Whenever someone has a new baby, people love to celebrate them by bringing gifts. While stuffed animals and balloons are a sweet gesture, here are my favorite gifts to bring to a new family in the hospital that are a little more outside the box.

Best Gifts to Bring a New Family in the Hospital

Food

While food may not seem like a great gift for a new family, trust me, for a new mom, it is! After bringing a baby into this world and possibly not being allowed to eat for hours before that, new moms are hungry. I remember looking at the hospital menu with pure joy thinking I could and should eat anything I wanted.

Plus, her partner may not have had time to eat either and will appreciate the food too. My husband only had enough time to grab a few vending machine snacks. Most partners don’t pack a hospital bag, but maybe more of them should. After all, they might not have been in labor, but they will likely be at the hospital for the same amount of time as the mother.

Some good ideas are nuts, trail mix, cheese sticks, fruit, cookies, or something delicious like homemade zucchini bread!

Matching PJs

The first few days or weeks after having a baby, a new family usually wants to take it easy. So make this time extra cozy for them by bringing sweet matching PJ’s the whole family can wear as they learn about each other and (hopefully) get some rest. You might want to get the mom a nightdress/robe outfit instead of pants if possible. These would be easier to use at the hospital and even back home for a while.

Plus, if the family plans to get some newborn photography done, they can wear the PJs for a photo or two!

Gift Cards

While bringing a home-cooked meal during the first few weeks is always welcome, a nice gesture is to bring a few gift cards to the hospital. They are small to carry home, and the family can use them when necessary. You might want to ask what their favorite restaurants are first or bring gift cards that they can use for food delivery.

If you’re more tech-savvy, you may just want to send them UberEats or Doordash credits that they can use to order just about any food they might be craving.

A Postpartum Recovery Kit

While this gift may not be as pretty as a vase of flowers, a new mom will be so grateful for it once she gets home. It can include practical items like large pads and painkillers, and also pretty socks, and a fresh-smelling candle. Here are some things to consider adding to your postpartum recovery kit and some other great recovery options if she had a C-section.

Flowers

Yes, flowers are pretty standard, but we still love them! You can help brighten their hospital room with a pretty bouquet they can take home with them. There is something about looking at a bouquet of flowers and feeling loved. You can either pick them up on your way over or buy a bouquet at the hospital gift shop on the way up to their room.

Your Photography Skills

If you’re a professional photographer, or just good at taking pictures, most new families would love to have those first few hours or days documented. This is a really sweet gift to bestow on a new family whose memory might be fuzzy thinking back to those first days but can remember them better with a couple of sweet pictures.

Just give mom a heads up first to see if she feels up for it. If she doesn’t feel well enough to do it at the hospital, you can always offer it for a few weeks later in the comfort of their own home.

Your Company

While a new family might need time to rest in the hospital, chances are they will love to see you if you are close to them. Just your support and care in coming to see them at the hospital says a lot.

As soon as my parents heard I was in labor, they began driving the eight hours to reach me the same day. My in-laws and a few friends from church stopped by as well. While the visits themselves can be sweet, they can also relieve dad of his duties for a bit if he needs to stretch his legs or run home to grab more clothes.

Just be sure to ask mom and dad if they want visitors because not everyone wants visitors at the hospital. And also, learn what to do and NOT to do when visiting a new baby.

What gifts did people bring you as a new family in the hospital? What gifts have you taken to other new moms and dads?