Gift Ideas for Recent Moms
These unique and truly special gift ideas for recent moms are perfect for Mother’s day, or any time you want to treat someone who only recently had a baby! Check out our favorite big sibling gift ideas too! This post contains affiliate links and gifted product.
As someone who embraced new motherhood over ten years ago, and has since had three more babies, I love sharing my favorite new parent gifts.
When looking for gift ideas for recent moms, all of these will be perfect for first time mothers, and some for those who just had a baby, even if not their first. You can also check out my baby sprinkle gift ideas for more ideas for parents with multiple kids.
There are two styles of buying gift ideas for recent moms: things for the baby and things specifically for mom. I like to include both. New parents tend to really enjoy those cool baby items that they might not be ready to splurge on, even if it’s for baby. But also, baby is getting loads of gifts, so why not treat mom?
I created this list with Mother’s Day in mind, but it’s good for any time. If purchasing for Mother’s Day, you always want a for mom element in it, and I’ll share with you below (especially on the baby specific ideas) why it’s super cool for mom too.
Cool Baby Gear to Make Parenting Easier
There are so many cool baby products that can really make parenting easier. In the time since M was born 10+ years ago, and Baby Jay, about 9 months ago, things have really changed.
Many baby items are worth splurging on for recent moms, because they offer unique features that’ll provide much needed respite or practical solutions that new parents need.
Peg Perego Siesta Highchair
I’m a huge fan of multi-use baby gear, for practicality and ease of use. Babies grow up so quickly, so the more uses a piece of gear has, the more worthwhile and helpful it is.
When M was born, I couldn’t sit or move for a whole month. I found it very difficult to lift him and to bend down.
When Y was born, I looked all over for a higher solution for baby down time, for when I needed to put baby down in a safe place. While bouncers and swings are fabulous pieces of baby gear (that I personally used heavily) bending down to them was a struggle.
Peg Perego’s Siesta high chair is not only a gorgeous piece of furniture that’ll look fabulous in your kitchen or dining room, but it takes baby from day one until table time.
It not only reclines, but also lays flat, making it a safe place to put down a newborn, a perfect spot for first foods (at a slight recline), and fabulous for full-on eaters. And it’s so comfortable for baby!
It also actually folds, making it easier to move around, clean around it, and store as needed.
Ayla & Co Diaper Bag & Vacuum bundle
My first diaper bag was blue and white and colorful. Since then, I’ve upgraded a few times, but my favorite bags will always be the ones that feel like handbags. Why shouldn’t mom feel accessorized, just because she needs to carry around everything and the kitchen sink?
Ayla & Co’s diaper bags are absolutely gorgeous and well designed – but my favorite part? You can bundle them with a small, portable vacuum. Yes, you heard right!
Their vacuums are small enough to keep in a diaper bag or stash in a car, and clean up little messes as they happen – because we all know they do! It charges via mini USB and does a great job on minor messes that are best tackled right away.
The diaper bag has loads of pockets and features – including magnetic pockets, expandable side pockets (so when you don’t have a water bottle in them, they aren’t as wide), a removable insert/lining for washing, and more. The whole front tilts down so that you can have all your changing supplies at your fingertips, without digging.
The Ayla diaper bag was clearly designed to avoid the black hole syndrome that affect many diaper bags – and so far I’m loving it!
More features include: straps that seamlessly change from a shoulder bag or crossbody to backpack, a vegan leather changing pad, an included wet bag (tip: store your change of clothes in here!) reusable snack bag, and insulated snap-in cooler bag.
Little Unicorn Sleep Bag
Babies are not supposed to sleep with blankets until age one, but they need it to feel secure! Sleep bags are a game changer, and Little Unicorn’s 1.1 TOG ones are cozy and soft, and perfect for warmer weather.
It’s made of breathable cotton muslin, with a two-way zipper for easy changes, and a snap for added security.
It’s just enough to help him feel covered, without getting too hot on warmer nights.
Beaba BabyCook
As a Kosher eater, I have always made my own baby food, mainly to ensure my kids get their fair share of iron via chicken, something that’s hard to buy. Beaba’s BabyCook baby food maker uses the same dish to steam and blend the baby food!
It’s not an “instant” fix, but it looks great on our counter. Instructions for operation are very easy to use, and I can make delicious meals for baby beyond the basics too. A separate insert can turn it into a rice and grain cooker (I use it to make him oatmeal with prunes when he needs a little help getting his systems moving along…)
Things to treat & Care for mom
Moms go through an incredible thing with childbirth, and there’s nothing quite like treating her and making her feel special! While anything she’d like outside of motherhood would be a fabulous gift too, these gift ideas for recent moms specifically appeal to that stage in her life!
Metal Photo Prints – or any favorite family photo gift!
The family has now grown – time to update that family photo wall! When we moved when A was six months old, I neglected to rehang the family photos because they were outdated and didn’t include her. Now, with yet another child added, I really wasn’t going to get to it.
Nations Photo Lab creates all sorts of photo gifts, but I opted for metal prints. Nothing quite makes a house feel like OUR home like family portraits, and yes, it’s important to me that it includes everyone, including the newest members of the family.
The metal print floats slightly off the wall for a sleek, modern, and minimalist installation.
Ordering is super easy using their online platform to create slight edits and believe it or not, my prints came about a day after I ordered them, very much surprising me.
BlendJet 2 Portable Blender
My go-to breakfast for after having a baby is smoothies. It’s healthy and hydrating, and I can pack it with proteins – and even sneak in some veggies. But taking out a heavy blender each time is a pain. And yes, even the personal blenders can be heavy.
BlendJet revolutionized the world of portable blenders with their handheld blender. It’s battery operated but still packs a powerful punch, creating your smoothies in 20 seconds.
It’s the perfect mom-care gift for recent moms, allowing them easier meal prep.
The streamlined design can be held in your hand, and since you can blend on the go, you can have your drink when you’re ready for it. It has a 16 oz. capacity, and an offset blade for better blending. Drink straight from the jar, and clean it by simply adding soap and water, blending, and rinsing.
FlipBelt
One of the interesting side effects of using a diaper bag, is that when you leave the house without baby, it can be too much. So you need an alternative. I also often take both a diaper bag AND a handbag so that I can reach my phone and cards more easily, but it gets bulky. In addition, I find that I’m more fitness-focused when trying to get back into shape postpartum.
FlipBelt is the perfect solution for both: the mom who wants the ability to basically add pockets to anything she wears, AND the fitness-minded mom. It’s basically a storage belt – the whole thing is a pocket to hold essentials like cards, cash, and phone, in a non-bulky and seamless way. So it can be used in addition to a diaper bag without feeling like too much.
It’s made of moisture-wicking material, making it perfect for exercise. And it’s quite discreet – it can literally look like the fold over waist on yoga pants – and goes with virtually anything you might wear.
Lansinoh Breastfeeding Essentials
When a new mom plans to breastfeed, it almost NEVER goes without a hitch. Having the right tools right off the bat can be super helpful.
Lansinoh’s Breastfeeding Essentials gift box features must-haves along with comfort-enhancers. Some of these personally saved my breastfeeding in the past.
It includes a small tube of lanolin for soothing cracked nipples, hot/cold packs that are the perfect shape – plus covers to make them more comfortable, a starter stash of nursing pads, breast milk storage bags, and a silicone breast pump with a strap and lid.
The silicone pump is something that didn’t exist by my first, and is such a game changer. It can be used as a milk catcher, as a low-key way to relieve a bit of engorgement, or to maintain supply if a feeding is missed.
This is a very personal gift and perfect to purchase for someone who is close to you, such as a sister or daughter.
Fun Little Baby Splurges for Recent Moms
If you want a gift that’s not just practical but also fun, doesn’t take up a ton of space, and can be enjoyed by any parent, these gifts should be your vibe!
Feltman Brothers High End Knits
Before M was born, making me a first time mother, I used to browse the baby aisles just for fun. Yes, I bought things for my nieces, but of course, I was excited to buy for my own one day! Because which mother doesn’t just love dressing her little prince(ss)?
Feltman Brothers makes the most darling clothing, but my favorite is their pointelle jacquard knit romper. It’s got just the right mix of prep, class, and current aesthetic.
It’s got beautiful, fine detail in the knit, but it’s also so soft and easy for even my chunky baby to wear.
A quality outfit is a favorite thing to gift, and one that makes baby look like a million bucks? Even better!
PURGGO Activated Charcoal Car Air Freshener
Fact: Babies make cars smelly. While you can cover the smell with cute little hanging trees, you’re really only masking it.
PURGGO’s activated charcoal air fresheners are fabulous for odor control – whether it’s from spit up, dirty diapers (yes, even after I change them, the scent can linger!) or forgotten yogurts. They look great in my car too.
The best part is: they don’t use up! You can clean it using nature: just leave it in the sun! It’s super easy to hang from a car headrest using sliding knots. It doesn’t have the chemicals other car fresheners use, making it healthier with a baby around. And it can last a whole year before needing to be “recharged” in the sun.
Looky Lou
Ever tried getting the whole family to look at the camera at once? You probably looked REALLY silly making faces trying to do so.
Looky Lou is a brilliant little simple contraption. It’s a clip-on lion that clips right to your phone. And its mane spins and rattles, grabbing baby’s attention and putting it right where it needs to be: staring at your phone and smiling!
I found that it fit my phone (a Pixel 4) comfortably even with a thick case on, and it stayed quite secure. And baby loved it!
Got any gift ideas for recent moms to add to the list? Comment below!
