I (Amelia Anderson) was on the youngish side when I became a mum for the first time, so not many of my friends had kids yet. But reflecting back on 24-year old me, I realise I still had adequate time to commit horrendous offences of the crap gift-giving kind. So, I’ve decided to write this post as my penance as I beg those friends who paved the path before me for their forgiveness. There’s a saying “You don’t know what you don’t know”. I used to think this was a bit of a cop-out, an excuse for ignorance. But when it comes to parenting, it’s true – you really don’t know until you’ve been there yourself. Sure, I had little cousins, had worked in childcare throughout the university and was an
early years teacher. I knew a little about parenting from my comfy perch on the sideline. That smidgen of knowledge was but a drop in the ocean. So here’s a little list of my top 5 gift ideas for new mums.

Read on to see 5 practical gifts for new mums…

1. Mini-med-kit (Infant paracetamol and digital thermometer)

Those Panadol ads aren’t BS-ing you. As a first-time mum, when your little bub* gets a fever it’s panic stations.  You break into a sweat yourself, fumble around trying to find a thermometer, curse yourself for not buying paracetamol in anticipation of this inevitable event, and consider calling an ambulance. After all, your baby (AKA The Centre Of The Universe), is pushing 39 degrees, and it’s catastrophic! If only you had a little-med kit in your bathroom drawer, given by a thoughtful pal back when you were pregnant!

*You can’t use infant paracetamol for babies under 4 weeks*

2. Nasal aspirator

This is a little contraption that you probably wouldn’t know existed unless you’re a parent. I sure didn’t when my first darling was four weeks old and had his first cold. He was so congested that the poor little dear couldn’t breathe properly. So just do your pregnant friend a favour and buy her an aspirator, okay?

Here comes the essential new mum survival kit!!

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3. Facial moisturiser is one of the best new mum pampering gifts

When you bring your newborn home, you’re busy doing these things: gazing into her eyes, taking thousands of photos on your iPhone, writing thank you cards for gifts, unpacking your hospital bag, receiving visitors, washing mountains of soiled baby clothes, sniffing your baby’s hair, marveling at how tiny her little bum is, making up
cutesy nicknames for her,  and texting your husband photos of her wearing every outfit in her wardrobe. You become so focused on caring for your mini-me that it’s very easy to forget that you have basic survival needs. So a beauty regime sounds like a totally foreign concept to you. And when I say “you”, I mean “me“. I don’t care how dewy and glowing your friend’s skin was while she was pregnant. Once she’s feeding her newborn six times overnight for a week, she will feel old, wrinkly and dry. A beautiful, quality, fresh-scented day cream is like a facial in a jar. New mums deserve small luxuries. This is one must-have in a new mum pamper kit.

Also, check out 5 home decor ideas to inspire you this weekend.

4. Double stroller

You know double stroller deserves a special mention in this list of 5 gift ideas for new mums. It’s so important that’s maximum parents will love this. A double stroller can accept car seats and there is a riding platform for an older child at the back. How many times have you been out at the mall with a younger child that is doing fine while the older one starts to complain about all the walking? Now you can tell your older child to hop on board and enjoy the ride as well. A double stroller will serve you well now and into the future. They are convenient to fold up and easy to manoeuvre. You’ll be hard pressed to find any type of negative comments on double stroller since they have passed the test of time and continue to outperform all other stroller types over and over again.

You may also enjoy reading my gift hack for mothers.

5. Nappy wallet

Many new mums take great pleasure in selecting certain things for themselves when they’re expecting a bub. Choosing a nappy bag has to be one of the most fun experiences, because it’s something that’s functional and fashionable, and there’s so much variety currently on the market. Your nappy bag is a reflection of your self. Or at least that’s what we’re fed by the companies peddling the $400 leather designer nappy bags. If this is true, my modest $30 nappy bag smarmily tells everyone “My owner is disorganized, is carrying a little extra weight, has stained down her front and always smells like milk.” So all in all, a pretty accurate reflection, really.

It was a clever idea of my friend M to give me a chic, compact nappy wallet which resembles a stylish clutch purse. It carries a slimline box of wipes and three nappies and has a loop to attach a dummy. I slide this under my pram and carry my handbag like a normal person. Appearing like a normal person is paramount when you’re a mother because you rarely feel like one. Make sure you give that glorious vision of pregnant perfection a beautiful gift and a big hug, assured in the knowledge that your practical present will come in very handy.

*Guest post by Amelia Anderson from 10exposed.com*

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