The Best Gifts for a New Mamacita.

HEADS UP: There’s a sweet giveaway under pick no. 1 below!  Be sure to enter!

Let me preface this post by saying that the ACTUAL best gifts I received as a new mom were all of the loving and thoughtful texts and emails and calls from friends and family during the first two weeks with minimagpie.  I especially appreciated the unanticipated texts from other new moms asking how things were going, who had just recently been there, done that–“how is breastfeeding going?”; “are you able to get up and down the stairs post c-section yet?”; “is she sleeping a few hours at a time yet?”–and offering little words of encouragement–“you can do it!”; “the first few weeks are rocky–it gets better!”; “you’re doing great!”  One of my friends (thanks, S!) gave birth to her daughter via c-section two months before I did and I especially cherished her notes, since she gave me such a clear and candid view into what I could expect at each turn, and had just enough distance from the recovery to be able to encourage me along the way.  S, you are a tough cookie–and a kind cookie (? ha — all the cookies please).

But, if you have a new mamacita you’d like to shower with gifts, I’m sharing the 10 best ‘new mom’ presents I received.  You’ll note many of these are actually gifts for baby, but, let’s be honest: now that mini is here, a gift for her is really a gift for me!

Pick No. 1: Monogrammed Baby Gear.

After mini was born, I received a number of personalized blankets, articles of clothing, and burp cloths (loveee these, a gift from my sweet sister).  Something so special about receiving new goodies with your babe’s newly-minted name on it.  (Also, three weeks in, I still sometimes I stop and think, “Wait a minute.  I made a baby.  And I named her.  Like, there’s a human being in this world with a name I gave her.  And I made her.”  It literally blows my mind.  #Basicthoughts.  Moms: does this ever wear off?!  I’m literally astounded by this.)

{Monogramoholic in the making.}

My FAVORITE source for monogrammed baby goods is The Bella Bean — gorgeous, classic pieces with affordable personalization.  I love these jon jons for boys ($30), this seersucker ruffled bubble ($30), and especially this daygown ($32), which the sweet ladies behind this store–Marisa and Kelly–very generously gifted me.

AND, as a little treat for you lovely mamas out there, The Bella Bean is offering one of you lovely readers one of these cute bunny bibs, just in time for Easter!  (More Easter inspo here.)  To win, you just need to like them on Facebook, follow them on Instagram, and leave a quick comment below letting me know the best gift YOU’VE received!  I’ll announce a winner on Monday!

Pick No. 2: The Waterbottle.

Perhaps unexpected, but one of my girlfriends gave me the sweetest “c-section recovery kit” with some items from CVS to help with my physical recovery, and then this pretty waterbottle from Anthro ($30).  I am never without this water bottle (you are supposed to drink a lot of water while breastfeeding, especially when your supply is low), and it brings a little happiness to my day every time I look at it.  Also, it’s functionally brilliant because I’m often sitting on the couch or in bed and I can screw on the top and lay it right next to me.  Such a small thing, but it really has been a little ray of sunshine.  Even my mom commented on it while caring after me, noting that she would probably remember to drink more water if she had such a pretty little vessel at her side!  (Thank you times a million, A, for this sweet gift and all of your kind gestures of support!)

P.S. — Decidedly unsexy, but one other c-section-specific “gift” I received?  The advice from two c-section warrior mamas to pick up some hid-ey-ous high-rise granny panties for recovery.  Barf, but oh-so-practical and much more comfortable around the incision than your run-of-the-mill low-rise styles.

Pick No. 3: Size-Appropriate Baby Clothing.

Related to the above: I always wondered why people made a fuss about the baby’s weight and length on birth announcements.  Like, why did it matter?  (I naively asked.)  I now get it.  The size can give you insight into the delivery without needing to ask.  (A friend of mine delivered a 10-lb baby, and I have massive respect for her–mini was 6 lbs 9 ozs, and I felt like she was HUGE in me!  Another friend delivered a small baby (5 lbs), and I had a sense, without having to ask, why the babe was spending time in NICU.)  Second, knowing the size and weight can give you the opportunity to purchase appropriately-sized newborn clothing for the new mama!  I was poorly equipped for mini’s tiny size–she lost quite a bit of weight after her birth, and I mainly had a ton of size 0-3M clothing, which she was SWIMMING in.  I was so grateful that my mom immediately ran out and snagged a ton of true newborn-sized pieces.  On this note, I love that Baby Gap and Monica + Andy carry special categories of sizes–Gap sells items that come in an “under 7 lbs” size like these onesies and these jammies, and Monica+Andy even has a convenient “preemie” size that mini wore for a few times.  I especially love this strawberry print footie ($32) and this pineapple print kimono top ($18) with pants ($18), which you probably saw on mini here.

And, the flipside is true, too–if your girlfriend gives birth to a 10-lb baby, snagging some true 0-3 month styles (instead of newborn-sized ones) will be handy.

Pick No. 4: Flowers.

I received so many gorgeous flower arrangements, and they not only cheered me along during my recovery, but also distracted me from the mounting chaos/pile-up of chores and baby gear exploding everywhere–and gave visitors the illusion that I had things pulled together.  Ha.  My sister and brother-in-law had a RIDICULOUSLY extravagant bouquet (it was like the size of a small car — thanks C + A) sent straight to the hospital and every single nurse and visitor commented on how exquisite and beautifully-scented it was.  (Lilies FTW.)  It must have been quite the nice surprise for those nurses, who are probably constantly battling with various gross smells in the labor and delivery unit :/

Pick No. 5: The Boppy Lounger.

I’ve extolled the virtues of the Boppy Lounger ($30) before, but, since it’s my #1 must-have newborn item, I had to re-list it here in the event that the new mamacita does not have one!  (FYI, several of you, including my sister-in-law, have recommended the LeachCo Podster as an alternative with a washable cover! P.S. — I had and absolutely LOVED the maternity pillow by LeachCo, so my guess is that this product is also pretty amazing.  And more maternity must-haves here.)

Pick No. 6: The Nursing Top

I’ve already shared some of my favorite nursing gear, but I have to say it was incredible to receive a couple of nursing tops from girlfriends who had breastfed or were breastfeeding–I really had no idea what I would need or like, and was sort of groping around in the dark prior to mini’s arrival.  Already, my needs and wants have evolved from those first few confusing days after the hospital.  Now I am binge-ordering button-down shirts that are washable (dry clean NOOOOOOO) and looking for roomy/oversized tops that are easy to lift up.  Nothing form-fitting for this lady for right now.  One of you lovely readers pointed me in the direction of the online boutique Buru, which specializes (!!) in chic nursing gear, much of it not explicitly “nursing clothing”–just stuff that accommodates the nursing mama.  For example, check out this adorable and on-trend gingham OTS top ($118).  You’d never peg it as a nursing top, but it is a perfectly suitable style for nursing in privacy.

Pick No. 7: The Gift Card

We received a few Amazon gift cards, and they were so dearly appreciated (and have long since been used…) for boring things like diapers (word to the wise: after doing some hunting, I believe Amazon to be the most affordable diaper delivery service out there.  Also, if you have Prime already, you’ll love that you get free shipping!) and fun things like pretty little Sapling onesies ($21), which I continue to order on the reg.  (Good old Osh Kosh also has some cute finds for an even better pricepoint — I love this ruffled, striped onesie!)

I also think a gift card to GrubHub or to iTunes would make an amazing gift–we have ordered in quite a bit, and, as I mentioned here, our AppleTV has been one of my most cherished post-delivery products. We’ve probably spent a small fortune over the past 10 months (pregnancy + post-mini-arrival) renting movies and shows!

Now, I know a gift card may seem a little…impersonal?  But, I guarantee you, they will be well-loved and put to great use, especially during these weeks where I feel like money is just floating out of my wallet as I discover new things for mini and I that I “need.”  (Ha.)  But baby clothing!  I just made quite the epic haul at BabyGap (she needed these joveralls, HELLO! — you know I’m obsessed with the joveralls trend, and she needed to partake, too) and ZaraKids (no brainer).

Pick No. 8: The Extravagant Tiffany Heirloom

OMG.  One of my generous aunts sent mini this stunning Tiffany sterling silver baby comb.  So ridiculously special to have something like this that will now be an heirloom for mini to pass on to her babes.  One of those things you’d never buy yourself…

In a similar vein for over-the-top, heirloom-worthy gifts: a pair of amazing Hermes booties, a silver piggy bank, or one of Jonathan Adler’s initial pillows.  Or, a set of these ridiculously priced but overly adorable day-of-the-week bibs from Bonpoint ($195).

A Few Other Lovely New Mom Gifts…

Some other gift ideas that I think a new mom would love:

+Some really good hand cream — and I’ve heard rave reviews of Aesop’s stuff ($27).  My hands are so dry from washing bottles and pump parts and just washing my hands generally with a newborn around.

+High-end baby-care bath products from Beauty Counter ($54).  This is the kind of stuff that’s always on my wishlist, but I typically end up going with slightly more wallet-friendly products.

+A gift card to a local salon for a manicure/pedicure.  Sometimes it takes a little nudge to get a new mom out to treat herself!  (Local ladies: I love Salon Zazazoo.)

+A home-cooked meal — we were so fortunate to have family in town to cook for us and a few friends bring by some treats and meals.  Such a luxury.  (Thank you especially to J and K!!)

+Some great pajamas.  I’ve shared a few of my favorite nursing-friendly finds here, but neglected to add my go-to Cosabella jams, which I wore throughout most of the 2nd and 3rd trimesters and have also been wearing frequently now that mini is here.  I also think this little situation, which comes with a coordinating baby sleepsack, is adorbs!