A newborn baby is simply the most precious thing in the world. We are built to cluck and coo at these divine wee humans. And showering these wrinkly angels with gifts is in our cultural DNA. It's difficult to think of a better way to express our love than to jump online and buy a soft rattle, a plush animal or an organic cotton onesie!
Many have searched what to get a newborn baby, but perhaps the more relevant question to pop into google is, can newborn gifts be just for the new Mum? Whether you’re looking for a newborn gift online in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth, for the home-birth Mum or hospital Mum, we uncover when it’s ok for the baby gift to actually be just for the Mum.
Scenario One: Ask a Pregnant Mum what gift she needs
You: It’s such wonderful news!! I’d love to get the baby a gift!
New Mama: ‘Oh that would be lovely. We don’t really need anything, my brother has passed on things that have hardly been used, it's soooo good. Whatever you think, I’m sure it will be just perfect.
Scenario Two: Ask a New Mum 1 week after birth what she needs
You: Congratulations! I thought I would wait until the baby was born to see what you needed - new mum interrupts politely
New mama: I’m actually so glad you waited. The baby is swimming in onesies, bibs and rattles and well, me. Can I be frank? Chocolate, I need more chocolate, and a bit more sleep and I wish someone would cook dinner, yeah, dinner cooked every night. And do you know where you could get a cup of tea that keeps hot for two hours? And a long hot shower, actually a lot more sleep, someone to wash the dishes, someone to rub my feet, oh and clean hair. That’s kind of it really, does that help?
There are literally hundreds of options of where to buy Australian newborn gifts online. For the baby. And it is SO sweet to buy cute little organic cotton things and bespoke toys for the baby. But when can we push past the cute and unnecessary things and become the village that Newborn Mums need us to be?
Regardless of your culture, language, whether you are an urban mum, rural mum, single mum, queer mum or have had 6 kids and have home-birthed all of them, SHE is important and we are her community.
5 Best Options for Gifts that are Just About the New Mum:
Send her favourite chocolate, some metamucil to poo without pain, soft ear plugs to have some peace in hospital, bring her a simple meal she can reheat, and wash the dishes when you visit.
The baby’s first birthday is the better option for buying the baby a gift. You know them better, they will delight in the presents (or the wrapping paper…) and face-plant into their very first and probably not last unicorn cake.
In all seriousness, because gift giving is a seriously important business to us, it is exciting to see our society shift towards putting the spotlight on celebrating the Mum on her birthing day - and choosing to buy New Mum gifts from small, local and Mother-owned businesses - who have the inside intel on what’s best!
By putting your power into gifting the New Mum and NOT her baby, she’ll love you for it and think you are a psychic for reading her mind.