What can you buy as a maternity leave gift?
In this post I am going to tell you about the little things which I know can make such a difference to the life of a new mum.
1. Handcream
Before 2020, nobody probably thought too much about the impact of constant handwashing on their skin. New mums will soon find out that the handwashing is constant. In those first few weeks, there will be around 10 nappies a day to change plus 5-7 feeds. That’s a LOT of handwashing each day.
Hand cream makes a great maternity leave gift for a new mum.
For years I had tried all of the expensive hand creams under the sun but none of them quite lived up to their expectations.
I tried £30 hand cream from Clarins (I stockpiled 5 tubes of it before the eldest was born) but it just didn’t deliver any of the results it promised. Then I tried a £20 hand cream from L’Occitane. It smelt amazing and keep my nails nice but just didn’t take away the sandpaper feel from my hands.
Then finally, by accident, I tried some good old Aveeno cream. I suffer badly with ‘winter skin’ and noticed what a difference it made. So I tried it on my hands and it was AMAZING. Finally, a hand cream (that wasn’t a hand cream) finally did what it said on the tube. At less than £5 it is a bargain.
2. Arnica Products
When new mums are preparing for the baby to arrive, the last thing on their minds tends to be what THEY need. Arnica is an amazing healer and perfect for dealing with the discomfort following birth.
There are all sorts of products you can get but the gel and bubble bath are by far the best.
3. Travel Coffee Mug
One of the most underrated gifts for new mums is a travel coffee mug. These are designed to keep drinks not only hot but safe. One thing you will soon realise is that it is impossible to get 5 minutes to do anything let alone finish a cup of coffee.
Travel coffee mugs make a great maternity leave gift.
I like one with a handle because it is much easier to manage when you are juggling a million things at once.
4. Hair Wrap
It will take you a while to get into a decent routine and one thing which you probably will forget about is looking after your hair. In my first pregnancy I ended up cutting my hair because it was always wet, I never had five minutes to dry it properly so got fed up with it!
A microfibre towel wrap dries your hair in record time and is designed to reduce frizz (unlike a normal towel which will leave you in a frizzy mess).
I love the ones from Dock & Bay. They are nice and soft and we also use them after swimming.
5. Sleep Sprays
It might seem silly to say but there will be times when you actually struggle to fall asleep. The old saying ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’ just never held true for me. The more I forced myself to sleep, the more I was awake. I would lie there for ages thinking that I have to get up again soon so what’s the point?
I discovered these little gems on the advice of a friend. A lavender pillow spray can be a game-changer if you struggle to sleep. I buy the one from Cotswold Lavender because it is all-natural and doesn’t smell manufactured.
When I really couldn’t sleep I discovered a natural sleep spray. Just enough to help me fall asleep but not in such a deep sleep that I missed anything. This one from Bachs is brilliant.
Next time you need to buy a gift for a new baby, don’t forget about mum! These simple gifts are less than £10 and will make such a difference to the life of a new mum.
For more Mum to Be advice here, visit my dedicated pages here.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something I have recommended I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
