Mum to be hamper

mandco

depends on your budget

sock ons- cost about £5 but worth every penny
teething beads
antibac toddler wipes - I use sains own gentle enough for hands & faces. as much as its lovely to have people comment on your baby it bugs me that total strangers feel the need to touch your newborn :mad: i know they mean well but honestly I dont know where your hands have been
muslin cloths- easier than bibs at first and cover a greater area
lamaze soft toys- can often get for around £5/6 on amazon eddie the elephant is particually good
weaning items- its suprising how quickly the time goes
batteries- might sound odd but got through loads of d & c size batteries- cot mobile/baby gym

for mum
any food items she likes that she couldnt have while pg or small bottle of wine & a drink for dad too
a nice shower gel - long baths tend to be a distant memory in the first few wks
iou voucher-depends on wether they live local or not but offers of home cooked meal/ babysitting even if its just while mum goes upstairs for a rest/bath ect
often parents to be have prepared for the first few wks or get inundated with offers of help/visitors it a month or so in when dads back at work & the sleepless nights start to take toll that offers of time/help are appreciated.

ChocolateIsLife

Great post, some lovely ideas here. Have got a few friends and relatives having babies this year and as I have none myself, it's great to get some ideas. Before for first time mums I have bought little practical things - nappy sacks, calpol, infacol, sudacream - and people have commented "I never thought of that!"

sovereign

I would include a thermometer. Good for when babies and toddlers are ill. You can also do room and bath water/ milk temperatures. I would personally recommend the Synermed Veratmep. You can get it from www.syner-med-direct.com

PM if you need a code which can give you £10 off. I got it from a baby show we attended a couple of months ago. The thermometer is very good.

Claire_Bear

Stuff for baby I'd say go for nappy bags, wipes, nappies, as you can never have enough of these items! I don't know if you can buy them in the shops but mini versions of things are good for going in the changing bag for when you're out and about, stuff like Sudocrem, antibacterial hand gel/spray, baby lotion. I got some of these from the Bounty bags and they're great Muslin cloths are good as they can be used for so many different things.

As for gifts for the mother, I'd say your time is probably the best thing you can offer so maybe some vouchers or a promise of a visit to watch the baby while she has a long shower/bath or go and make her a cup of tea or a nice hot meal. Or even offer an afternoon/evening of babysitting so she can go shopping or go for a nice meal with her partner. Failing that, definitely chocolates

emmlouie

when i was pregnant with my first a friend gave me a hamper of things i would need but no one would mention. She gave me:
Lavendar bath stuff- apprently very good for sore areas after birth
Post it notes- so didn't forget anything with baby brain
Stain Remover- obvious
Flannel- to use while changing a little boy so you don't get sprayed on
Spa Bath items- to make sure i had something to relax after
chocolate

hth

Chris25

for mum - bottle of something like Evian spray or Body Shop vit E spray & a lypsyl - both very useful in labour!
plus meals for the freezer

fluffysox

We were spoiled with gifts for our little boy, but the ones I appreciated the most were a lasagne and apple crumble. Also a few hours break to have a sleep.