Useful Baby Gifts: Pelvic PT/ Veteran Mom Edition
If you’re a person of a certain age, you are likely surrounded by people expecting babies, looking to adopt babies. Perhaps you’ve got a stack of invitations to baby showers or 'sprinkles’ staring you down as we speak. Maybe you’re a super savvy gift connoisseur, or maybe the person/ couple of interest has an expertly curated registry to help guide you. Or just maybe, you’re feeling clueless and just want to give a useful but thoughtful gift.
I’ve been on all sides of this now, as a clueless gift giver, a clueless pregnant person, a clueless new mom and a PT that works with people in various stages of the same journey. Looking back, I can’t fault myself for giving what I gifted people in the past. Now, though, I’ve stopped opting for the cute newborn outfits and expensive name brand items. Plenty of people will opt for those types of gifts.
Now I’m more a fan of practicality, as unromantic as it is, and getting the new family things they’ll actually need and maybe things no one else thinks about… but that are truly helpful when managing the chaos of a new person in your life (and home).
I have the suggestions broken down into a few categories
For the baby (or older kiddo, if the family is adopting):
Allll the diapers and wipes, or reusable diapers
Hypoallergenic laundry detergent (Dreft or other sensitive skin, fragrance free formulas)
A soft set of baby blankets or burp cloths — you know if you’ve dealt much with babies or small children, they create their body weight in mess & laundry on the daily!
A cherished book you read to your little ones or enjoyed as a kid
An age-appropriate subscription box! There are literally dozens of options, but I’ve had personal experience — and have loved — the following:
KiwiCo - STEAM oriented, sustainable materials, crates starting at 0-3 months!
Lovevery - Montessori- based crates, developmentally appropriate & also made of sustainable materials
Little Passports - start at age 3, so great for adoptive kiddos or older siblings. Let’s face it — the siblings need a little celebratory gift too!
For the older sibling (human or four-footed!):
For the human variety - a celebratory book or cool toy to help keep them busy while parents tend to the tiny human, or a gift card to a kid-friendly store/ event
For the furry variety - a new chew toy, fancy treats or activity (new scratching pad, treat-dispensing puzzle toy, etc)
For the parents — biological, foster or adoptive:
Coffee, coffee subscriptions, teas
Freezer meals or gift cards to UberEats, DoorDash, or Instead Of Flowers to help them navigate the necessities when cooking seems utterly impossible
Gift card for house cleaner or car wash
Your time! Offering to take a sibling (or pet!) out for an occasion so the parents can nap or start figuring out baby’s routine
For the expecting mom (or pregnant person) specifically:
Postpartum necessities such as pads, mesh undies, hot/ cold packs, peri bottle or other things that help with the first few weeks after baby arrives
Comfy - or pretty! - maternity robe
Bath bombs, shower steamers, luxurious head wraps or other things that will bring a much-needed moment of serenity to a crazy new routine
For planned c-section (or belly birth, as I prefer to call it), belly binders are amazing in the first several days as that incision heals. Also, I love silicone scar strips to use after the incision is fully healed!
If they’re planning to breast or chestfeed - nursing supplements, a cute water bottle to keep at their side, reusable breast pads, a silicone manual pump like a Hakaa, homemade lactation cookies
A gift card to a local, trusted pelvic therapist — PT or OT — for a postpartum follow-up
*On that last point - here in the U.S, medical insurance currently doesn’t cover most pelvic PT due to the current treatment model. Traditional PT practices in network with insurance typically double book several patients at a time, so for any given hour, a patient can expect maybe 20 minutes of one-on-one time with their provider. That just doesn’t fly for the complex and personal nature of pelvic practice, so until that changes, most clinics have opted to stay out of network or cash-based. As health care providers, this allows us to treat patients however they need treating, without worrying about insurance practices dictating our treatment plan. To that end, if you’re looking for an awesome, unique way to support your newly postpartum friend, this is an amazing option!
Remember, there are easy ways to find certified pelvic therapists in your area like Pelvic Guru, which is the one also listed in the links at the top of this site :)
These are just some ideas! What else do you normally add for your gifts?
