Chances are your mom-to-be pal has already bought, borrowed, or at least registered for the new baby items she wants. But what about the ones she needs? What are some gifts a new parent will actually use — you know, the ones she may not have even thought of herself? From über-useful newborn items to practical subscription boxes to a few tiny trips out of the house (*gasp!*) here are 10 practical gifts any new mom in your life will use the hell out of — and for which they’ll be eternally grateful.
1. Diapers, duh
Sure, it’s not the most exciting gift, but any new parent needs diapers (although check in as to whether your pal is hoping for the disposable or the cloth variety).
Pampers Swaddlers disposable diapers, $37.97 at Amazon
2. Postpartum care
With disposable underwear, perineal healing foam, cooling maxis and witch hazel-medicated pad liners, this postpartum kit is designed to kick-start moms recovery.
Frida Mom postpartum recovery essentials kit, $49.99 at Amazon
3. A gift card to a hair salon
All parents need to get pampered every now and then. Finding the time to do so, however, is a challenge — but if you get your pal a gift card for a cut or blowout, it might just motivate her to get her butt out of the house for a few hours.
Drybar gift card, $50 at Drybar
4. The ultimate at-home spa day box
Or just gift an at-home spa day for when leaving the house feels totally impossible.
Spa gift box, $32.30 at PeaceOrganics/Etsy
5. A subscription box
Is there any gift better than one that not only shows up every month at your front door but also gives back? Kidbox has two subscription boxes perfect for newborns: one full of essentials like socks and underwear and another with stylish newborn clothing from brands like 7 for All Mankind, Lucky Brand and more. Just take your pick, and once you do, you’ll also be pleased to know that for every Kidbox purchased, a new clothing item will be given to a child who needs it through a charity of your choice.
Personalized style box, $68 at Kidbox
More: The 8 Best Subscription Boxes for Moms
6. A mini espresso machine
Shots of coffee throughout the day? Yes, please. What’s great about this little device is that your friend can even take it along on errands. It’s basically like being hooked up to a coffee drip.
Or, you know, you can just buy a Starbucks card and call it a day. A new parent will love either one.
Wacaco Minipresso, $49.89 at Amazon
7. A class pass
Raising a newborn is stressful to say the least. Help your new-parent pal punch, kick, cycle or stretch through it all — whatever their fitness choice. SoulCycle, for example, makes it super-simple to gift a class to a friend via an e-gift card.
E-gift card (enough to cover one class and a shoe rental), $40 at SoulCycle
8. A cleaning service
Can you imagine the look on a parenting newb’s face when a maid shows up to clean the house? All they’ll need to do is sit back, relax and maybe even take a nap. Glorious. Merry Maids is a solid option.
Maid service, $50 – $90 per hour at Merry Maids
9. A streaming service subscription
If your friend doesn’t already have an HBO subscription, get them one (especially if they haven’t started watching Game of Thrones yet). Yes, you’re looking at paying a monthly fee, but you don’t have to pay it forever. Start off going monthly for two or three months, and if your friend doesn’t use it a ton, you can simply cancel it. In the end, they’ll love you for getting them through those newborn months.
HBO Now subscription, $15 per month at HBO
10. More sleep
True, you can’t cast a magic spell to give your sleep-deprived new-parent pal some extra z’s, but you can sure try with this Baby Shusher. This product uses a recorded voice to gently shush Baby back to sleep. Plus, it’s super-portable.
Baby Shusher, $34.99 at Amazon
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