Gifts for Pregnant Women

Early Pregnancy:

• Pregnancy books. The most well known example is What to Expect When You're Expecting, but there are many, many others out there.
• Manual Labor. The first trimester can be exhausting. Volunteering your labor and time can be extremely helpful. Offer to walk the dog or cook a meal. If this is a second or subsequent pregnancy, offer to baby sit.
• Saltines and ginger ale.
• The most recent edition of Baby Bargains. This is a great book that goes over all the gear stores say you need for a baby and helps parents decide what they do and don't need and what brand to get.

Mid-Pregnancy:

• Stretch mark prevention lotion. My favorite is Palmer's Tummy Butter. It smells like coco and lavender.
• Gift certificate for maternity clothes. But make sure the store sells them because not all clothing stores have a maternity department. If you are thinking of getting one for a specialized maternity store, you might want to make sure that a store is convenient for the recipient because those stores are hard to find in some locations.
• Fun outings. Now is the time for the mom-to-be to enjoy outings that won't be possible later in the pregnancy and after the baby is born, so going out together or giving gift certificates for mom (with or without dad) to go out is a thoughtful gift.
• Support pillows. They make all kinds of support pillows for pregnant woman, including one to hold between the legs, one to slip under the side of the stomach, and one to run down the back.

Late Pregnancy / Baby Shower:

• Lanolin and breast pads. These are still good for a mom who isn't going to breast feed since all moms will have milk come in.
• A Boppy or other nursing pillow. Again, also good for moms who aren't going to nurse since it can provide arm support for bottle feeding.
• Baby care books. What to Expect the First Year is the sequel to What to Expect When You're Expecting, but there are many others.
• Subscription to a parenting magazine such as Parents, Parenting, or American Baby.
• A book on nursing. General baby care books do not cover nursing well enough for a mom who is really dedicated to nursing long term. My favorite nursing book is Breastfeeding Made Simple.
• A book holder and book light. A book holder like a Book Magic Book Clip holds a book open so that mom can hold it with one or no hands as she feeds baby. A book light could also be handy for night feedings where mom is still awake enough to read, but doesn't want to turn on a light bright enough to stimulate the baby.
• Spa gift certificate. Many spa treatments are still safe while pregnant. A pedicure late in pregnancy is great since most moms can't reach their feet well enough to take good care of them anymore. Some places even offer specific massages for pregnancy. These are also all things that mom won't have time or energy for until a while after the baby arrives.