Unique and useful last-minute gift ideas for every new mom and little one on your holiday list
Our holiday gift to you: a full gift-giving guide brimming with thoughtfully selected and impeccably crafted items, curated for the new family on your list. From vintage-inspired toys to sweet nursery decor, we have a host of options just waiting to be slipped beneath your tree.
Many of the Pregnancy Magazine picks are brought to you by independently owned companies with moms just like you at the helm. Many of the options below are affordable (with some priced as low as $7!) and lean heavily toward being sustainably sourced and friendly to the earth. All of the items you’ll find below have been tested first-hand and loved by the Pregnancy editors.
Gifts for the new mom
1. We love a diaper bag that looks too chic and stylish to be dedicated to baby. This bag from new mom-owned company Fawn Design is made with a high quality, supple vegan leather. Wear it as a backpack or a cross body bag for easy access to your little one’s essentials. A must-have for any new mom, the Fawn Design bag has plenty of space and organized pockets, but is compact enough to wear even when baby is not in tow.
2. The Happy Family Baby & Toddler Cookbook is chockfull of simple, delicious, and healthful recipes for every member of her household. Make mealtime a breeze and ensure the smallest family member is getting the nutrients he or she needs to grow and thrive. This hardcover book, featuring 70 original organic recipes, is a real beauty, with vibrant, full-color photographs of each dish.
3. Lightweight, compact, and stunning to boot, this infinity nursing scarf from artisan maker MiNiTiPi does double duty for moms on the go. Wear it as a stylish accessory and, when ready to nurse, slip it over baby if you’d like some cover.
4. A gift that, quite literally, keeps on giving, the Mama Bird Subscription Box thoughtfully caters luxurious products to a mom-to-be all throughout her pregnancy and beyond. Start up at any time and choose the subscription plan that works for you.
5. A coffee maker. Need we say more? Caffeine is the lifeblood of motherhood, keeping us all running despite late nights in the nursery. Pamper the new mom in your life with a French Press that’s simple to use and looks stunning just sitting on a countertop.
6. Bring the spa to her with this sumptuous and sweet-smelling body wash from the organic beauty line, Juice Beauty. Bonus points if you babysit so the new mom in your life can enjoy it, too.
7. Described as the ‘cashmere of nursing pads,’ these heart-shaped, absorbent liners from Bamboobies are made from sustainable and super-soft bamboo. They are designed to be undetectable under clothing, with no lines and no risk of leaking through. Eco-friendly and machine washable for multiple uses.
8. Safe, earth-friendly, and delightfully scented, this lavender candle from Honest Company will help inspire a soothing bedtime routine for both mom and baby.
Gifts for the newborn
1. The SoundBub is a bluetooth portable speaker with a built-in stand that doubles as a handle. Select one setting to play soothing sounds, from a gentle rain to rolling waves to simple white noise. A second setting allows you to connect the speaker to any bluetooth-enabled device, allowing you to play your own music for your little one. Lastly, using an accompanying app, the SoundBub lets mom and dad record soothing voice messages to play for baby. The speaker is rechargeable, padded, and simple to use.
2. These elephant booties are as cute as they are cozy. Handcrafted from felted wool, these baby shoes are truly one-of-a-kind and make a memorable gift for the newborn baby who has everything.
3. The organic muslin swaddle blankets from Coyuchi are generously sized, beautifully designed, and more substantial than any other on the market. Pick up a set of 3 in coordinating designs for the perfect gift for the newborn who has style-conscious parents.
4. The Hip Peas hair and skincare line smells intoxicating without being overwhelming, and is luxuriously moisturizing. Handpick your products, from shampoo to curl tamer to body lotion and more, for a sweet-smelling gift for the smallest person on your holiday list. Each Hip Peas item is eco-friendly and non-toxic. What’s more, 10 percent of the company’s profits are donated to worthy charities.
5. There is nothing sweeter than a newborn baby snuggled up in his or her pajamas. Make that scene ten times cozier with these organic pajamas from Finn + Emma. Each of the company’s PJ sets is dreamily soft and designed with a subtle pattern that can easily work for either gender.
6. Visit photographer Sharon Montrose’s online print shop for the sweetest portraits of baby animals. Each print is available in multiple sizes and some options are even available for professional framing.
7. This delightfully whimsical crib sheet comes packaged for gift-giving. Slip a bow on it and you’re ready for your holiday gift exchange. Rookie Humans is a new company which has partnered with talented artists to share their depictions of dreamland. You’ll find four of these imaginative settings printed on super-soft sateen. Each design is crafted as a backdrop for a photo, allowing a new mom or dad to snap away while baby snoozes.
8. This little bird is made from untreated Indian hardwood, finished with non-toxic vegetable seed wax, and filled with dried beans. It’s a solid, beautifully made teether that doubles as a rattle and makes a fine decorative piece on a nursery shelf.
9. Encourage baby to flex those sensorimotor skills with this adorable panda rattle that stimulates the senses. Simple, contrasting colors hold baby’s attention, while the clacking sound helps him or her learn cause and effect.
Gifts for the curious baby
1. Encourage your baby to take his or her first steps with this sturdy and sweet walker from Moulin Roty. Whimsical decorations will delight your little one’s imagination, while a sizable basket area encourages him or her to tote around favorite toys while on the move. This is a perfect gift for a little one who’s highly mobile, but still unsteady on his or her own.
2. This mini music center is advertised for older children, but we think with a few tweaks (take away the small ball and the mallet), it’s a perfect fit for a growing baby learning cause and effect. Let your little one make some noise with this non-toxic, wooden music table.
3. This jersey play dress is as cute and comfy as can be. What’s even better than a fancy frock for your little girl? Doing good just by buying it! When you purchase from Rockin’ Baby, a mom-owned business, a mother or child in need receives an item from the shop as well.
4. A delightful book that belongs in every child’s nursery, Everywhere Babies celebrates diverse families and the amazing, growing babies at the center of them.
5. Stimulate your baby’s senses with this well-made, non-toxic wooden stacking toy from Svan. Multi-faceted, this ship consists of 9 pieces that baby can fit together while he or she develops hand-eye coordination. An accompanying wooden ball serves as a nice surprise, rolling down either end of the ship to teach your child object permanence and cause and effect.
6. With this colorful stacking toy from the Manhattan Toy Company, babies can build and design tree houses to their hearts’ content. Constructed from wood, this cheerful little tree house has a non-toxic, water-based finish—perfect for babies who put every item in their mouths.
Gifts for the toddler
1. A basket of rainbow-colored silk scarves from Bella Luna Toys offers endless hours of imaginative play for any age. Beautifully crafted, they can be fashioned into a superhero’s cape, a cowboy’s bandana, a puppet theater curtain—essentially anything your creative little one can dream up. These scarves are sold individually.
2. A perfect stocking stuffer made specially for little fingers, these crayon rocks are easy to hold and are highly pigmented for a vibrant coloring experience each and every time. Non-toxic and earth-friendly, these crayons come in 8 shades and are crafted from soy wax.
3. The ultimate snowed-in activity, Props in a Box delivers everything your child needs to make his or her directorial debut. Choose from several gender-neutral costume themes, from superhero to chef to dinosaur. Each set comes complete with a colorful background to accompany the costumes—and free access to a movie-making app, compatible with iPhone and Android. The app allows your child to film his or her movie, add sound effects, music, and credits—and share the end result with family and friends.
4. The MiO Dollhouse from the Manhattan Toy Company is a well-made wooden house with infinite possibilities for open-ended play. With this house, children are encouraged to use colorful blocks to build furniture of their own design for their new friends. The house comes complete with two gender-neutral bean bag dolls and plenty of space for imaginations to soar.
5. For toddlers, pretend play is essential to helping them discover the world around them. Encourage your little boy or girl to nurture his or her stuffed animals and dolls with this wooden doll bunk bed from Svan. Well-crafted and simple to assemble, these beds arrive with a blanket and pillow for each and a ladder for reaching the top bunk.
6. The Hillsides Forest Set is so beautifully made you may want to keep it on display for yourself. Handmade from sustainably harvested wood, this set includes 17 pieces in total, depicting the creatures and trees found in the forests of Budapest. This set is made in Hungary, sold by the sweet, eco-friendly shop, Bitte, and comes gift-ready in a lovely box.
7. This adorable deer doll is just one of the many magical creations from the Danish toy company, Maileg. On one side this cotton plush animal is wide awake, but turn her over, and she’s fast asleep. The doll is weighted on the bottom and can sit without falling over.
8. Perfect for your budding storyteller, the Storybook Lamp from Moulin Roty comes packaged as a flashlight with three removable discs. Shine the light on a flat wall, and your little one can project the most delightful and imaginative illustrations to craft stories around.