My biggest piece of advice for giving postpartum gifts is: DON’T ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO, JUST GIVE OR DO SOMETHING NICE! I promise, unless the recipient has a personality disorder, your kind gesture will be appreciated.

In my opinion, the best gifts for new moms are functional; they are things that we can use in our daily lives immediately and do include things for babies as well. They help make our lives easier, more enjoyable, and can even help reduce financial burden.

Here are some wonderful ideas:

1. A massage. Research the best massage spots in your area, and give a gift certificate. I like to go to The NOW Massage. They have locations all over the country, and I love the ambiance of their space. I find their prices reasonable and have had a great experience every time.

2. Manicure/Pedicure. Again research the best spots in your area, and give a gift certificate.

3. Groceries. Order groceries and have them delivered to mom’s home from Whole Foods or another supermarket of your choice. Pick things that every family might need. Have fun with it. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg; anything helps. You might want to check in about dietary restrictions first.

4. A gift card or cash. If giving a gift card, pick somewhere like Target or a grocery store where everyone can find something. Of course, if mom has mentioned something specific, go with that.

5. Offer to go on a walk with mom (and maybe baby) or accompany her to an appointment, the mall, anywhere!

6. Meals (or juices, or smoothies). Having meals and snacks taken care of was one of the most helpful things for me after I gave birth. Of course, check in for any food allergies or preferences mom might have. Maybe you decide to have takeout delivered for her on a particularly difficult day.

7. If baby is on formula, offer to buy some cans of formula.

8. Pay for a cleaning service for a day…or recurring.

9. Personal training sessions. If mom has mentioned wanting to and is ready to get back in shape, especially if you know she has worked with a personal trainer in the past, purchase a session or 2. This can be regular one on one personal training, group training, pilates, kickboxing, whatever you and/or mom prefer.

10. Age appropriate toys for baby

11. Plan a weekend getaway. As a new mom, after I felt I had settled into a routine, I appreciated getting out of the house. A weekend trip, whether it was to city a few hours way or in our city, was a much-appreciated change of scenery.

What gifts would you add to this list?