out filled with whatever stuff you can’t leave home without.  Made by the French Lale, there’s a range of deliciously chic retro prints on offer.  I can’t even begin to choose a favourite, so I’m not going to try.  They come in 2 sizes, small for the smalls in your life and big for the mama’s.  The mini ones measure 21x16cms and the maxi ones measure 39x29cms.  What a stylish hospital bag the big one would make for an expectant mama or even a very covetable retro diaper bag.  My hospital bag time has long passed but I’m seriously tempted for ebabee no.1.  You can get a selection from elias & grace for £40 for the small one and £60 for the big or try smallable.com who deliver internationally.

"serena and lily peacock baby sling"Flicking through Baby London Magazine while waiting at the doctor’s, (that’s where I head when I crave peace… just kidding!) I came across a store called Punkin Patch.  Back at my laptop, I checked it out.  Lo and behold… I found baby slings by Serena & Lily.  Serena and Lily are a US brand that create deliciously sweet baby stuff.  Their creations are utterly softly stylish and beyond beautiful.  Apart from baby slings, they make nappy bags (that are so un-nappy bag like), moses baskets, nursery bedding and more.  For now, I’ve only been able to track down their baby slings in the UK.  On offer are a few different designs of which the Peacock and Prague market slings are the stunners for me. Head over to Punkin Patch where the Serena and Lily market slings cost £120 plus delivery at £8.49.  But for my US readers… well, you lucky lot, you can have anything you like from the Serena & Lily collection.  And here’s a little look at it:

"serena and lily marlo bedset"

"serena and lily dylan collection"
"serena and lily natasha"

"French sole ballet pumps"

I haven’t written about any delicious finds for mama’s for ages.  Shame on me!  Today I’m righting my wrong by bringing you these oh so gorgeous shoes.  I’m not a trainers kind’a gal so when I was pregnant and even after I wanted needed flat, comfy shoes that still had lashings of style and would be suitable for work and play.  Also in the later months of pregnancy, bending’s near impossible so shoes need to be super easy to slip on and off.  That’s when I discovered these little gems called French Soles.  They make super stylish and comfy ballet pumps in every colour and design you can think of.  When I dropped by the store, my eye’s were treated to a feast of deliciousness… from stunning nudes to shiny metallic’s to vibrant solid colours, they’ve got’em all.  Be warned, choosing just one pair is hard, very, very hard.  French Sole ballet pumps are available from their central London stores but also online and cost from £55 a pair plus delivery.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Theme by Blogmilk   Coded by Brandi Bernoskie