My colleague is going on maternity leave soon and I would like to give a decent present. I’m female but I’m really out of my league here and would appreciate any advice. Thank you in advance!
Nappies for 6 month old +, wipes. So many wipes. Bibs. A bath thermometer. Lotion, shampoo, body wash.
Nipple ointment. I guarantee that nobody has bought her any of that yet. Those poor things take a right battering.
Also, Weleda stretch mark oil is nice. Her husband can help apply it. It worked well on my darling’s tum 🙂
I’m going on maternity leave soon and I would appreciate: – Diapers (from size S on) – Wipes – Towels – Blankets – Baby bottles – Baby soft toys – Books in my mother tongue (because they are hard to be found here)
Things that I don’t need so much because I have received plenty or already bought myself: – Baby clothes – Creams & Oils
Anyway, it may be better to ask her what she needs.
I don’t know the first thing about babies, but when my SIL (who already had everything) gave birth a while ago I gave her a nice postpartum herb tea and she absolutely loved it. Said it was nice to get something for taking care of her as well. I guess a gift will also depend on how close you are, but if she already has a bunch of baby stuff, it’s an idea!
How much are you looking to spend? I’d suggest buying something for a little later rather than for a newborn so that they don’t already have it. Those semi-hard silicone bibs are quite nice, like [these](https://babybjorn.jp/product/baby-bib-2pack).
Usually, Japanese people wait until after the baby is born to give gifts because it could bring bad luck. Maybe give her something nice to eat or wear and tell her you will get something for her baby later?
Maybe a nice body cream, aroma set, comfy socks, fruit, crackers, decaf tea or coffee, etc.
Is she Japanese? Be careful because some consider it bad luck to give gifts before the baby is born (I guess they believe it’s almost like “jynxing it” to assume the baby will be born healthy, probably a left over superstition from back in the olden days when many babies were stillborn or died shortly after birth)
Typically the gift here is cash, and after the baby is born, although objects are still given as gifts too sometimes.
As others mentioned, towels are good. In Japan, we have fancy flower-shaped towels to give to pregnant people. When you search タオル 花束(bouquet) on Amazon, Rakuten, or Yahoo, you’ll find some.
A pregnancy pillow, like a big donut that has been cut in the middle, its the best thing ever even for non pregnant people!
Donut cushion.
Something lovely a group of friends just did for me: a pack of newborn nappies with messages of support written on the back of each individual nappy in colourful marker pens so I could feel encouraged, especially during the night changes. It’s really touching seeing these messages and nappies are always a practical gift!
Things suggested here that I wouldn’t have needed: nipple cream (included in hospital bag), stretch cream (honestly don’t care about stretch marks, it’s just genetics).
I personally love the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets, not for swaddling really but to cover my newborn, use as a pram liner, catch the spit up when burping, etc. The prints are lovely and they’re easy to wash. I use at least two a day with my newborn so I recommend these as gifts.
Get some of those bib things (I forget the name よだれかけ？)..my kid did not stop drooling for 2 years, they came in handy for wiping his face.
You can probably get some cute ones, they will see a lot of use. Also socks.. and towels, and maybe a soft blanket.
Clothes are not that great as you end up being given way too many of them and kids grow out of them in about 15 minutes.
If you hate them, get them some kind of simple musical instrument.. like a toy trumpet or kazoo.
nappies.
trust me this is the number 1 most useful and work safe thing to get.
they sell maternity baskets on amazon with a bunch of nappies, some towels and maybe a baby toy or two so it “looks like a gift” nice .
I have two kids, and one of the things that was an absolute life saver for me was having a “pot”. A kettle that stays hot all the time. Having hot water at the touch of a button was really good. Good for night time bottle feeding, good for cleaning up messes, good for everything. As you mentioned you are willing to go up to 10,000 so it’s right in budget.
If somebody I’m reasonably good friends with has a baby now (less and less as I get older) then I gift them one. It’s a really good gift and it’s something most people don’t really think of.
I find things like baby bottles and sterilizers: parents almost always have that kind of stuff sorted out, and you don’t need more than you need. Too much of that kind of thing just gets left unused. Nappy bins and nappy bags are a bit gimmicky, and you don’t really need them It’s fine to just put a nappy in a regular old plastic bag.
The only other thing that you always need more of, as other posters have mentioned, is towels. Think of the number of towels you think you need for a baby, then double it, then add some more, and you have almost enough. Towels are a great present.
Semi new dad here. Swaddles are infinitely useful.
My wife also used one of those U-shaped nursing pillows and it was really helpful, not sure how pricey though.
One of my favorite baby gifts I’ve seen in the US is all of the things she couldn’t have while pregnant. Cigarettes, coffee, little bottles of alcohol etc… I’m pretty new to Japan so this advice might not work so well here, but when this gift is appreciated – it’s usually the favorite
18 comments
Towels, towels and towels.
Nappies for 6 month old +, wipes. So many wipes. Bibs. A bath thermometer. Lotion, shampoo, body wash.
Nipple ointment. I guarantee that nobody has bought her any of that yet. Those poor things take a right battering.
Also, Weleda stretch mark oil is nice. Her husband can help apply it. It worked well on my darling’s tum 🙂
I’m going on maternity leave soon and I would appreciate:
– Diapers (from size S on)
– Wipes
– Towels
– Blankets
– Baby bottles
– Baby soft toys
– Books in my mother tongue (because they are hard to be found here)
Things that I don’t need so much because I have received plenty or already bought myself:
– Baby clothes
– Creams & Oils
Anyway, it may be better to ask her what she needs.
I don’t know the first thing about babies, but when my SIL (who already had everything) gave birth a while ago I gave her a nice postpartum herb tea and she absolutely loved it. Said it was nice to get something for taking care of her as well.
I guess a gift will also depend on how close you are, but if she already has a bunch of baby stuff, it’s an idea!
How much are you looking to spend? I’d suggest buying something for a little later rather than for a newborn so that they don’t already have it. Those semi-hard silicone bibs are quite nice, like [these](https://babybjorn.jp/product/baby-bib-2pack).
Usually, Japanese people wait until after the baby is born to give gifts because it could bring bad luck. Maybe give her something nice to eat or wear and tell her you will get something for her baby later?
Maybe a nice body cream, aroma set, comfy socks, fruit, crackers, decaf tea or coffee, etc.
Is she Japanese? Be careful because some consider it bad luck to give gifts before the baby is born (I guess they believe it’s almost like “jynxing it” to assume the baby will be born healthy, probably a left over superstition from back in the olden days when many babies were stillborn or died shortly after birth)
Typically the gift here is cash, and after the baby is born, although objects are still given as gifts too sometimes.
As others mentioned, towels are good.
In Japan, we have fancy flower-shaped towels to give to pregnant people. When you search タオル 花束(bouquet) on Amazon, Rakuten, or Yahoo, you’ll find some.
A pregnancy pillow, like a big donut that has been cut in the middle, its the best thing ever even for non pregnant people!
Donut cushion.
Something lovely a group of friends just did for me: a pack of newborn nappies with messages of support written on the back of each individual nappy in colourful marker pens so I could feel encouraged, especially during the night changes. It’s really touching seeing these messages and nappies are always a practical gift!
Things suggested here that I wouldn’t have needed: nipple cream (included in hospital bag), stretch cream (honestly don’t care about stretch marks, it’s just genetics).
I personally love the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets, not for swaddling really but to cover my newborn, use as a pram liner, catch the spit up when burping, etc. The prints are lovely and they’re easy to wash. I use at least two a day with my newborn so I recommend these as gifts.
Get some of those bib things (I forget the name よだれかけ？)..my kid did not stop drooling for 2 years, they came in handy for wiping his face.
You can probably get some cute ones, they will see a lot of use.
Also socks.. and towels, and maybe a soft blanket.
Clothes are not that great as you end up being given way too many of them and kids grow out of them in about 15 minutes.
If you hate them, get them some kind of simple musical instrument.. like a toy trumpet or kazoo.
nappies.
trust me this is the number 1 most useful and work safe thing to get.
they sell maternity baskets on amazon with a bunch of nappies, some towels and maybe a baby toy or two so it “looks like a gift” nice .
I have two kids, and one of the things that was an absolute life saver for me was having a “pot”. A kettle that stays hot all the time. Having hot water at the touch of a button was really good. Good for night time bottle feeding, good for cleaning up messes, good for everything. As you mentioned you are willing to go up to 10,000 so it’s right in budget.
If somebody I’m reasonably good friends with has a baby now (less and less as I get older) then I gift them one. It’s a really good gift and it’s something most people don’t really think of.
I find things like baby bottles and sterilizers: parents almost always have that kind of stuff sorted out, and you don’t need more than you need. Too much of that kind of thing just gets left unused. Nappy bins and nappy bags are a bit gimmicky, and you don’t really need them It’s fine to just put a nappy in a regular old plastic bag.
The only other thing that you always need more of, as other posters have mentioned, is towels. Think of the number of towels you think you need for a baby, then double it, then add some more, and you have almost enough. Towels are a great present.
Semi new dad here. Swaddles are infinitely useful.
My wife also used one of those U-shaped nursing pillows and it was really helpful, not sure how pricey though.
One of my favorite baby gifts I’ve seen in the US is all of the things she couldn’t have while pregnant. Cigarettes, coffee, little bottles of alcohol etc… I’m pretty new to Japan so this advice might not work so well here, but when this gift is appreciated – it’s usually the favorite
Condoms.