When you have your first baby, it’s exciting to stock up on all the baby gear you need, teeny tiny clothes, and everything in between.
With your second baby, you don’t really need a lot – especially if you are having a baby of the same gender. I figured we would buy a few new clothing items here and there, but there wasn’t a lot that I really wanted or thought I needed (except for a co-sleeper bed, and, eventually, a rock and play sleeper.)
Well, my mom wanted to throw me a baby shower – as did a friend from church. I totally wasn’t expecting or anticipating a shower, since we had most everything we need. I really enjoyed the showers though, and it was just fun getting together with friends and family to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Oliver.
People asked me what I wanted, and for the most part, I didn’t even know what to say! After my shower, I thought about it a little bit more, and here are a few gift ideas for second-time moms (or third, fourth, fifth….etc.) that I came up with.
1. Diapers and Wipes
No matter what number baby you are on, you are going to need diapers and wipes. Whether a person is using disposable or cloth diapers, some kind of diaper or wipes is a nice gesture. I think we are pretty much set on diapers for a few months!
When it comes to buying diapers, I would recommend not buying newborn diapers – most babies are only in these for a short time (if at all.) Of course, Jack was in newborn diapers for about two months, and Oliver is still in newborns, so there are exceptions. But for the most part, I think that size two is the size I’ve heard most babies stay in for a long time.
2. Owlet
The Owlet is the best baby product we own – it helped us discover our son’s sleep apnea, and it also alerted me when he was breathing was compromised when he was a newborn. Since most second-time moms don’t need a lot of big items like a crib, stroller, etc., this is a GREAT gift to go in on with other people.
Make sure you check out the Owlet Coupon Code page for all current offers – the only coupon codes will be available here. They also offer refurbished ones for $199.
Moms of more than one kid know the importance of sleep, and the Owlet will ABSOLUTELY help her get more sleep with a new baby!
3. Restaurant Gift Cards
We got several gifts cards for restaurants at my baby shower, and I thought it was such a great idea! A lot of restaurants have a “to go” option. We had meals for the first week or two after Oliver was born, but I certainly wasn’t wanting to make dinner that soon after. I was grateful that we had some gift cards to Olive Garden and Chilis – it made meals a little simpler. You can get discounted gift cards at Gift Card Rescue!
4. Regular Gift Cards
If you aren’t sure if the mom needs anything in particular, a gift card to a store like Target, Walmart, a local grocery store, etc. would probably be appreciated. Even a gift card to a maternity store to buy some maternity or nursing clothes (or to a non-maternity shop for after pregnancy clothes) is a fun idea. Once again, you can buy discounted gift cards at Gift Card Rescue. Gift Card to Shutterfly I love sending out birth announcements and creating a little book about my babies births, and I always use Shutterfly to do that. A simple gift card to Shutterfly would be a meaningful gift!
5. Meals (Frozen or Brought)
I always appreciate the meals that were brought to use after both of my boys were born. The last thing most people want to do is make dinner – at least, that’s how I felt! To be honest, I just barely started wanting to make dinner again. I think any new mom would appreciate the offer to bring a meal by after the baby is born. Freezer meals are also awesome!
If you are having trouble coming up with a theme for a baby shower for a second-time mom, a freezer meal party is such a great idea. In lieu of presents, everyone could either bring a freezer meal, or the ingredients to make one at the party. Before planning something like this, make sure the mom-to-be has enough freezer space. We bought a deep freezer after Oliver was born, and I wish I had it before so I could have made some freezer meals myself before his arrival. There are tons of freezer meal tips and ideas online. I absolutely LOVE Freez-Easy for some really easy and budget friendly freezer ideas.
A subscription to Deals to Meals would also be a fun idea. It can take the stress out of planning out meals for their family. I also REALLY love The Six Sisters’ Meal Plan. It is really family friendly, and it makes it easy to just order groceries to Walmart Grocery pickup!
6. Babysitting
I think any mom who has other children might appreciate the offer to watch her kiddos every now and again once the baby comes. Even if you just came to her house to watch her other children for an hour – or even offering to hold her baby while she sleeps.
7. House Cleaning
One of the greatest gifts I was given was from my dear sister-in-law, Charbel. Shortly after Oliver was born, she came over and cleaned our kitchen, living room, and Jack’s room. I don’t think it had ever looked so tidy and organized. Her selfless service touched me so much!
I know that me offering to clean someone’s house probably wouldn’t do them much good, so if I chose to do this, I may opt to just give them a gift certificate for a professional cleaner to come in. I see them on Groupon a lot!
8. Prenatal Massage
I got a massage when I was about 30 weeks pregnant, and it was absolutely heavenly! I really think every pregnant mom should get one. It was especially nice because I was having a lot of hip pain,and the massage therapist helped to relieve that. Massages can be kind of expensive, so this would be a great group gift. Make sure the gift certificate is to a place that offers prenatal massages, since special care has to be taken with pregnant mamas.
I went to the Spalicious BellyUp Spa in Lone Tree, Colorado, if you are a local. I was very impressed by their services (including a pedicure/manicure, and a 3D/4D ultrasound I got.) If you mention Clarks Condensed, you can get 10% off their services.
9. Pedicure/manicure
10. 3D/4D Ultrasound
I was able to get a 3D/4D ultrasound with both of my boys, and both times were the highlight of my pregnancy. There are a bunch of different 3D/4D ultrasound places around, so just do some research on which ones are the best. This is another great idea for a group gift, since they typically run around $100-$200
11. Movie Tickets
A new mom probably won’t be going to a movie for awhile after the baby is born, so gifting her some movie tickets to go on a date with her spouse would be fun!
12. Custom Hospital Gown
When I first heard that people brought their own hospital gowns to the hospital, I thought it was crazy. However, the more I thought about it, the more awesome it sounded. I actually bought materials to make myself one, but I just didn’t have any energy to finish making it. You could make one for a mom-to-be (this is the tutorial I was following) or you could buy one on Amazon or Etsy!
13. Updated Baby Products
Maybe the mom you are giving a gift to has a lot of baby products – but they might be old. She may have had a large amount of space between her kids, or the items she got with her first baby were second hand. I know that we got a new swing, because our other one was battery powered…and those batteries didn’t last very long! Here are some of my favorite products I wish I’d known about with my first.
Article Courtesy of ClarkCondensed.com https://bit.ly/2yHZ3ns
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