If your friend or relative just had a baby, you are probably struggling to find the Best New Mom Gifts to give them. What is it that we, new moms, really want? Would another adorable pink outfit in the size NB really make us happy? Can a box of diapers really be considered a gift even if you do put a bow on it? How do you know what the new mom really needs right now? That is why you need to check out these 6 baby services for new parents.
Best New Mom Gifts
We are breaking down the best new mom gifts below by types that are commonly needed. These are more than just wrapped gifts, but services that come in handy in those early days of parenthood. They’ll give you inspiration on ways to really help a friend or family member while providing that person with a much-needed service during a busy time in their lives.
Food Delivery Services
Grub Hub – Great way to get an instant access to local restaurants, menus, and ordering tools. Individual restaurants might require a delivery charge Hint: Keep an eye on their social media specials.
Blue Apron is a company that delivers a weekly shipment of three original recipes and all the ingredients necessary for making them – portioned, packaged, and refrigerated.
Schwans – Favorite customer items include lasagna roll-ups, skillet meals, and red velvet cheesecake. There is $1.75 and the areas not served by trucks, the products are delivered by mail in coolers packed with dry ice or in freezer bags.
Also check out AmazonFresh, Freggies, FullCircle, Peapod, and your local producers.
Cleaning Services
Are you most likely aware of a good cleaning service? If you don’t personally use this service, ask around – there is nothing better than a personal recommendation when it comes to cleaning the house. Having someone come in and help clean and keep things in order when your baby is still young is so helpful and is fast becoming one of the more popular new mom gifts you can invest in for your friends and family!
You can also check out Merry Maids, as they have a big coverage area. I also found Facebook groups to be very helpful in connecting with local moms and getting personal reviews and suggestions. For example, Circle of Moms group has over 5,000 members (many from the Chicago area), who are happy to share their expertise in just about any area.
Beauty Services
In addition to the tremendous lack of sleep, new moms usually just don’t have enough people around them, who take care of them, pamper, indulge, and spoil. This is where a gift certificate for a massage or a beauty service would come very handy. Think about the saloons in the area and check out Groupon, along with your other favorite deal sites.
Laundry Service
Who wouldn’t want help with laundry, while trying to take care of a newborn in an addition to the rest of the family? I have recently subcontracted laundry duty to my 7-year old daughter. This service comes cheap – I pay her with marbles that she can later exchange for money to buy whatever she wants. However, I understand that not everyone is that lucky and that is why you might be able to find residential laundry service, that will pick up, wash, fold, and bring it back to the house.
Since many of these businesses are very local, Google or Yellow Pages will help you locate the ones that are close to you. I found that local to Chicago Please Do My Laundry charges $1.86/lb. The Laundry Bag, The Real Deal Laundry Service, and Got Laundry Chicago and many more service Chicago and suburbs. This kind of services don’t come cheap, but if you are looking for a great new mom gifts idea, this is it.
The Gift of Rest and a Good Night Sleep
This seems next to impossible when you have a bundle of joy, whose love for his parents comes out at night in the form of crying and pooping, which results in more crying. And that this is why this gift is priceless – services of postpartum Doula or a Nigh Nanny.
Postpartum doulas do whatever a mother needs to best enjoy and care for her new baby and a large part of their role is education. They help mom and baby to adjust to each other. Postpartum doulas have different hours: couple hours a week, full time daily 9-5 shifts, night shifts. Dona International has a special certification process and a database of doulas available for those seeking help.
Night nannies typically come into the home later in the evening and are on duty throughout the night in order to best assist the family. You can browse profiles of available night nannies on the sites like Sitter City or Care and be prepared for a hefty price tag – it might go as high as $200 a night, especially if you hire a newborn specialist certified by NCSA – an international association dedicated to the professional Newborn Care Specialist.
Subscription Services
A subscription box in the mail is like a feel-good song when your life revolves around dirty diapers and bottle warmers. It also could be inexpensive show your friend or loved ones that you care. As far as great new mom gifts, these are some of my favorite since they are also like a little surprise over and over again!
Citrus Lane — toys, books, snacks, household supplies, each box is filled with 4 to 5 items and are tailored to your kid’s age and stage, from newborn to 5 years. $29 for 1 month, $24/month for 3 months, $121/month for 6 months.
Little Pnuts is all about the best toys. Their quarterly boxes include 3 – 5 toys based on your child’s birthday (newborn to age 5). All toys are eco-friendly, organic or natural, and designed to help your baby meet his milestones. $240 for 4 quarterly boxes.
The Honest Company is all about the products for the eco-friendly household from personal care products to laundry detergent and diapers. $79.95/month for diapers and wipes, $35.95/month for cleaning or personal care essentials.
Supplet – The all natural goodies in this box will help mom take care of herself and her baby. Our new mom box makes a special gift for mom whether she is about to deliver her baby, just delivered her baby or has a baby. $39.99/month, $29.99/month for 3 months.
Cotton Booty – each box includes a cloth diaper, sample(s) and a fun item. $24.99/month.
Lalaalu is a survival kit for new parents filled with solutions for things like introducing the bottle or keeping track of pacifiers. $25-$50/box.
Ecocentric Mom box offers green, natural, and organic products, perfect for moms, moms-to-be, and baby. $24.99/every other month.
Bluum: Great Goodies for both – Mom and Baby. Just a little bit of everything $24.95/month for 1 month, $23/month for 3 months.
Escape Monthly – Each month brings you luxury products from a different part of the world. These boxes are all about relaxation and pampering. $49.95/Month.
Loved 6 Baby Services new mom gifts ideas? How about one more for the road?
BONUS TIP
Check out Diaper Dabbler for variety packs of diapers. Get a 3-pack of whatever diapers you want, try them all and decide which brand to go with before spending money on the huge box.
Know of any other great service for new moms, don’t keep it to yourself – SHARE!
Expecting mom? New mom? Know one?
Check out tips, tricks, and other great articles on Advice for a New Mom page
More Tips for New Moms:
5 Best Baby Shower Planning Tips
Reasons to Keep Baby Diapers on Hand
Introducing Solid Food to Baby
I really like the laundry services idea- that can be invaluable especially in a cloth diapering house. My cousin recently had her first baby and had way to many ‘things’ from her baby shower, but not enough hands to help out after her baby was born!
I’ve heard of Blue Apron! A friend of mine either used to or currently does food photography for them :). Great list.
Clothes and toys are great gifts but anything that helps a new mother’s life easier is even better. Something that helps her relax or not have to worry about the mundane like laundry or cleaning the bathroom – brilliant.
Oh my gosh! I would have loved a cleaning service gift when I had my daughter! Keeping up the house on top of caring for her and my son and breastfeeding every 2 hours on no sleep was terrible!
Schwann’s is a great tip. So is a cleaning service. I think these are 1000 times better than another silly toy for the baby. Great ideas Lena.
Sleep is so important when pregnant! I’d love to have cleaning services even when I’m not pregnant.
Oh I would have taken a night nanny big time. Sleep is a must for me!
Food delivery would have been a Godsend when I had my first. We had no family in the area and cooking was rough! Great information, thankyou!
Cleaning services! Neither parent has the time for it, and it would be the perfect solution!
Great ideas. I would have LOVED the gift of laundry. That’s for sure! House cleaning is a great one too.
These are some great suggestions. I would actually love any of these gifts myself even without a new baby.
Those are some seriously fantastic recommendations. I barely remember the first weeks with my new babies because I was so tired. I would have loved any of these.
What a great list! Heck new parents or not I would love anything on this list lol. Especially cleaning and laundry service I think those two things are the best ideas for new parents probably. Although a good night’s sleep can’t be beat.
Super good post!
Great list! After having 3 babies I can definitely say that anyone doing #1 or #2 on the list made it to the top of my Christmas list! My MIL actually paid for a few weeks of cleaning with my 3rd baby. Too bad my kids thought it was their own personal playmate. Not so much cleaning was done, but at least my older kids were busy. 🙂
The food delivery, laundry, and cleaning services would be amazing help, especially when you are a new mom. With so many adjustments, its nice to get help to give new moms a break.
These are all fantastic – I would’ve loved any of these after I had my son 🙂
Great list of thoughtful ideas. Every one of my girlfriends would love a helping cleaning hand.
Yes, I love this! If I just had someone to cook my food, life would’ve been much easier.
I love every single one of these ideas. I wish someone had given me at least ONE of these services when I had come home from the hospital. Would have totally saved me some time, tears and torment!
Those are good tips. I uses to have my laundry done when I lived in Chicago. It was cheaper than our apartment laundry. I like that diaper dabbler service too!
Oh these would make great baby shower gifts too!! I imagine having a couple meals delivered would be a time saver for new parents!
These are great! I would have killed for any of these amazing services when I had a baby!! DH did a great job so I can’t complain!
I would totally have taken the cleaning and laundry services! These are such great ideas for new parents!
These are all so awesome! I love the idea of subscription boxes, I get a few and love the surprise each month!