My sis is giving birth any day now to her third. She doesn't want for much, but of course I still want to get her a gift. They don't know if it will be a boy or girl. I haven't been pregnant for 5 years now and was wondering--is there something that you felt you couldn't do without? They are also very low on space, so big stuff is out of the question. I was considering getting her a Diapers.com gift card. What do you gals think?
For #3 I could have used some un-stained bibs, new baby socks (we'd lost or shrunk several pairs).
The gift card sounds PERFECT!
You cannot go wrong with diapers.
Help them stock up. They'll get used for sure, and you'll save them some $$.
Baby sitters? :)
Seriously the biggest thing I needed when my kids were needed was guilt free breaks every now and then. By guilt free I mean, oh I insist, I really want to spend time with the baby, you get some rest, go get your nails painted now that you can see them again. :)
Everything else is pretty straight forward, a place to sleep, clothes, food and diapers.
Being that it's her third, there really may not be much she needs other than the stuff that actually gets used up - diapers, formula, new bottles, butt cream; stuff like that. Maybe make up a gift basket with those types of things.
Then on the other hand, since she'll have two others already at home and wanting attention - how about offering to babysit or take them out for awhile. Make a casserole or offer to make dinner/lunches the first few days.
Be sure to offer your services in the future - everyone thinks the first few days are the hardest, when in reality, they don't get much easier!!! Help is always needed and much appreciated!!
Ok, my youngest is 2, but I know of 3 other moms who used this and we all SWEAR by it.
The Fisher Price easy to use, lightweight, fold-up bassinet. It's the best $50 spent....and you can resale it for around $30-$35. I used it for 5 months. It sat next to the bed for when I was BF'ing, and I could move her anywhere in the house EASILY. Baby sleeps in a 45 degree angle, which was a blessing when our little monster was a spitter.
I THINK IT'S A MUST HAVE.
http://www.target.com/p/fisher-price-newborn-rock-n-play-...=
Outings for the older two. clothing basics for beyond the newborn phase - i.e. a 6 pack of onsies and sleepers for 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 and 12-18 months.
another nice thing to do is to give a series of inexpensive, low dollar amount gift certificates - even $5 will suffice. The point is, these are token gifts, but can be redeemed by her, with baby sitting to be provided by you (with advance notice).
gift certificate to the hair salon
gift certificate to the nail salon
gift certificate to barnes and nobles
to starbucks
to victoria's secret,
to a spa.
diapers.com is helpful too.
congrats,
F. B.
Boy, I hate to get stuff that I won't use. Butt cream--my baby never had a diaper rash, so I never used it. Baby Orajel--I knew before I got pregnant that I wanted to use teething tablets and would not be using the ointment. Somebody bought him a set of designer pacifiers, and he was never a pacifier baby. I didn't expect him to use pacifiers. I have given away fever reducer and other stuff. I say this to say, by child number three, she probably has a good sense of what she needs and what she wants. If that changes, she'll decide on a different route, but don't force anything on her that she will feel responsible for donating before it can expire.
Another thought--maybe they're being vague about the whole thing because they want to keep it all in their little family. They don't want anybody to go overboard and flood their grateful arms with a bunch of stuff that they will have to manage.
You don't say how old the older two are, but maybe you can offer to do something for them. Find out what type of diaper she prefers and get her some. When I was pregnant, I didn't enjoy feeling overwhelmed with so many wanting to "shower" me with gifts and acts, though I was very appreciative. Maybe you can help her set up an AmazonMom online account. I love not having to think about diapers and wipes.
I always love practical gifts anyway but especially when my daughter was born i.e. diapers, wipes, just necessities. Even if you have no problem affording them, it's so nice to not have to worry about running out or having to make a run to the store with newborn. I also loved this little pack 'n' play swing we got! We have a very, very small house so space was a big issue. This swing only came up to about knee level and it would fold in half to store or take with you. My daughter loved it, and since she was the kind of baby who wanted to be held and walked around 90% of the time, it was a lifesaver to be able to put her down so I could shower, pee, etc. Loved it!
When I had my daughter, I would of been upset getting diapers, wipes, etc. When I had my twins, I loved the diaper, wipe gifts best of all. There isn't one big thing I couldn't live with out, but I loved getting all the small necessities. Diapers, wipes, changing pads, etc. Also, I bottle feed so I needed to replace all the nipples I used for my daughter. Those could get expensive and I was glad to see someone bought them for me. Babies R Us has nice canvas baskets and organizers. If space is tight, maybe you can get one of those and fill it. Then she has what she needs and some storage space too. Space is tight with us too, and I have those Babies R Us canvas baskets all over my twins room.
A Walmart gift card.
Mylicon gas drops
Instructions on how to make babies fart
A vibrating bed (either a swing or bassinet, but the vibrating really helps them sleep)
Halo sleep wraps (helps them sleep)
Diapers are a great gift! When I gave birth to my second child I got a lot of clothes, some of which she never got to wear. I would have prefered diapers.
Savings Bond, a proof set of the year of the baby's birth (coins), something collevtible that could raise in value as the child gets older.
If this is #3, I would hope they'd appreciate someone helping them out financially to start or add to college funding, etc.
I never had a snap and go for 1 or 2 but got it as a gift with 3, and now I cannot believe I lived without it!!
Tacky as this is, we've been giving disposable pads as gifts. Very un-glamorous I know. But they are soooooo useful! They can be used as portable disposable changing pads, or under the prettier changing pad that comes with the diaper bag, when using those stations in public restrooms. I know one diaper company that makes them decorated with cartoony pictures and charges a small fortune for them. Just by the generic and then maybe a cute outfit.
Also, I remember the most needed thing was for someone to mother me. So if you can help your sister out by preparing meals, offering to car pool the other kids to activities and playdates and just let new mom and new dad focus on baby, that would be awesome too.
Congratulations and all the best to your sis and family and to you.
