Best Pregnancy Gifts for First Time Moms

Are you wondering what are the best pregnancy gifts for first time moms?

It’s such a kind and much-appreciated gesture to buy a gift for an expecting mom.

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But what should you get her? The best gifts for first time moms are items that will be either comforting for her or useful for her new baby.

We rounded up the gifts that pregnant moms will adore the most, so you don’t have to look any further!

What to look for in a gift for first time moms

When looking for a pregnancy gift for a first time mom you’ll want to keep some things in mind:

Usefulness: You can never wrong with a practical gift. Anything that makes life with a newborn easier will be much appreciated by first-time moms, even though they may not know what to do with your gift before the baby arrives. Although the gift doesn’t have to be for the baby. Gifts that can help make her life stress-free are always a good idea.

Self-care and pampering: If you want to her the special lady in your life a gift that she can use for herself, think along the lines of self-care. Moms (even expecting ones) tend to think about themselves last. You can help her feel more human again by giving her pampering lotions and soft beautiful things that make her feel relaxed and pretty.

Sweet and sentimental: Pregnant moms will always love those sweet and sentimental gifts that she will display in the nursery or keep for years to come, so don’t underestimate those!

Self-care gifts for expecting moms

A GOOD belly butter: A pregnant belly is growing belly, and a growing belly is an itchy belly. Her finances are probably focused mainly on baby items right now, so a quality belly butter she can use herself is the perfect gift.

Our top recommendation is the Pipette Belly Butter. The only downside is the tube is quite small. If you’re feeling extra generous, you may want to get her a couple of these!

Pregnancy pillow: Pregnant moms often have trouble sleeping and regular bed pillows just don’t do the trick for her to get comfortable. A pregnancy pillow provides extra support in all the right places.

Bath salts: Pregnancy can leave your body sore and achey, especially if you’re on your feet a lot. Giving your feet a nice soak in some Epsom Salts can be quite relaxing.

Maternity belt: Carrying a baby is beautiful, but it can also bring on some strong back aches. A maternity belt can help ease some of those minor aches and pains if they are coming from the added weight and pressure.

Compression socks: Did we mention that pregnancy creates some major changes in a woman’s body? Swollen ankles and varicose veins are no stranger to pregnancy and these compression socks can help with circulation and can reduce swelling in the feet and legs.

Nausea relief bracelet: Morning sickness is not always just a first-trimester thing and a pregnant mom will thank you for gifting her a morning sickness bracelet.

Water bottle: Staying hydrated is a pregnancy hack she can’t skip. A nice water bottle that she can refill will help her stay on top of her water intake, it’s a very sweet but useful gift she’ll love.

Slippers: With all the discomforts of pregnancy, tired feet is a problem that no woman loves to have. With achey feet and a belly she can’t see past, comfy slippers will become her best friend.

Books and journals

Letters to My Baby: A nice sentimental gift can go along way for a new mom that is so excited for her first baby to come. These personal handwritten letters from parents can serve as a time capsule that the baby will treasure when they grow up.

50 Things to Do Before You Deliver: This is a cute read that keep things light and funny around this serious time of pregnancy with a book full of great advice.

The First-Time Momâ€™s Pregnancy Journal: Moms have a tendency to forget what pregnancy was like years after the baby is born. A pregnancy journal can remind her how things were and how she felt. This journal can also help her mentally prepare for the baby’s arrival and she can share it with her little one when they are older.

What to Expect When Youâ€™re Expecting: The body goes through a lot of things and this classic pregnancy book is a must read for all new moms.

What to Expect The First Year: Once she knows what to expect during the pregnancy it’s never a bad idea to prepare her for what to expect after the baby is born. This book covers the first year, so it’s a good read for first-time moms.

Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be: For the social mom who misses her girls nights, a drink mix book that is alcohol-free can help her feel more connected to her girls again.

The Big Fat Activity Book for Pregnant People: This is a hilarious activity book and makes a wonderful baby shower gift. She will be laughing as she completes quizzes and finds the funny words.

Baby Sleep Books: Your new mom friend will want to know all about baby sleep, and it’s good to give her a heads up on some of the things to expect by giving her a good sleep book before the baby arrives.

Gifts about being healthy

Pregnancy nutrition guide: Help a pregnant mom out by giving her the gift of nutritional knowledge. This book takes the stress out of trying to figure out what to eat with healthy recipes and nutritional guidelines.

Pregnancy tea starter pack: If you have a tea-loving friend, this tea starter pack makes an excellent pregnancy gift. There is a tea for every stage of pregnancy and all the options are organic and safe for pregnant women.

Mama coffee: New moms have to limit caffeine and this coffee contains half the caffeine. It’s also low acid, but high in flavor, so your friend can enjoy her cup of Joe.

Grocery store gift cards: You cannot go wrong with gifting grocery store gift cards to your pregnant mom friend. She will appreciate the gesture, especially when she’s stocking up on non-baby items before the baby comes home.

Gift card to her favorite restaurant: If she’s still in her first trimester, her stomach may not be feeling it quite yet, but once her appetite returns, she’ll be delighted to enjoy a meal from her favorite place.

Meal plan/delivery subscription: There are so many meal plans out there and you can help your new friend have stress free meals with a subscription service.

Healthy snack care package: You can’t go wrong with a box full of healthy snacks for a mom-to-be. Include plenty of non-perishable healthy snacks so she can take her time to enjoy them.

Sentimental gifts

Belly cast kit: If she’s the artsy type, a belly cast kit can help a new mom keep the memory of what her belly looked like for years to come. This is such a cute keepsake item to show the baby when they’re older too.

Baby keepsake box: A baby will have a lot of firsts and any mom will be so happy to save the first outfit, the first pair of shoes, and hair from the first haircut. A keepsake box can help her keep these things safe and organized.

Pregnancy t-shirt: A shirt she can keep forever but will have her laughing while she’s wearing it, you cannot go wrong with a pregnancy t-shirt.

Maternity photo: Hire a local photographer and give the gift of a maternity photo shoot. You can also pre-pay for a newborn photo shoot service so she can keep precious baby photos that were professionally done for years to come.

Sonogram pregnancy keepsake frame: Help her document all three trimesters of pregnancy with this special sonogram keepsake frame.

Gifts for the home

Housecleaning: You can either offer to come and clean her home or hire a service to do it. Either way, she will thank you for helping her out when she’s super tired in that third trimester.

Vacuum mop: Help a new mom keep her house clean by saving her a few steps of the cleaning process. She can use this vacuum mop to keep her floors squeaky clean.

Roomba: You can save your pregnant friend the hassle of having to sweep and vacuum altogether by gifting her a vacuum robot.

Classes and knowledge

Online prenatal class for couples: Help ease her anxiety about the big day with an online prenatal class so she can learn all the things about labor and delivery with her partner.

Online breastfeeding class: If you know for sure that she intends on nursing her little one, a breastfeeding class can be a thoughtful gift, and useful one too.

Tips for buying gifts for pregnant moms

If our list of pregnancy gifts for first time moms didn’t help you find a gift solution (or maybe you’re overwhelmed) here are some things to keep in mind.

Practical is always a safe choice. New moms will thank you for helping them gather essentials that they will use with their new baby.
If your new mom friend or family member is stressing out over her nursery, you can pool some people together and help her out with a dresser, crib and change table, or rocking chair.
Ask your friend if there is anything that she would like for her new baby because she likely has a list or a registry all set up ahead of time. Perhaps a bottle warmer or a formula dispenser is needed?
Your new mom friend will need diaper bag essentials, so you can always help her out by giving her a diaper bag filled with all the things new moms will need to bring on a day out with baby such as diaper cream, diapers, wipes, receiving blankets, pacifier, and extra clothes.