If you’re in a season of your life where you have friends and family members that are still growing their families, it can be thrilling to receive not only birth announcements but invitations to baby sprinkles and showers. While plenty of expectant parents create long registries of things they want for their impending child, as a seasoned mother, you may understand the importance of taking care of yourself after the birth of your baby. While it’s always a good idea to include an item on the expectant parents registry in your gift, a newborn basket is something all parents can appreciate. If you’ve never given a newborn basket as a gift, keep reading to learn the essentials that should be included.
A Beautiful Basket
Baskets come in handy when you have a newborn baby in the house, so mother-to-be will surely appreciate this, but your beautiful basket is also how you present your gift. Invest in the highest quality basket you can afford, from woven water hyacinth to a neutral-colored fabric that matches any nursery decor. Your basket sets the stage for the rest of your present, so choose wisely.
Swaddling Blanket
There’s a good chance that a set of swaddling blankets is already on their registry, so this is easy to check off their list but a beautiful addition to roll and tuck into the corners of the basket. There is tons of science to back up that newborns benefit from swaddling, from basic sleep benefits to calming a colicky infant. Make sure you purchase a swaddling blanket in 100% organic cotton that is safe for babies, free from dyes, and ultra-soft on their sensitive newborn skin.
Postpartum Products
The fourth trimester isn’t just part of the baby’s journey; it’s also part of the mother’s, and a huge portion of that is adjusting to the postpartum experience. There is plenty of information online about what works and what doesn’t, and one of the best products a mother who’s just delivered a baby can have in her basket is postpartum absorbent underwear.
Having these on hand not only keeps her more comfortable than traditional pads would but can also give her confidence in her body as they hold her in more than conventional underwear.
Pampering Products for All
While you want to include pampering products for the baby, like organic lotions, diaper balms, and baby shampoos, you also want to include items for the new mother. Nipple creams, bath bombs, Epsom salts for soaking in a warm bath, nourishing body oils, and even at-home self-care items like eye masks, robes, and comfy slippers can make all the difference in how she can enjoy the time with her newborn in comfort. You can also include candles or an essential oil diffuser in this category, as newborn life can feel overwhelming, and making her home a relaxing environment will be greatly appreciated.
Hand Sanitizer
There are a lot of messes that come with dealing with a newborn, and some mothers don’t have time to even run and wash their hands after every incident; other moms may be anxious and don’t want to leave their baby alone, so having hand sanitizer at the ready in multiple rooms can be a game changer when it comes to dealing with baby messes but keeping everyone safe and healthy. A nice touch to this addition would be putting the sanitizer in a beautiful and reusable glass dispenser.
Safe Stuffies
While newborn babies need to sleep in safe environments free from many blankets and pillows, there is nothing wrong with putting an adorable but safe stuffed animal or lovey in the newborn basket. There’s a good chance that the baby may reject your stuffie or lovey as they tend to gravitate towards one item, but it doesn’t mean that it won’t become a plaything later on or a treasured Keepsake for the mother-to-be. You can also have the loving or stuffed animal embroidered with the new baby’s name if you’re privy to it.
Other items that can be included in a newborn basket are onesies, board books, diapers, diapering essentials, and even a silicone pacifier – she may plan not to use pacifiers, but if you’re a mother already, you know that sometimes things change! You can curate a beautiful newborn basket that benefits the baby and the parents with the above items. Congrats on the addition to your village!
