Move over onesie, mom’s the one

Mommies and mommies-to-be need love too. Just Ella Bella blogger and crafty mom Eleanor Douglas-Meyers shares tips on how to pamper your pregnant friend, or new mom, without breaking the bank.

Want to treat a pregnant friend or a new mom? These out-of-the-box ideas might help

The pregnant ones:

• Gifts for themselves

I mean the 100th onsie is cute and all, but can someone give me something for myself? Body products, chocolate, something that says I see you under the baby bump.

• The gift of an ear

Sometimes people need to complain, pregnancy is hard, and sometimes you just need a no judgment zone, and instead of telling her it is all beautiful and lovely and worth it. Why not say hey it's okay not to like your feet growing two sizes and vomiting every hour, we know you still love your kid.

• The gift of treating her as more than just an incubator

Although most pregnant women love talking babies, babies, babies...They have not changed as people, they can still talk about so and so's awkward fight on social media and which sports team sucks, seriously, try them.

• The gift of spa vouchers

They do specialised treatments for pregnant people now! your friend needs her feet rubbed, be a doll.

• The gift of excitement

When I first found out I was pregnant (a million years ago) I had friends who bought me baby magazines, multivitamins, stretchy pants... They were so excited for me that I never felt like an imposition when I sent them a picture of a scan, I knew from day one that there was a village to raise my child and that has not changed.

The new moms:

• The gift of space

The first few days are about bonding and finding a rhythm with their child. Not feeding your inconsiderate behind tea and cookies because you don't know when to leave.

• The gift of eats

Instead of expecting food from your hosts why not bring them something food related, like heat-and-eat meals or things to snack on while breastfeeding or coffee for the dad so he can actually hear the cries in the middle of the night (stop projecting, Eleanor...sheesh).

• The gift of unnecessary quirky things

Sometimes new parents’ budgets are rather stretched due to all kinds of baby-related bills. This means they can’t get to their secret wish list which includes a bling dummy the kid will never use, or the hat with baby’s name on which mommy secretly wants, but you know, nappies come first – so why not be that leka aunt/uncle/person.

• The gift of tiny pick me ups

One of my all-time favorite baby shower gifts was a box of small tiny individually wrapped presents. My journalism mentor, former editor, and amazing friend, had wrapped little trinkets and freaking amazing gifts and I was instructed to open it when I was feeling low. With a child in the hospital and then colicky, it came in handy.

• The gift of your time

One of my cousins came over once and said, go take a bath, read a magazine, I’m here to watch the baby, just hand me some pre-pumped milk. Boy, did I need that!

The most special gifts don’t need to break the bank…