Perfect Gifts for New Parents
Looking for the perfect gifts for new parents? These ideas spoil mom and dad! You can also check out my favorite luxury baby gear and items for gifts that are also for baby. This post contains affiliate links and gifted products.
When Baby Jay, our fourth baby, joined our family this past summer, my baby registry contained gifts for me too, for a change (see my top baby sprinkle gift ideas). While in previous registries I focused on baby and big sibling gift ideas, I knew that recovery was going to be a rough ride for me, and added just a few items that were for me.
If you’re looking for the perfect gifts for new parents, while baby gifts are FABULOUS (and you can check out my best baby products on a dime that other parents contributed to) you might want to consider something that the parents will enjoy for Themselves.
These make fabulous baby gifts, but also cool holiday or any day gifts for parents who are in the “new parent” stage in their lives. And NO this is not just good for first time parents. These are perfect gifts for new parents whether it’s their first, second, or tenth!
What Makes Perfect Gifts for New Parents?
You’ll see the gifts below split into a few categories. All of these support parenthood in one way or another. While we do love Dads too, and there are some great ideas for them too, the guide naturally took a very mom-ish turn. She is the one, after all, who birthed baby!
Some of these are great for adoption too. I’ll share the basics that I was looking for when curating the perfect gifts for new parents:
Things that support parenthood – there are some things that make parenting itself easier, or allow parents to create a more kid-friendly home.
Self-care – often misunderstood as spoiling oneself, it refers to the very basic care of oneself, same as you might care for your kids. New parents need lots of support with this, and I’m happy to share some gifts that support that.
A little splurge – There’s always that little extra that help parents with the things they’re struggling most with in parenthood. Giving an “extra” gift that helps parents feel better, prettier, like they’re doing a fabulous job can go a long way with supporting them.
12 Perfect Gifts for New Parents
Making Parenthood Easier
These are the perfect gifts for new parents to directly support parenting their kids. From creating a healthier home to preserving memories, and allowing them to be more comfortable, these gifts will make parenthood run a little smoother.
Airthings View Plus
As a parent to two asthmatic kids (and an asthmatic myself) air quality is a concern. In fact, recent events in NYC (residual Canadian wildfire smoke) showed how important it really is. We also suffer heavily from environmental allergens.
Airthings View Plus is smart comprehensive air quality monitor that keeps track of seven air quality components.
The device itself fits in smoothly with any home, and features a classy eInk display that looks in place in our rustic-traditional living room. It measures humidity, temperature, radon, CO2, PM 2.5 and more. Knowing what affects your air quality can help give baby an ideal environment.
Air quality factors can also affect things like fatigue, mood, and energy levels. Knowing where our problem areas are helps us take steps to improve it so that we can have more strength to parent our kids.
I decided to give it a test and breathed REALLY hard on it. The display glowed a soft red and showed high CO2 levels.
Airthings View Plus connects easily to the Airthings app which gives you all the data at your fingertips. It shows stats for the time frame we choose. It’s grouped by which factors impact different things, so that I can have an answer to things like extra sneezes, wheezing, or migraines.
Use code MOMSANDC-10OFF for 10% off your Airthings purchase.
Heirloom Video Book
We all talk about taking those photos off the camera – but what about those precious video memories that we never look at again?
The kids grow up so quickly and we forget just how heavenly those first days are!
Heirloom Video Books is basically a bookshelf-friendly video display that allows you to have videos at your fingertips just like you would photos! Open the cover and the video plays on an HD screen. We loved loading ours with videos of 2 year old A singing, bossing Alexa around, and Baby Jay’s precious newborn stretches and yawns.
Choose a cover, load it with video, and enjoy precious memories! When gifting this, you can pre-load video from your friend’s social profiles or the ones they sent to the family chats, or they can load their own.
Anywear by Cherokee VIBE Slides
New parent foot fatigue is real. Whether it’s postpartum aches and foot changes, or hours spent on our feet rocking and holding baby, comfortable footwear is a must!
These Anywear By Cherokee VIBE slides are so comfy, they’re my go too at home! Okay, I confess, I’ve been wearing them for carpool runs too. They are so therapeutic for my aching feet. I like the olive color because it’s toned down, and since they’re slides, they’re compact and easy to pack and store.
The slides are from Medical Scrubs Collection, which offers stylish and comfy footwear, breezy joggers, scrubs, petite scrubs, and other fashionable but comfortable outfits for new parents.
Mom’s Family Calendar
As the family grows, so does the challenge of keeping track of EVERYTHING for EVERYONE! Mom’s Family Calendar is designed for families like mine, with multiple kids, including school age kids. It’s a perfect gift for new parents who also have older kids!
With the arrival of my fourth, I actually find myself more disorganized than ever and can really use the help. Moms’ Family Calendar is a 17 month school year calendar. It features columns for each family member, loads of fun stickers to help with scheduling, and even has an “artwork” pocket.
The vertical wall calendar has plenty of space and month-at-a-glance organization, with the amount of space you’d normally get on a weekly calendar.
Cute tips like “toss markers missing caps” and “recycle empty shampoo bottles in shower” offer some low-pressure and low key organization goals.
Chefwave French Press Coffee Maker
New parents LIVE on coffee – I mean, I legit don’t know how I’d do without. But few are the days that we actually get to drink it hot!
The Chefwave French Press isn’t only gorgeous, it features a double walled stainless steel construction that actually keeps coffee hot! So you can put it up easily in the AM and when you are ready to drink it three hours later, it’ll still be nice and hot.
It’s absolutely gorgeous and a MUST to display on open shelving and use at parties. And the built-in timer in the handle lets you know when to plunge those coffee grinds.
Self Care (Health & Sleep)
Self care is often misunderstood as “me time”. In fact, self care is the basics. Some new parents neglect to care for their basic needs because they are too busy caring for a new human. In fact, if it would be neglect if you don’t do it for your kid, it’s neglect if you don’t do it for yourself.
We need good sleep. We need to shower. We need to eat and drink.
These gifts aren’t necessary for self-care but they SUPPORT self-care, making it easier and more fun for new parents – because there’s a reason we tend to neglect it!
MIVA Recovery Water Bottle + Massager
One of my absolutely favorite gifts for new parents is a good water bottle. New moms MUST drink a lot, but unlike during pregnancy, it’s very hard to keep up with it!
The MIVA recovery water bottle is unlike anything I’ve seen. It doubles as a foam roller to ease those aching limbs with a massage.
But that’s not the only reason this is my favorite for new parents:
- It features a double walled stainless steel interior that keeps drinks cold for a while, making drinking more pleasant
- The flip-up straw is both leakproof, and drink-in-bed friendly (no cold, nasty dribbles)
- The silicone exterior means that when I accidentally knock it over and drop it, it doesn’t clatter and wake baby.
- And the handle makes it easier to carry along when I’m also carrying baby.
And when new parents are ready to get back to workouts, it’s a fabulous choice, offering easy sips throughout the workout and post-workout muscle relief in one.
Eli & Elm Weighted Comforter
Sleep glorious sleep! As new parents, we try to make the most of the little sleep we have left…
Eli & Elm’s weighted comforters have drastically improved my sleep quality, because, yes, I’m one of those who needs to feel like something is on me to sleep well. It’s 100% cotton – 300 thread count – and breathable, which is super helpful or those postpartum sweats (did you know that’s a thing? I had to google to see if it was normal – and it is!)
And it’s filled with glass beads to keep the weight on, without overheating me. They are distributed evenly throughout and stay where they belong.
Manta Sleep Mask
Speaking of sleep… I’m not a fan of most sleep masks but the Manta sleep mask isn’t like most.
This one doesn’t really feel like I’m wearing a mask thanks to the cushions that sit around my eyes, leaving my eyelids and lashes pressure-free. Not only that, but it features a real blackout effect, thanks to the way it truly surrounds my eyes. And it can be closed at any position, so that it fits anyone.
It’s perfect for the “off” parent – the one that won’t be waking with the baby – to help them get better sleep and not be disturbed as the other parent cares for baby.
It’s super popular on Amazon, but if you get it on their website, you get it with a fun little case and earplugs too.
A Little Splurge
New parents often REALLY don’t feel themselves. So while I call these perfect gifts for new parents “splurges” they are in fact that extension of “self-care” that isn’t totally necessary, but is, actually, self-care.
These are perfect for when you REALLY want to treat the new parent.
Stumptown Coffee
While coffee can fit into any of the above categories, I love the idea of getting coffee that’s a real treat. Stumptown coffee is a favorite, and a fabulous splurge gift for new parents.
I made this little gift tray for my sister as a thank you gift and paired it with a wooden tray and a fun seasonal accessory.
Plaitly Ballet-Inspired Jewelry
New moms experience changes to their body. I know I tend to feel less than pretty myself postpartum, and there’s nothing like a new piece of jewelry to help me feel more like getting up and getting dressed.
And you know I’m a big fan of anything artsy, especially from small businesses!
PLAITLY’s Drapery collection was made by studying the drapery and organic folds in ballerina’s costumes. It’s both elegant and artsy, a unique combination that is just so classy, without being boring!
The jewelry is made from a 3D printed cast, handmade, and plated in 18kt gold. It’s perfect for layering or for wearing on its own, fusing minimalist style with a touch of attitude.
Veriphy Skincare Core Trio Gift Set
On the same note, sleepless nights and expending myself caring for a little human can make me feel less of myself. Postpartum, my beauty routine can really use a boost.
Veriphy Skincare creates cruelty free high-end products that are made from clean ingredients, making them the perfect gifts for new parents. The Core Trio gift set features moisturization basics: a serum, facial moisturizer, and eye cream.
I found them to be lightweight and easily absorbed. The serum and moisturizer come in pump bottles for easy dispensing. And their packaging is gorgeous. I keep mine open on my windowsill in my bathroom because they’re too pretty to stash away.
There are Moms (or Dads) Way Worse Than You
I shared this book in my “new parents” gift guide but couldn’t help adding it here! It’s such a fun little gift for parents who might be feeling down and out, and like they’re not doing a perfect job. For some reason, we expect perfection from ourselves in our parenting – an unrealistic goal that can affect our mood.
This book is a mood-boosting take on what REALLY makes a bad parent (hint: it’s probably not you).
FYI the language is NSFK (not safe for kids) and it does look like a kids book – just be aware of that!
Got any perfect gifts for new parents to add to the list? Comment below!
