What Is a Good Gift for Someone Who Has Just Had a Baby? 10 Gift Ideas for New Parents
Looking for a gift for someone who has just had a baby? Finding something that feels genuinely special and different to what everyone else is getting can be tricky. New parents tend to receive lots of tiny clothes, teddies and baby essentials. And these are great gifts as they are all needed, but if you are looking for something a little different – read on!
Thinking back to when I was a new mum myself, my favourite presents were those that weren’t just something I need for the baby, but something that I can also enjoy. In general, I think most new parents would agree that the best gifts are those that make life a little easier, give them time to themselves or help them preserve the memories of this new and fleeting chapter.
If you’re looking for thoughtful new baby gift ideas in Ireland, here are ten suggestions that go beyond the usual babygrow (even if I do love browsing Next’s absolutely cutest baby clothes!)
1. A professional newborn photography gift voucher
One of the most meaningful gifts you can give a new family is the opportunity to preserve those early days with professional photographs.
The newborn stage passes incredibly quickly. One minute you’re bringing home a tiny baby who fits in the crook of your arm, and before you know it, they’re stretching, smiling and becoming more alert to the world around them.
Professional newborn photographs capture all those little details you might otherwise forget: their tiny fingers and toes, their sleepy expressions, the way they curl up against you and the first photographs of your family together.
A newborn photography gift voucher is particularly lovely because it gives parents something to look forward to once they’re home and beginning to settle into life with their new arrival. Plus it’s something that everyone can enjoy together, even older siblings if there is some.
At Pitter Patter Studios in Meath, newborn sessions are relaxed, baby-led and never rushed. There’s plenty of time for feeding, cuddles and breaks, and there’s no expectation that your baby must sleep throughout the session. Family and sibling photographs are included too in all packages, so parents will get beautiful family and sibling photos as well as baby on their own.
Why it’s such a special gift: Rather than giving another item that might be quickly outgrown, you’re giving a family photographs they can enjoy for years to come.
If you’re considering a photography voucher, it’s worth checking the photographer’s location and what the voucher includes and if there is an expiry date.
Vouchers at Pitter Patter Studios can be for a set amount or to the value of one of my packages. I offer physical and digital vouchers. I’m also flexible regarding timing/ using the voucher so don’t worry if the family you are buying for don’t end up being ready for a newborn shoot. The value will be transferred to whatever time they do feel ready, whether that is when baby is 6 months or turning a year old!
If you’d like to purchase a Pitter Patter Studios gift voucher, they can be purchased in €50 increments via stripe. If you’d like a different amount or want to pay by a different channel, please get in touch to order your voucher.
2. A food delivery voucher
Those first few weeks with a newborn can be wonderful, exhausting and overwhelming all at once. Between feeding, changing, cuddling and trying to catch up on sleep, preparing meals can become the last thing on a new parent’s mind.
A voucher for a local takeaway, a meal delivery service or a company that provides prepared meals can be a genuinely practical gift. You could even organise a few meals between friends or family members so the parents have one less thing to think about.
3. Hand and/or Foot Imprint or 3D Print
When I had my first baby, my lovely colleagues at work gave me a voucher for a hand and foot imprint of my baby. I loved it and I ended up booking it for my other 2 children and having it done at the exact same age for them all. They are all hanging side by side on the wall in my kitchen.
Since then, casting has become a lot more popular and you can get full casts of the little babies hands or feet now. This is another wonderful way of preserving the tininess of the baby and creating lasting memories and giving the family something that will last forever.
4. A gift for the new mum herself
When a baby arrives, much of the attention naturally turns towards the little one. But the new mum has been through carrying a baby for 9 months, giving birth and is probably going through a whirlwind of emotions right now.
Consider a voucher for a spa day, a beauty treatment, a hair appointment or a relaxing afternoon out with friends when she’s ready. You could also put together a small care package with her favourite snacks, a lovely hand cream, comfortable socks and a few treats she wouldn’t necessarily buy for herself.
The important thing is to choose something that suits her rather than assuming every new mum wants the same kind of pampering.
5. A personalised keepsake
If you’re looking for something sentimental, a personalised present can be a lovely choice. Ideas include a personalised baby blanket or jumper, a piece of jewellery engraved with the baby’s initials or a special keepsake box for storing little mementoes.
I personally received keepsake boxes as gifts when all three of my children were born. To this day, my children love taking it down and looking through all the special memories it holds.
6. A voucher for a baby massage class or parent-and-baby activity
Depending on the parents’ interests and how they’re feeling after the birth, you could consider a baby massage class, a sensory class or a parent-and-baby yoga class. Check the timing and age requirements before buying, and choose something flexible so if mum doesn’t feel up to attending something right away, she still has options to use the voucher.
This is a particularly good gift if the new parents like getting out and doing things but aren’t the best organisers! You take the pressure of the organisation off them and give them an easy way of getting out of the house and meeting other new parents.
7. A Baby Journal
This gift isn’t for everyone, but for the right person, this can be a really lovely gift. For someone likely to be feeling over whelmed after the arrival of their newborn, this probably isn’t something that they would have time to do without it becoming stressful.
But for the parent who already likes to journal and to track everything, the journal is a really lovely way of doing this. The journal then becomes a treasured possession as time goes on, for them to look back on and remember all the details of this fleeting time.
8. Baby Album or Frame
I also received gifts of baby albums when my babies were born. As someone who has always had a passion for photography and preserving memories, this was a perfect gift for me. But again, it is a time investment for the new parents to print the photos & put them in the album or the frame so this gift is definitely best for someone you know who won’t mind the effort as they really appreciate having somewhere to keep the images.
9. Custom Art Piece
There are so many lovely small businesses out there at the moment creating pebble art and family trees and other lovely custom art pieces. This is a very unique and thoughtful gift and a lovely way to support local small Irish Businesses too. If you have the time (as they need to be custom made), this could make a very meaningful gift and is something that families can enjoy for years to come on their wall or mantelpiece.
10. Voucher for Parents
Another lovely idea is to get a voucher for the parents to do something together. Once the new baby arrives, it’s often very difficult for the parents to get any time to themselves. Gifting them something like a gift voucher for a meal in their favourite restaurant that they can use together when things calm down gives them something to look forward to and to keep date night on the calendar!
So, what is the best gift for someone who has just had a baby?
Ultimately, the best present depends on the parents and what would mean the most to them.
If they’re exhausted, a take away voucher might be exactly what they need. If they love sentimental gifts, a personalised keepsake could be perfect. And if you want to give them something that helps preserve this once-in-a-lifetime chapter, a professional photography gift voucher is a wonderful option.
The early days with a baby can feel long when you’re in the middle of them, but they pass remarkably quickly. Their little hands grow, their faces change and the newborn days gradually become a distant memory.
A photography voucher gives parents the opportunity to press pause for a little while, celebrate their growing family and create photographs they can look back on long after their baby has outgrown those tiny baby grows.
If you’re searching for a newborn photographer in Meath or the surrounding areas of Dublin, Kildare, Louth or Cavan, Pitter Patter Studios would love to help you celebrate this special time. You can check out my work on my portfolio page.
Thinking of giving the gift of memories? Get in touch with Pitter Patter Studios to ask about a photography gift voucher and find out how you can give a new family something truly meaningful.
