Top Fifteen useful & UNUSUAL Gifts to Get the Expecting Mother

Sweet baby Bernice is now 8 months old!

Little Mother associate photographer, Theresa Weidner’s baby girl has just turned 8 months. Below are 15 things she found to be valuable or wished she had when expecting. Are you looking to buy something special for an important expecting mother? Or are you expecting and looking for some useful items to add to your gift registry? Here are a few very unusual ideas that you may not think of. Did we miss one of your favorite items? Comment below!
Although many items can be bought locally, we’ve also provided links to Amazon for some as well. If you make a purchase through these links, a portion of the profit benefits the Phelps County Animal Welfare League (PCAWL) through Amazon Smile.

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Detachable shower head
A detachable shower head is great for now and later. The expecting mother can use it while still pregnant to help sooth aching muscles and for cleaning harder to reach places while she is larger than she is accustomed to. It is also a great way to help with labor pains, (if she decides to labor at home before heading to the hospital). After birth the shower head will help her to get clean and feel better. It can even be used for years to come for easier bathing of her new child.

A sewing machine
If she is “crafty”, and doesn’t have one already, it may be nice to get her a simple one as a gift. A sewing machine can be a big help with hemming nursery curtains, putting new elastic in cloth diapers, or even mending her own clothes. The machine can be used in the future for sewing Halloween costumes, hemming pants, and patching clothes. Brother has some great sewing machine options for under $200, but you can also find great deals on used machines at local sewing shops, or online.

Freezer
Although a new freezer can be very costly it may be worth looking around online or checking to see if a friend has a used one to donate. Making meals ahead of time and having extra space to freeze breast milk (if the mom is pumping) will be so helpful for the new parents. It can also be used to store padsicles (see below), teething toys, and more!

Image and recipe from http://www.tallmomtinybaby.com/2013/05/padsicles-new-moms-perfect-companion.html

Padsicles
These can be a lifesaver for moms who deliver vaginally. Easy to make at home, they’re also a very inexpensive but thoughtful gift for the new mom.
Here’s a link for instructions.

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Meals for her freezer
Another budget-friendly but super considerate gift is freezer meals. Eventually friends and family will go home and leave the new parents to fend for themselves. Meals that they can freeze and keep for these occasions are a God-send. Recommended meals include those that are have a lot of vegetables and are high in protein. For example: chicken and veggies ready to pop in the crock pot, pot pie or shepherd’s pie are all awesome ideas. Don’t forget the sweets either! Not only will the new parents greatly appreciate dessert, they’ll surely be entertaining lots of friends and family who will want to snack on something as well.

Oxi-clean powder and Shout Spray
Although some babies may need sensitive detergent, Theresa found that Oxi-clean powder and Shout spray are great additions to your normal laundry routine. The combination of the two can eliminate almost any bodily fluid stain.
As new parents: don’t be afraid to just throw away some clothes. Some will be beyond saving or just not worth the effort (see number 9: scissors). However, there will be sentimental pieces that you’ll want to salvage as best you can.
Little Mother recommends keeping a bottle of Shout Spray right by the changing table to immediately pretreat any fluids as soon as you take the clothing off of the baby. A scoop of Oxi-clean powder can then be added to the laundry cycle to really get at those stains. Wash on cold, heavy-duty (if your washer has the option), and then just hope for the best.

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Size C Batteries
Why does everything baby-related take size C batteries? It’s a great mystery. Size C batteries seem to always be the one battery size that new parents don’t have, yet need the most! Gift the new parents a pack of these and they’ll be sure to thank you later.

Noise-canceling head phones.
Sometimes dad (or mom) just needs a break from the yelling and the screaming at zero o’clock in the morning. Maybe get two pair? One parent can use them to help sleep, and the other can use them to help get through changing and trying to sooth the baby. Amazon has an amazing pair for about $15

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Scissors
A special pair of scissors just for the nursery may sound odd, but they are super useful. These should be kept in a very safe and secure place, but easy enough to access for the parent in a time of need. These scissors are great for clipping tags off of clothing (even though you were so certain you got all of them before you threw the new clothes in the wash), to clip off those diaper rewards numbers for you to scan with your smart phone or enter online at some future date when you find the time, cut off that really dirty onesie that you don’t even want to try and save, as well as cut, snip, or trim a whole ton of other things.
Here’s an affordable 2 pack that Theresa loves.

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Placenta Encapsulation
Placenta encapsulation is the process of making pills or tablets from the dehydrated placenta. It is believed to have numerous health benefits including: increased iron levels, other important nutrients, decreased postpartum depression, balancing of postpartum hormones, faster healing from birth, increased milk supply, and increased energy. Locally, Summer Birth Services does this service for a very affordable cost. Summer is trained, experienced, and certified in the practice.

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Extra phone charger
Of course you’ll need to know exactly what model of phone she owns, but an extra phone charger is an awesome gift. She can keep it in the nursery, at her pumping station, or have it ready to take with her in the hospital bag. With a new baby on the way she’ll be communicating more than ever with friends and family, on hold with the doctor’s office, taking and sharing photos and videos, googling important questions, etc.; she’ll be burning through her phone battery faster than ever.

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Different sizes and brands of diapers, and wipes
Moms just never know what will work for them and their baby. What worked for their friends, family, or even their first baby may not work for this baby. Different may react differently to different diapers and wipes. Even if the mom is going to cloth diaper she’ll almost certainly appreciate having disposables available for travel, sitters, or other situations when cloth just won’t do. And be sure to get different sizes! Babies grow out of newborn diapers so fast, and everyone seems to love gifting newborn/size 1 diapers; be different and gift her some larger sizes. She’ll thank you later!

Jewelry with her child(children’s) birthstone(s)
This is a great gift to get the mom after her baby is here (just make sure you get the month correct!). Locally, Kent Jewelry has a great selection of birthstone jewelry for almost any price range. Last we checked their birth stone items start around $25. Of course you can find options on Amazon or other online retailers as well.

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Housekeeper
Talk to her about hiring a housekeeper and offer to help pay for this service. Or, if you have the time: go over and help yourself! Things like scrubbing the bathrooms, mopping the floors, dusting, changing the bedding, etc. are easy to overlook when you have a new human to care for. A good housekeeper will come and start with a thorough deep clean, then you can arrange for a standing weekly, biweekly, or monthly appointment.

Gift card for Little Mother Photography services
Although so many special moments can be captured quickly on a cell phone camera it is an amazing gift to have a professional photo shoot scheduled for the new mother. Time flies with a new baby, and you want to be sure to capture those moments throughout the first year.
Our Baby to Birthday package includes a newborn session, 3 mini sessions (for 3, 6 and 9 months), and a 12 month smash cake session. Each session includes digital files and at the end of the year you receive a professional 5x7 album. Don’t forget: Little Mother offers gift cards, and registry options!

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Please note:
All maternity images in the header image, Bernice in milk bath are photographs by Little Mother Photography. Other images in this blog post were not taken by Little Mother Photography.