This year will mark my first Mother’s Day, which is so exciting! A whole new holiday to celebrate the fact that now I’m a mama. Whoa.
If there’s a first-time mama in your life, too, I’ve put together a list of gift suggestions to help her celebrate this special day. Although everyone has different postpartum experiences, I’m confident that just about any new mom will appreciate these gifts!:
- A gift certificate to a housecleaning service. The last thing you want to do as a brand new mom is worry about emptying the dishwasher and changing the sheets and remembering to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer. You just want to snuggle your perfect new little one and soak in as many precious moments as you can. But, unfortunately, those dishes keep piling up (as does the laundry and dog fur — so. much. dog. fur.). Gift her with the treat of having someone else take care of the cleaning for once (it’s sure to be a home run of a present!). Living Social and Groupon often have deals on cleaning services, or you can snag a gift certificate from a service like this one.
- A super fancy coffee mug. By “super fancy” I mean “a mug that will keep coffee hot for hours.” One of the very consistent new realities I’ve noticed since becoming a mother is the fact that it takes me hours to drink a single cup of coffee each morning. I make the coffee, get about two sips in, and then get distracted by something (Maggie’s hungry, she needs to be changed, I need to squeeze in a shower, the dog is going crazy because a package was just delivered, I just remembered there’s been a load of laundry sitting in the washer since last night, etc.). Every new mom should be gifted an extra strength mug upon leaving the hospital. Since that’s not yet the case, you should hook her up with one. (I have a 16-ounce Corkcicle tumbler that does the trick for me!)
- A Pure Barre Baby Bounce-Back package. It’s no secret that I’m drinking the Pure Barre Kool-Aid in a big way (and have been for years), but it’s warranted: I’ve seen amazing results from this workout and it made a HUGE difference for me during pregnancy as well. Since having my baby, getting back to the Pure Barre studio has helped me feel strong and energized. Studios offer a Baby Bounce-Back package for women looking to get back in shape post-baby, so it can be a wonderful gift for moms who haven’t experienced the workout yet. It’s safe and low impact, and she’ll see results quickly (which will leave her feeling amazing).
- A subscription to Aaptiv. If the new mom in your life is more into running, an Aaptiv subscription might be perfect for her! This app used to be called SkyFit (and I’ve raved about it before on my blog), and it gives access to recorded training sessions so you can have an expert talk you through a run. I love running with Aaptiv because it helps me push myself in ways I wouldn’t otherwise and keeps workouts fresh and new. It’s especially relevant for new moms because they just launched a maternity program, which contains workouts for during and after pregnancy (the post-pregnancy ones are stroller workouts — perfect!).
- A collection of skincare products. Lack of sleep and a general shift in schedules altogether (not to mention hormonal changes) are par for the course for a new mother, and so it’s more important than ever that she takes care of her skin. Consider surprising her with Beautycounter: high-quality skincare products that she can feel great about using. As a new mom myself, I especially recommend this eye cream, this exfoliator, and this facial mask!
- A pair of high-waisted leggings. “High waisted” is key here, y’all. She’s probably living in leggings whenever possible anyway (I know I am!), so consider hooking her up with a new pair that will keep her both stylish and comfy all at the same time. Specific recommendations include the Beyond Yoga Spacedye Take Me Higher Long Legging (so many colors to choose from!), the Lululemon Align Pant II (I have three pair myself and LIVE in them), and the Alo High-Waist Moto Legging.
- A mama bear tee. I can guarantee she’s proud to be a mom (I shared how I have to keep myself from telling strangers about Maggie whenever I’m away from her), and so giving her a way to share her new parenthood status with the world will be something she’ll love. There are tons of options for these kinds of tees on Etsy, but my top picks are this one and this one.
- The alcohol of her choice. I mean, come on. She can finally drink again, so celebrate it by splurging on a top-shelf version of her favorite alcohol. (For me, that’s tequila. All the tequila, y’all. Technically just SOME of the tequila, since I’m breastfeeding. But you get the idea.)
- A Target gift card. A gift card may seem like a cop-out gift, but if it’s from Target, that’s never the case. New moms will be able to find baby essentials at Target, sure, but also lots of fun items for themselves there. I always feel about 10% happier when I know I have a Target gift card in my wallet, just waiting to be spent on treasures (or, you know, diapers and groceries).
- A commemorative necklace. There are lots of ways to make a child’s birth memorable with jewelry (Kevin got me a necklace and earrings from a jewelry company that shares a name with our daughter, for example). Mother’s Day is a perfect time to present a lasting gift like this one, and I especially love versions like this one as a place to display a child’s initials or birth date.
Happy first Mother’s Day to all my fellow new mamas out there!