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Dcclerk
09-27-2004, 03:05 PM
One of our most dear friends just told us she is pregnant. They have been trying for years and she is an OB/GYN, so it has been really hard for her in that she is surrounded by others who are pregnant, day in and day out. They also moved out-of-state a year and a half ago and miss home terribly. In general, it has been tough for a while and this is a HUGE and exciting announcement. We want to do something special for a congrats present for them, but it has to be easily shipped.

For some totally unknown reason, I'm at a complete loss and would appreciate any help. I was thinking of sending a gift box with massage lotion (and instructions that her DH better use it!), the Baby Bargains book (of course), and some other things. I don't know if I should get something for the babe (too early to know the sex, and I want to send something right away) or just concentrate on the mom/parents. She hasn't really felt very bad, so I'm not inclined to send too many of the anti-nausea stuff. Any thoughts?

heidi_timms
09-27-2004, 04:24 PM
I love to give the BB book and if you order from Amazon or BN.com, you usually get free shipping if you spend $25 or more, plus the book is discounted. I would add on another book or maybe a magazine subscription (not sure if that counts)? I also love to give out Martha Stewart Baby subscriptions!

~Heidi
Mom to Kailey
4/03

Momof3Labs
09-27-2004, 05:22 PM
My "standard" early pg gift has become:

1. The Baby Bargains Book

2. The Happiest Baby on the Block book

brubeck
09-27-2004, 05:40 PM
The Girlfriend's Guide is invaluable but if she is an OB the information contained in there might be redundant.

How about some 'snacks'? We all know how pregnancy makes you want to nosh... :-)

Marisa6826
09-27-2004, 05:51 PM
How about a gift card for babystyle.com?

You can always send her a Snoogle and bottle of Tums! :P

The only other option I can think of is to buy her a domain in her name along with a subscription to one of those easy-use websites so her out of town family can follow her progress and eventual delivery.

-m

COElizabeth
09-27-2004, 07:28 PM
I just gave my SIL the pregnancy journal, Expecting You. I had it with James and liked it. I think the Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy is a good suggestion, too. It's true that your friend won't need some of the medical info, but I think the book's strength is not in that, anyway (though I did get some very useful info from it early in my pg). It's one of the very few pregnancy-related books that made me laugh out loud, and that is worth a lot! Vicki Iovine can be really funny.

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02
EDD #2, 10-30-04

bubbaray
09-27-2004, 08:24 PM
The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD. This is a lifesaver, if for no other reason than the white noise tracks. We used these and they are the only thing that saved my sanity in those early weeks!!! It will be quite useful come 2am when the new parents have no one close by to help out!


Melissa
Mom to Maya http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/binky.gif & Dog Mom to Bubba http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/dog.gif

http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/11089.birthday.png

jadamom
09-27-2004, 10:42 PM
I'd like to give the Baby Bargains book, the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 by The American Academy of Pediatrics, a baby names book, and a Sandra Boynton book or a rattle for the baby. You could also consider giving a local favorite food item, such as Frango mints if she moved from Chicago. Actually, any kind of chocolate would be good, since there was a recent study that claimed that pregnant moms who ate chocolate had happier babies! Or, how about a onesie/T-shirt for the babe from their favorite sports team back home?

new_mommy25
09-28-2004, 12:58 AM
The second I found out my SIL was pregnant I had to go out shopping! I bought her a copy of Baby Bargains (of course), Good Night Moon, and a little outfit from Baby Gap. I labored so long in Baby Gap and Gymbo trying to decide what to get. I got a gener neutral (green, lol) body suit, pants, hat, and socks in the 0-3 month size.

Jen in Chicago
09-28-2004, 09:59 AM
I have received or given-
Snack size packages of food (my co-workers knew where to go to afternoon snacks b/c I always needed something around)
Gift certificates for places they craved
Bath stuff with pink and blue candles to burn
Healthy Pregnancy Cookbook
BB Book
Journal
Blank Journal to keep track of Baby Gifts in (I keep track of all gifts Jude receives in this still, and will until the pages run out)
Birthday Log Book- My internet explorer is giving me a hard time, but they make a book you fill in each year at the child's birthday- only 1 page of information (I first learned of it b/c we received the Anniversary Journal at a bridal shower)
Children's books (we are a Curious George household, so we give CG's books the first opportunity we can)
Classical Music Baby CD's
Shea Butter lotion from Bath and Body Works

Jen in Chicago
09-28-2004, 10:24 AM
Here is the birthday book I have bought and received. We have the Anniversary version of it. We hope Jude enjoys reading both someday.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0927510979/qid=1096377656/sr=8-6/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i6_xgl14/103-3692263-0988657?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Dcclerk
09-28-2004, 12:39 PM
I love all of these suggestions; thanks so much! If only I had unlimited funds, I would do them all. :) For now, though, I will get her a couple of books and some of her favorite snacks and then get most of the rest at her shower. It is so funny that we LIVED for the Happiest Baby on the Block book and have about 5 billion board books at home but I somehow didn't even think of them. Great thoughts! And when the baby is born, I am definitely going to get that birthday journal. What a fabulous idea.

Thanks, again, everyone. If anyone has any other ideas, I'm keeping a list for future mom-to-be's, also....

hwin708
09-29-2004, 12:03 AM
For my good friends, I usually make up a little basket with:

The Baby Bargains book (obviously)

Miracle Blanket (LOVE this, very non-gender specific, and something most new moms haven't really thought about yet)

Gift certificate for pre-natal massage

A few Mustela skin care products for the expectant mom (to be honest, I didn't see any particular greatness in these products over others, but they are the most popular, and therefore a more appropriate gift basket pick, IMO)

One of those pregnancy journals, that lets you follow along every day with your pregnancy (forget what it's called, but they always have a really cute one at the baby store near me)

Jen in Chicago
09-29-2004, 04:36 PM
I forgot my other gift... Halo Sleep Sacks
We loved these, and have a special place in our heart for SIDS Alliance in Illinois, which gets some sort of cut from these. I buy them 3 for $50 (with shipping I believe) from SIDS Illinois.

You help a Mom, Baby and families who have lost children.

psophia17
09-29-2004, 04:52 PM
ITA with the ideas on the other posts - but make sure you include something special for the father-to-be. Maybe something to help him gain some sympathy weight or something funny that will make him feel more connected to the whole pg experience would work. Or a good set of allen wrenches and some other standard tools - he'll need them to assemble all sorts of baby stuff.

-Petra

DS - Nathan, 12/29/03

american_mama
09-29-2004, 10:20 PM
As someone who moved out-of-state just before my first child was born, a much desired gift would have been all the post-partum help that nearby friends or family usually provide. You wouldn't give it now, but closer to her due date. Maybe she has made friends and connected to people in her area, but if not, I'm sure she would appreciate stuff like gift certificate for a post partum doula, gift certificate to a nanny service, gift certificate for a house cleaner, gift certificate for takeout food (you could combine it with paper products so they have no dishes those first few weeks), a weekly video delivery service (I watched a lot of videos while nursing), the easy to use website service so out-of-town friends can see the baby, etc. I remember having a breakdown on about my third day home from the hospital and calling all my relatives across the country demanding they look at my DD's photo online and then call me right back to say what they thought - no one except strangers had seen my baby at that point and new parents really crave feedback from people who know and care about them.

If you are really organized, you might also try to get the names of a few in-town friends at the shower and recruit them to provide food at assigned days after the baby's birth. There's a name for that idea - maybe a dinner tree? That would have been HEAVEN for me.

marit
09-30-2004, 12:15 AM
What anti-nausea stuff??????? Please tell me what you mean, is there such a thing that helps with the nausea?

Thanks,