Cadenf

Honestly the best thing you can do is offer to watch the baby so they can rest. Make them go out to dinner alone, etc

Sweet Embrace

Unfortunately I live about 2 hours from them, which is why I was asking for things I could purchase to assist them.

sunnykerr

I'm not a parent, but I am the aunt of a 20-month-old. So I have compiled a super long list. There are all kinds of price points in my suggestions and, of course, it depends on what the parents want to do or already have.

Ok, here we go:

- Gift certificates to restaurants that deliver. If you lived closer to them, I'd recommend cooking them meals and freezing them. Because the first weeks and months are a massive adjustment and if you can take meal prep out of the equation for them, it's very helpful.

- Nursing bras and/or tanks for mum. It's a bit uncomfortable to give if you're not close, but they'll come in handy whether she nurses or not, because her breasts will produce milk.

- Newborn baby bottles and/or binkies. Not too many, because baby grow fast, but they need a smaller format at first and not everyone thinks to get their hands on a one of those.

- Baby/newborn socks. Not for a toddler. The tiniest socks you can find. Because newborn babies can't control their limbs and they tend to scratch themselves with their nails, even with the most careful parents trimming them often. And baby mittens don't have a great elastic on them, typically, so socks work better.

- A pack of those cotton cloth diapers. The kind that need pins to be assembled. Not to be used as diapers, but as a place to put the baby on when they're changing the diaper. It's easy to carry, so it can be used anywhere they take the baby, even in the house if they don't feel like going to the changing table. Heck, it can be put on top of the changing cushion thing. That way, it lets the baby know what to expect when they're on it and it protects the rug, the sofa, etc. from anything that might escape during changing.

- Newborn hats. Both for sun protection and for heat protection. No matter how warm it is where they live, babies can't control their own body heat for the first few months. And, again, few people think of getting newborn sizes.

- Humidifier/vaporizer. That baby will get sick at some point, even if it's with the sniffles. Or the nursery might be on the dry side, making it hard to sleep for the baby. So it'll be useful.

- Baby diapers and wipes. Yes, very pedestrian for a gift, but new parents can never have enough.

- Diaper rash ointment. Because diaper rash is real.

- Hooded bath towel. Again, babies can't control their body heat and when they're getting out of the bath, it can be a shock to their body. It's important to keep them covered. That's where the hood comes in handy, because it helps to tuck them in.

- Baby nail clipper. See socks above. But, also, the adult size can be really scary and unwieldy when it's your first baby.

- Car seat cover. They sell this thing that's basically something you put over the car seat with the baby inside. It keeps them all warm and protected. When they're really young, being in there also puts them right to sleep.

- A nice diaper bag with room for a couple of diapers, the diaper mat and cloth diaper, maybe a toy or two, etc.

- A pack 'n play sleeper. Nowadays, they sell them with all kinds of adaptable levels so that it grows with them.

- A shaking baby chair thing...
That one is quite big, but they sell smaller models. These things are magic for suiting a cranky baby. It stops working as soon as they're mobile enough to climb off it, but it's a mental-health saviour until then.

- And, finally, light bamboo-style swaddling blankets. They're great for swaddling (not too hot) of course, but also handy to create a sun shield in the baby carrier.

Meliana

Great suggestions. If you go for the nappy rash option: nothing beats sudocrem. I swear by it.

Sweet Embrace

Thank you Sunny thats a great list! I know they already have plenty on there, but it also gives me scope for what I can buy them too. They are both paediatrics doctors so they do have a good understanding, but I guess being new parents everything is a bit overwhelming

Thank you Claire, that helps too.

sunnykerr

Glad I could help.

Don't be shocked if they find themselves overwhelmed, even if they if they work in paeds. Sometimes, all that does is make a person think they know what to expect. But, from having a mother who was a nurse in the very department where I found myself being a patient a whole lot as a child, I can tell you that there's a world of difference between a professional expertise and having your own child.

Meliana

I don't think there's any way to be fully prepared for parenthood, no matter how much of the theory you know beforehand.

Sweet Embrace

Yeah I told my sister in law to not let it phase them, they are just as much beginners as most people.

I bought a cot toy which is a piano that the child can play, it also has animal noises and is good for motor development. Both my brother and his wife loved it.

Meliana

That sounds lovely, Theresa.

sunnykerr

And I'm sure the baby will love that.

cherrypie12345

A friend of mine is pregnant now

sunnykerr

That's awesome, isn't it?