Gift Guide: What to buy for someone who has just had a baby

New parents often end up swamped with unwanted gifts; enough baby-grows for 5 children, terrifying-looking nappy cakes adorned with bows, and well-meaning but unhelpful novelty gifts. Instead of browsing Amazon for something at the last minute, why not chip in with friends of the parents-to-be to buy them something a little more meaningful?

From useful to frivolous, there are a whole host of gifts out there for parents of new babies to suit any family. Here are a few of our favourites:

Something for baby

• Sitting firmly in the ‘useful’ camp, this electric bottle steriliser is a great gift because: 1. they’re extremely useful and 2. they’re not cheap! Whilst it might not scream glamour, it certainly screams helpful.
• Sitting on the other end of the spectrum of useful-ness — these Doc Martens for babies. Does it seem frivolous to spend £40 on shoes for someone who can’t walk? Yes. Are they undeniable adorable? Also yes.
• If you’d prefer to buy a keepsake for the baby to appreciate as it grows up, you could do a lot worse than to purchase this personalised star print from Blim & Blum. This lovely print displays the position of the stars and planets in the sky on a day of your choosing. In this case — the babies birth date!

Something for the parents

• Things are about to get chaotic, so why not help instil a little calm with an aroma diffuser. This one from Muji uses ultrasonic waves to vaporise water and essential oils to produce a cool, dry, fragrant mist. Aah…
• Champagne — because what could be a better gift after not being able to drink alcohol for 40 weeks? There is a huge range available to suit all budgets, from this rather fancy sounding Veuve Clicquot, to this more purse-friendly Laurent-Perrier.
• Cashmere joggers. Cashmere. Need I say more?
• This Ostrich Pillow allows you to take a quick nap almost anywhere. Sure, you might look like you’re sleeping in a bulb of garlic, but at least you’re sleeping. (For something a little less conspicuous, we’d recommend going for the ‘light’ version).
• These William Morris print pyjamas make the ‘I haven’t had time to get dressed yet and it’s already 4 pm’ look seem quite chic, no?
• And if you haven’t had time to get dressed before 4 pm, we’re guessing preparing a nutritious meal from scratch also isn’t on the cards. These Cook meal bundles would make an excellent gift for any new parent struggling to get their 5-a-day.

Now you’ve got some incredible gift ideas, why not download the What We Want app, the new app that’s on a mission to end unwanted gifts by making group gifting super easy!