The Best Postpartum Presents, According to Hundreds of Real Parents

When we asked parents for the best postpartum gifts they received (if any), about 850 Babylisters wrote in to share their can't-live-withouts. The most popular answers were the Frida Mom recovery kit, emotional & physical support from family and friends, and food-related items—especially DoorDash gift cards. And some original gift ideas we loved include an otamatone, Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood, dry shampoo, Patchology eye gels and a Squatty Potty

Here's the full list of the most popular and unique postpartum gifts they loved:

Food 

• Doordash gift cards

• Multipurpose basket full of snacks (also great for guests coming to visit baby) 

• Meal train arrangements

• Coffee

• Hello Fresh gift certificate

• Cookunity gift card

• A smoothie subscription service

• Groceries delivered to the house

• Homemade bone broth

• Spoonful of Comfort care package

• Huge bags of curry cashews & chocolate covered cashews

• Charcuterie kit for date night at home

• Costco membership

• Fresh cut fruit

• Breakfast foods (“Everyone brings dinner food via meal train. And while that’s appreciated, you can only eat so many casseroles for breakfast." So granola, yogurt, etc. are all appreciated!)

• Frittata bites

• Freezer balls of chocolate chip cookies

• Lactation bites

• A gift card to a local restaurant

• Beer

• Ninja SLUSHi machine

• Bagels

• Harry & David lasagna

• Postpartum tea

• Protein powder 

Self-Care

• New pajamas

• Lip balm

• Bombas gripper slippers

• Kindle

• Patchology eye masks

• Shower steamers

• Eye mask

• Dry shampoo

• A yoga class package (“Something very flexible like five classes to be used in six months, so it was easy, but it made me feel amazing!”)

• Flowers

• A Barefoot Dreams robe 

• Back scratcher

• Shark FlexStyle Air system

• 6-month subscription to the Book of the Month Club

*For other pampering ideas, don't miss The Best Self-Care Gifts for the Fourth Trimester That You'll Actually Want*

Recovery

• Postpartum massage gift card

• Silverettes

• Tucks

• Frida mom postpartum kit

• A Squatty Potty

• Belly wrap

• Nursing cart

Sentimental

• Necklace with initials

• Matching mom and baby robe from Etsy

• Chatbooks sub

• Promptly journal

• Personalized blanket

• “I didn’t get any gifts after baby, but I did get some cards. The best was a card from my aunt congratulating the new baby and kind words about having a C-section herself."

Physical/Emotional Support

• House cleaning certificate

• Laundry help 

• “My friend holding my crying baby for two hours so I could get some much-needed sleep.”

• Books and activities for older sibling(s)

• Postpartum doula fund

• "A friend writing down my birth story for me."

• Dog walks

• Baby bottle washer

• Disposable plates

• “Compliments on how good I looked or how relaxed I seemed.”

Fun

• Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood

• An otamatone 😂