Finding the perfect gifts for new parents can be tricky. Maybe you are shopping for the perfect baby shower gift and you really want to nail it. Maybe baby is already here, and you can’t help but think how tired, scared, and stressed the new parents must be, and you want to help. You want to give them something useful but also something special. Well, look no further – this list of the 15 most perfect gifts for new parents will have what you need!
I based this list of amazing gift ideas for new parents on my own experiences as a new mom, but also by curating popular gift ideas from a few parenting Facebook groups. And only the most thoughtful, creative, and well-researched gift ideas made the cut!
I just know you will find what you are looking for among this list of perfect gifts for new parents!
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Perfectly Thoughtful Gifts for New Parents
Becoming a new parent is a HUGE transition. You go from only thinking of yourself, to barely thinking of yourself at all!
Caring for a newborn might be one of the biggest challenges you will face as a parent, and one that you face on little to no sleep! That is why new parents deserve all the empathy, compassion, support, and comfort you can give them!
And what better way to help the new parents in your life, than by giving them the most perfectly thoughtful thing they didn’t even know they needed? So, without further ado, here is my detailed list of 15 perfect gifts for new parents!
15 Perfect Gifts for New Parents
1. Meal Delivery for the Family
One of the things that saved us while we were lost in Newborn Land was all the support we received at meal times. Before the birth, we had prepped a few frozen meals, but it was the help of family and friends that really saved the day.
Meal Trains
One way to gift new parents with meal delivery is through a meal train. If you aren’t familiar, a meal train is like a crowd-funded, scheduled series of meals, delivered to your loved ones over a certain time frame. You could organize one yourself (check out this post on how to set up a meal train from Hither and Thither), or you could use a service like Meal Train or Take Them a Meal.
Meal Delivery Subscription
Another excellent gift idea for new parents is to buy them a meal delivery subscription. There are so many amazing meal delivery services out there, covering a broad range of dietary needs and tastes.
Dinnerly
Dinnerly is an amazing meal delivery subscription that’s perfect for new parents. Plus, it’s one of the most affordable meal delivery services out there. I love Dinnerly because they are really smart about how they manage their meal delivery and they pass the savings on to their customers.
2. Cleaning Service
When you are super tired and attending to a wailing baby around the clock, the last thing on your mind is cleaning the house. What’s really tough about that is during the first few months of baby’s life, new parents receive a lot of visitors. Without any time or energy to devote to cleaning up or doing household chores, a messy home can be an additional stressor on the poor, exhausted parents.
That’s why hiring a cleaning service makes for such an excellent gift. These two companies offer great options and flexibility to suit a variety of cleaning needs.
Home Advisor
Speaking of an array of services, Home Advisor has it all, and their selection of cleaning services is no different. Whether you want to schedule a deep clean, routine clean, or a special cleaning project, it’s super easy to find the right cleaning service with Home Advisor Service Magic
.
You can also book contractors from Home Advisor to help out with the pesky home improvement projects that no one ever gets around to. Find Handyman Services Contractors. Get Up to 4 Quotes Now. It’s Quick, Free, and Easy! Those new parents will endlessly thank you for taking such good care of them.
3. Diapers
New parents can always use diapers. Seriously, you simply cannot go wrong. A gift of diapers is always appreciated. For my baby shower, we did a diaper raffle and the stock pile of diapers we received set us up for the first several months. A huge help for our exhausted selves!
Whether your loved ones want cloth, disposable, or a combination of both, these diapers will make perfect diaper gifts for new parents.
Grovia from The Natural Baby Company
The Natural Baby Company takes cloth diapering to a new level with some of the most adorably stylish cloth diapers on the market. Choose from lots of fun designs and styles from fabulous brands like Grovia. I definitely recommend the Grovia All-In-One, which goes on as easily as a disposable. Click here to save up to 10% with GroVia Cloth Diaper Bundles!
Pampers
When we used disposable, we used Pampers. To me, Pampers are hands down the best-fitting, most absorbent disposable diapers you can get. For newborn bums, I think Pampers Swaddlers are the absolute best. So convenient for new parents. No wash, rinse, repeat needed. 🙂 Grab this bulk pack (164 count) deal on Amazon here.
4. Babysitting Vouchers and Coupons
New parents, especially single parents, are often in need of more babysitting help than they are willing to ask for. It’s tough to imagine someone else taking care of your baby in this early stage, plus when you’re tired and hormonal (yes, dads get hormonal, too), guilt tends to take hold when new parents think about asking for support. But that is why babysitting is one of the best gifts for new parents – they don’t have to ask.
If you prefer to offer your own babysitting services, why not make a gift voucher for free babysitting? The personalized touch will warm their tired new parent hearts. If you aren’t sure where to start, check out this stylishly-designed babysitting gift voucher from Two For Joy on Etsy.
For most new parents, sleep is the number one thing they need. But second to sleep, is time. They are so consumed with caring for their new baby, that they don’t have time to get anything else done. Even the simplest household tasks seem insurmountable.
Make life easier with an offer of a helping hand. Take out the trash, do the dishes, throw in a load of laundry. Or simply offer to mind the baby while they catch up on a little sleep. Check out this awesome coupon book from Junebug Printables to make something extra special.
5. Self-Care Supplies
OK. So a little self-disclosure.
My self-care was terrible after my first baby. I had a ton of issues with healing, both emotionally and physically, and I actually put myself through a lot more than I needed to because I didn’t take better care of myself.
Knowing what I know now, I wish I would have prioritized some self-pampering during those early weeks. I think it would have sped up my overall recovery.
Help out the new mama you love with some amazing self-care pamper kits that not only say you care, but that also say, “It’s OK to take care of yourself, mama.”
Since those early days, I have learned my lesson about the deeply-rooted benefits of self-care and I have made it a big part of my life. So if you don’t mind indulging me, here are my top recommendations in this category. 🙂
Earth Mama Organics
Earth Mama Organics clearly understands the unique needs of the postpartum mama. Any of their amazing Earth Mama Postpartum Recovery Products would make the perfect gift, but I definitely think you should check out their Organic Skin & Scar Balm, Organic Perineal Balm, and this Herbal Perineal Spray in the video below.
Also, I find their article on the benefits of the healing tradition "lying-in" super helpful and reassuring. 🙂 Plus, check out Earth Mama's Free Lying-in Postpartum Plan. Might be worth sharing with the new mama you love.
Sitz Bath Supplies
Before I had my first baby, I didn't really understand how sitting on a potty seat of warm water for 15 minutes a day was going to do anything to help me heal. But wow, was I wrong! I waited a couple weeks postpartum to purchase my sitz bath supplies and it's one of my biggest regrets. If someone had bought the supplies for me, I know I would have tried a sitz bath sooner. Some new moms have never heard of a sitz bath. Make sure they have what they need on hand, just in case. 😉
All a new mama needs to get started is a sitz bath toilet seat like this one from The Soothic Store, and a pack of sitz bath soaking salts like this one from the Pure Body Naturals store.
TheraBox Self-Care Subscription Box
There is no better subscription box on the market to support self-care than the TheraBox from Crate Joy. Packed with high-quality amazingness, each monthly TheraBox (designed by therapists) follows a different fantastic theme every month. There is no way the new mom in your life won't feel special with this fabulous self-care gift! Get a TheraBox subscription from Crate Joy here.
TheraBox - Self Care Subscription Box
6. Baby Swaddle
When baby first comes home, and learns to adapt to a new sleep schedule, it's all hands on deck. And that means very little shuteye for new parents. While those first several weeks of sleepless night can feel hopeless and new parents can feel helpless to make it better, when you get the swaddle down, sleep improves for all.
You might not realize it, but the type of baby swaddle parents use can have an impact on how well baby sleeps. Everyone knows that babies like to be be swaddled because it helps them feel secure, reminding them of the close comfort of the womb. But not all swaddles are created equally.
Our number one favorite swaddle when our girl was an infant was the HALO Sleepsack. It fit her perfectly and was easy to use, plus it's affordable too. They have several different swaddle options and you can keep using them as baby gets older. Diaper changes are really easy with HALO Sleepsacks, too. Get one here on Amazon.
7. Baby and Toddler Food Subscription
Ok so this food subscription could be a total game changer for the new parents you know. This fantastic meal subscription service from Nurture Life features clean ingredients, fresh never frozen meals, and food that littles actually love.
8. Nursing Hoodie
Breastfeeding, while no doubt a special bonding time between mama and baby, can be a challenging time for a new mom. I feel like I did OK along my breastfeeding journey, but I still had to deal with a (semi-painful) learning curve. I had some fantastic support from my local breastfeeding center, which made a world of difference (I highly recommend professional support!) And honestly, with the help of some amazing products, my nursing experience was vastly improved.
And my number one, go-to nursing outfit was this super comfy and well-made nursing hoodie from Latched Mama.
It a lifesaver for me. Such an amazing design! It also looks great with leggings, which I wore constantly in those early days.
Latched Mama is fantastic! Their clothes are trendy, well-made, and versatile. I own so many pieces of clothing from this company, (all of which I still wear even though I'm not breastfeeding at the moment). 🙂 Check out their wide range of fabulous products here.
9. Memory Keepsakes
Some of the gifts I was most thankful for early on were those centered around capturing memories and milestones. My daughter's adorable little handprint still hangs on her bedroom wall and every time I see it, I smile. She loves it too, and especially enjoys comparing her hand size!
That's why I think memory and keepsake supplies make the most amazing gifts for new parents.
Baby's First Year Keepsake Photo Album
There are lots of "baby's first year" albums out there, but this Baby Memory Book w/Keepsake Box from Next Mommy is my absolute favorite! Not only does it come with a fantastic memory book, but it also includes a keepsake box. Plus, you get 30 bonus monthly milestone and holiday stickers. So adorable and such a great deal! 🙂 Get it here on Amazon.
Baby Handprint and Footprint Kit
These kits make such amazing gifts for new parents - an exceptional way to create lasting memories that will hang on the wall for years to come. This Baby Handprint Kit from the Bubzi Store, this Baby Handprint and Footprint Photo Frame Kit by Norjews and this Baby Handprint and Footprint Mold Kit from Little Hippo are all favorites.
Custom Milestone Board
Pearhead has some amazing keepsake gifts and one of my favorites is their Milestone Board. It comes in several different designs and, like all of their gifts, you have the option to have it packaged in one of their adorable gift suitcases. I especially love the Kate & Milo Flowers Baby Milestone Chalkboard pictured below.
10. Bottles
Whether it's breastmilk or formula, bottles figure into a new parent's future. One of the things that we did early on (like around the 2 week-mark) was introduce a bottle a couple times a week so that bottles were an acceptable option. That really helped when it was time for mama to have a glass of wine or if it was dada's turn to feed baby.
Our number one favorite baby bottle brand is Lansinoh. We have several of their 4 oz. and 8 oz. bottles and we couldn't be happier. Before I had my daughter I heard about Lansinoh on a pregnancy podcast and how they are similar to breastfeeding because of the NaturalWave Nipple and anti-colic design. So I invested in a few. We were so happy with them, we committed to using strictly Lansinoh bottles throughout our daughter's entire bottle feeding stage. And I can definitely say we had zero colic and zero issues with alleged nipple confusion. Get them here on Amazon.
11. Newborn Learning Toys
Though new parents get showered with toys for their baby, there are likely only a few among them that truly foster learning and development. Toys that are specifically designed for newborn learning make excellent gifts for new parents because they will feel like they are doing something good for their baby.
We put black and white, high contrast cards (like the ones included in the Lovevery play kit mentioned below) in our daughter's bassinet and we stared at her staring at them for long stretches at a time. 🙂
LOVEVERY Play Kits (ages 0-3 months)
This play kit from Lovevery is amazing. Designed for babies 0-3 months old, every toy in the kit encourages brain development. The patterns and shapes are bound to draw curious looks from any little newborn. Lovevery's subscription play kits include stage-based toys made from quality and safe materials. Our daughter adores her LOVEVERY play kits! We look forward to each delivery so much, especially because it guides us through how to use each toy to foster development.
The Play Kits by Lovevery make perfect gifts for new parents and ordering is simple. Just select the child's birthday and the corresponding stage-based play kit will be delivered asap. The subscription grows with baby, delivering new age-appropriate play kits every couple months! Get a subscription here.
We adore the LOVEVERY Play Kits. Here is our daughter playing with one of her toddler kits. Such high-quality learning toys that arrive at just the right time!
12. Baby Care Kit
After polling parents on Facebook, I found that there were a few product recommendations that came up again and again. These baby care products were among them. I personally use these products as well and I highly recommend them. Throw them into an adorable gift basket like this diaper caddy organizer from the KiddyCare Store, and create an unbeatable baby care kit - one of the best gifts for new parents you could give.
Humidifier
Cool mist humidifiers are a must-have - they help with sleep, newborn congestion, and even that first little cold. This is the one we have and we love it. Especially comes in handy for years to come to help you navigate those pesky colds that seem to always show up at the most inopportune times!
PINXAV ("Pink-Salve") Diaper Cream
This stuff is flat-out amazing. We used Buttpaste for a while with meh results, but then my husband read about this pink stuff and we were blown away. We had been battling some serious diaper rash at a couple months old. But literally after one application of this stuff, the rash was gone and healed overnight. One of the most crucial gifts for new parents you can get - HIGHLY recommend! Pick some up here on Amazon.
Video Baby Monitor
Our video baby monitor has been a lifesaver. I have slight hearing loss in one ear so without this monitor, I likely would have missed a few wake-ups here and there. I also love the reassurance the video feed provides me when I get worried that everything is OK. This one has all the features we love and it's excellent!
Nose Frida Snotsucker
This inspired little invention from Frida Baby has the hearts of parents all around the world. It can definitely be a little scary when your baby is congested, so having one of these snotsuckers on hand is super reassuring. Get one here on Amazon.
13. Parenting Books
OK so I could go on and on about my favorite parenting books. I have read a TON of them. But there are only a few that I highly recommend as gifts for new parents. Here are some of my top picks!
Best Parenting Book for General Baby Care:
The Simplest Baby Book in the World
This book truly is simple and to the point. I can't recommend it enough.
Best Parenting Book for Quick Tips:
Baby 411
This book was the perfect quick reference for all of our baby care questions. I love the authors' sense of humor as well!
Best Parenting Book for a Laugh:
The Baby Owner's Manual
We got this book as a gift and we adored it. Set up like a product manual, super funny, and actually quite helpful!
14. Parenting Course
When it comes to unique and truly thoughtful gifts, an online parenting course is definitely on the list of perfect gifts for new parents. And to me, the best online parenting course for new parents is one focused on YOU!
Enter the Reparent Yourself Masterclass Bundle from the amazing pros at Genmindful.
This online learning program offers Lifetime Access to 20 Interactive Courses, Guided Meditations, Healing Movement, and Other Transformative Resources. This incredible bundle features renowned parenting experts teaching things like how to stay calm with your kids, how to interrupt generational parenting patterns, and how to heal the inner you by giving yourself what you needed as a child. This bundle of amazing courses is something every parent should get to enjoy.
15. Personalized Baby Blanket
I HIGHLY recommend these super cozy personalized blankets from Stork Wares. The designs are adorable, the blankets are high-quality, and the price point is affordable. They sell baby blankets, milestone blankets, and kids blankets, too. Full disclosure, I'm a little obsessed with all of their insanely adorable designs. Shop Stork Wares and their awesome selection here.
Thank you so much for exploring our gift guide. Did you find perfect gifts for the new parents you love in this guide? Have a favorite product you would like to suggest? Share with us in the comments below!
