Make Womb For Some Relaxation
We loved hearing about all your great wedding gift ideas, so we thought we’d turn our attention to another fun and festive gift-giving occasion: a bun in the oven. When we recently learned that a good friend of ours is pregnant, we excitedly set out to find the perfect way to say congratulations. Knowing that a baby shower down the line will no doubt supply her with countless diapers, washcloths, onesies and bottles, we thought it would be fun to do something sweet and soothing just for her- a sort of calm before the storm if you will.
And we quickly learned that our inclination to pamper the prego is all the rage these days. Everything from belly “facials” to in-home massage therapy and even private prenatal yoga is available just for expectant mothers in need of some serious serenity.
Women are indulging like it might be their last chance, and even personal pregnancy concierge is popping up in larger cities (pregnancy assistants will rub cocoa butter on your belly, spoon-feed you Ben & Jerry’s and even make a pickle run if your cravings get the best of you).
We also learned that nearly 60% of couples surveyed in 2005 (and probably even more now) embark on a “babymoon” before becoming parents as a sort of last hurrah before the baby comes.
We’re not even expecting, but it sounds absolutely heavenly to us- who doesn’t need a break, right? And the fact that there are now specialized babymoon consultants, like Two And A Half Travelers (how cute is that name?) makes us even more excited to be parents one day. I mean who wouldn’t want to run off for some serious bliss before baby?
While we couldn’t plan a surprise island getaway for our expecting friend and her adorable and excited husband, we happily dug up a mini-indulgence that’s sure to bring some much needed relaxation right to her door. This Eco-Me Body Spa Gift Kit is chock full of non-toxic and natural ingredients to create eco-friendly spa products in the comfort of her own home.
What about you guys? Did you come up with any fab gifts for your prego friends? Or did you receive anything that made your journey to mom-hood even more exciting/relaxing/comfortable? We’re totally new to the friends-having-babies thing, so feel free to shed some light on anything and everything you found helpful!
Looking for more prego gift ideas? Check out a few more suggestions here on about.com.
Images courtesy of Two And A Half Travelers and Winebasket.com
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Those are great ideas! I love the babymoon. I’ve given friends who recently gave birth a bottle of relaxing bubble bath that helps you fall asleep. (Not like they’re having any trouble with that, but still.) I’ve also given them a bottle of wine or their favorite beer since they’ve been missing it for 9 months!
As for gifts for the babies themselves, I am planning on giving my husband’s brother and his wife a set of classic books that I liked as a child to start building a collection for my new niece. For example, I’m going to give them books like “The Giving Tree,” “Goodnight Moon,” “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble,” “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” etc. etc. I think with all of the onesies and pacifiers and all, people don’t always think about building a great collection of bedtime stories.
I buy friends a pregnancy massage – something they don’t have to do ‘themselves’ I also make them a book of vouchers for the week the baby is born saying things like: ‘One load of laundry, washed & ironed’ ‘one home made lasagne, delivered to your door’ etc etc.
I also make them a little sign to pin on their front door that says ‘No visitors today please, we are all very tired, thank you for stopping by’ – everyone thinks they’ll never use it, everyone does – as a midwife, I’ve learnt that too many visitors = an exhausted family.
In the past i’ve also painted an alphabet mural on a nursery wall for a friend. It took weeks, but it was worth it.
About a half dozen or so friends of mine have a tradition of doing a dinner calendar for those of us that have recently given birth. Every two days, a friend drops by with a homemade (or store bought!) dinner. We did deliveries every two days because most people make fairly large meals, and daily deliveries tended to pile up. Those of us that have been calendar-ees (not me) have said that they think it’s the single best thing you can do for new parents. It also gives the parents a daily “visiting hour” to plan for every other day, and friends get to see the baby one-on-one.
For a fashion girl: a subscription to Cookie magazine
One of the BEST gifts we received during our pregnancy was a gift certificate for a free session with an AMAZING photographer. We saved the session for after our daughter arrived, and the photographer (Gretchen Mathison, for those who are in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina) captured some truly gorgeous images of our little family. This “gift” ended up costing us big time because spent a small fortune on prints and enlargements (we even bought a 20×24 of our sweet baby girl!), but it was worth every penny.
Don’t just go to any photographer though. Look for one who has a great portfolio of maternity, baby and children photos. You don’t want snapshots – you want true art!
My friends and I have yet to introduce any babies to the mix (can’t help but think, “Weird!” when I consider it could happen anytime), but I love all the ideas in your post and these comments! Providing services for the family (gift certificate for a massage or delivering dinner) is a great way to meet those needs without the gift resulting in another item the parents need to take care of.
These are fantastic ideas! For a recent baby shower, in lieu of a card, each guest brought a favorite baby/children’s book to start baby’s library.
We also gave our friends a gift card for dinner for 2 at their fave restaurant, along w/ a certificate good for ‘our babysitting services’ so that they can enjoy a romantic evening together.
Belly facials? LOL, that’s the first I’ve heard of that. I’m all about the “babymoon.” We’re not PG yet either, but I’ve already got my spa destination picked out! Your spa kit is a fabulous gift idea for your friend–she’ll love that!
Take it from someone with a 1-year-old, go on that Babymoon! You won’t get an adults-only vacation again for quite some time (unless the grandparents ROCK at babysitting).
The best presents are the meaningful ones (favorite childhood books or someting handmade) or food the first few weeks- I am still thankful for each and every casserole!
Sweet! Thanks so much for all the helpful hints. It’s wild and wonderful to be moving into a whole new life stage (friends with babies and even thoughts of one of our own) so thanks for taking the time to pass along some super sage advice. Smoooooch!
xo,
Sherry
Here I am again lurking in your archives, but I couldn’t help but post an amazingly helpful link. It is an online meal (or other help) calender. All the organizer needs is a list of the future fam’s local family’s and friend’s emails. Then they can each log on and see who is bringing what meal when and sign up for a day of their own. There are options for putting any type of help like lawn work or laundry or whatever! As a mother to 3 under 5 I can tell you that having that help immediatly after the arrival of a new babe is worth its weight in gold. Just had to share!
http://www.carecalendar.org/