Christmas Gift Guide for Mums to Be - 2021 edition

Hello my lovelies! If you have followed Oh So T for a while you will know that Steve and I are expecting our first baby in literally less than 26 days. A boxing day baby is all fun and games until you remember you had promised yourself you would do Blogmas and complete it for the first time ever... I know expecting a baby is the perfect excuse to say "No, it just is not possible" but then I promised myself I would see this challenge through and I intend to do just that!

So kicking off my first post of Blogmas, I thought I would share a little gift guide for you all but specifically tailored for pregnant women! I know how difficult it was when I was for a thoughtful gift for Cousin last year and I wanted to get something for her that was not baby related. Trust me that individual in your life will be inundated with gifts for baby and Mum can sometimes be left by the wayside. However, Mum might be happy to have things purchased for baby as baby things are EXPENSIVE, and I really cannot stress just how expensive things get because the word 'maternity' or 'baby' has been put in front of it... Seriously, even underwear trebles in price when the word 'maternity' is added (a top tip here - just size up, it is much much much cheaper). 

Gift Ideas

My top tip would be to have a discussion with the mother to be in your life first and see if there is anything she wants or needs. Some Mums to be may say they would love some bits for baby, some may ask for gift cards or vouchers they can use after baby arrives or some may simply say they do not require anything and are happy with a surprise. This leads me perfectly onto the actual gift guide itself: 

1. Gift boxes

Here are a few of my personal choices for gift boxes for those Mums to Be in your life:

Nut and Noggin Gift Set - £28.00

The Nut and Noggin Gift Set contains their award winning shampoo bar and two of the new rhubarb and ginger brûlée soap bars. I have raved about their shampoo bar before and it has been a staple in my haircare routine for the last year. You can also add a mini candle set with the quote "you're amazing" - perfect for anyone needing a little reminder of how awesome they are. 

An Afternoon Tea Hamper

You could make your loved one an Afternoon Tea hamper with all of their favourite bits and bobs. I think this is a lovely idea and one that your loved one will cherish. My top things to include would be tea, scones, cream, jam, macaroons, chocolate, biscuits and some non-alcoholic Prosecco (M&S do an incredible version). 

If you don't have time to make your own hamper (and lets face it we don't all have the chance to), Hampers.com do an Afternoon Tea Hamper - £32.00. This hamper contains everything you need for an at home Afternoon Tea. The Hamper contains macaroons, apple & custard biscuits, Almond thins, strawberry jam, tea, mini salted caramel bar & clotted cream. They also have various different types of hampers if the afternoon tea isn't quite your thing. 

JoJo Maman Bebe gift boxes / hampers - various prices

JoJo Maman Bebe have an extensive range of gift boxes (a little bit like a gift box supermarket to be honest) and I love the variety. A favourite is the Oh Mumma Just for Mum Box (£34.00).

Create your own

My best friend did this for my Birthday and created an essential survival guide for Mums to Be with lots of pamper bits for me, foodie bits and some baby essentials too. This was a really thoughtful gift, which I absolutely cherish. 

You could make your own by getting a hamper/basket, collecting together some of Mum to Be's favourite bits and pieces and wrapping those essentials up or placing some shredded paper and wrapping in cellophane. The beauty with this is you can tailor it to your own personal tastes, manage the budget meaning you are likely to get more bang for your buck and Mum to Be will love the thought that has gone into this and likely get very emotional!

2. Personalised shadow box of Baby's Scan

I know I indicated that this was all for Mum, however this is a genuinely lovely gift for anyone expecting their little one. My Cousin purchased me a beautiful shadow box with Baby Randell's scan picture in. It has Baby Randell in scramble tiles, a little teddy bear, some lights and gems and goes perfectly on Baby Randell's nursery wall. Of course, as this was a gift I have no idea of where it was from or the cost, however a quick google has revealed a number of Etsy sellers who do similar items all with varying designs and prices so you can chose one to suit your own budget and the style of Mum to Be. Some sellers will even tailor the pieces to exactly what you want if you already have ideas in mind. 

3. Bath or Shower goodies

Any Mother to Be will tell you how much they suddenly appreciate a bath or a very hot shower. Sadly, we don't have a bath (I know flipping nightmare and something we are in the process of rectifying before Baby Randell arrives), but I cannot tell you how good a hot shower (obviously not too hot as I know we cannot cook the little one) is at soothing those bump growing pains and making the world a better place. My parents do have a bath and wherever possible, I have been taking full advantage.

When you are having more showers and baths than you normally would (just trust me if I could live in the hot stream of water I genuinely would) you tend to want to make some of this things a little more luxurious. My shower and bath favourites are below:

Shower steamers

Basically a bath bomb, but for your shower. You unwrap the goodness, place it in your shower tray, leave for a minute or two and allow the fragrance to emanate and start relaxing you. A personal favourite of mine is anything lavender as I find it relaxes me and is a huge help for sleeping. 

Shower Steamers vary in price. Lush do a version for £2.00 (we know that's good) and Etsy have numerous sellers as do Google with prices varying from £6.00 for 12 to gift packs and boxes for £10.00-£15.00. Again, it is just a case of finding what works for your budget / what the Mother to Be likes. My personal preference is Lush or an Etsy seller called S&R Heavenly (£6.00 for 12 and absolutely incredible - link to Etsy shop here). 

Eucalyptus and Lavender Shower Bunches

As a local Timperley Gal, if you're looking for Shower Bunches and are Manchester based you're going to want to check out The Wellness Bunch for those shower bunches. The bunches are £22.99 (£23.99 if you need a hook and it is a reusable hook), can be re-used and will release their essential oils for around 4 weeks. Link to The Wellness Bunch here. You can also do your own google search and find other brands / makers, however as a local gal I want to support and showcase our local businesses wherever possible.

As a side note, some essential oils are not recommended during pregnancy. Both Eucalyptus and Lavender are considered safe during pregnancy, however I would only recommend using from the second trimester (after week 12) so if Mum to be is still in the first trimester I would recommend waiting on this one. There is more research needed on the subject, but I personally waited until Trimester two. 

Bath bombs & salts

If you have a bath (you lucky duck you) then bath bombs are the bees knees for improving your bath game as are fancy bath salts with dried flowers and fruits in (oh yes, we're going upmarket for this section). 

Independent sellers are my fave for bath bombs and bath salts as you're going to get more for your money here. A few of my favourites are: Scented bath salts from EudemoniaUK £22 for 3 400g bags; Bath bombs from Beyond Basic Bubbles various prices (their save the ocean gift set is beautiful) and bath gift sets from the Original Soap Co various prices.

Lush

I mean I could not mention anything bath or shower related without mentioning Lush - a love of mine for the last 10 years. Now not having a bath throws a right spanner in the works here as Lush's bath bombs are incredible and I miss a good bath! A link to lush's website is here, because I cannot face looking at the Christmas range again as I will cry! 

4. Skincare

Pregnancy causes havoc to your skin, I mean it does not for everyone but some of us have a real rough ride with hormones and breakouts. Even those of us who didn't suffer with acne growing up (I know we were extremely blessed) do get hit by breakouts and getting a skincare routine that is right for you can be key to combatting this pesky pregnancy symptom. I am doing a guide to pregnancy skincare (it is taking a while to draft as I keep finding new things that help / cause breakouts and I want it to be incredible for you all), so keep you eyes peeled for that! But for now, I shall leave you with my skincare recommendations. 

Liz Earle will forever be a staple in my skincare routine and they are approved for use during pregnancy - woohoo! My two staples are the cleanse & polish hot cloth cleanser and the instant boost skin tonic. 

There are a whole host of routines and kits for Liz Earle, which you can find here. You will know Mum to be's skin better than I do, but if you are new to Liz Earle I would highly recommend the Essentials-try-me kit.

I also use Pixi Beauty's Glow Mist and have found this to be incredible for my skin. The Glow Mist retails for £16.00, can be found in most stores and online here.

You could also check with each individual store which products they recommend for use during pregnancy. Any natural independent stores are likely to have their own formulas and recommendations for you to look into. I would advise you look at natural products too, especially if Mum-to-be is being cautious with chemicals during pregnancy. 

I would suggest checking with Mum-to-be as to which products she is using and how she feels about skincare. Some Mums to be get very worried about chemicals and products etc (even though the above recommendations are advised as pregnancy safe and have not caused me any personal issues) so best to double check for this one.

5. PJs, Slippers and Dressing Gowns

I am not ashamed to say that I currently live in my slippers and dressing gown... When Mum-to-Be's bump is growing I can guarantee she will not want anything tight or restrictive around her midriff and will instead want cosy comfort (even in the height of summer I had a soft dressing gown and slippers on as it was the only thing that felt comfy). 

PJS

You can buy maternity pajamas from a lot of stores. A few favourites are ASDA and New Look as I found their ranges to be affordable and good quality. If you are a fan of online shopping a quick google search will show you a number of retailers offering different options. Most sets range from £18.00 upwards and higher price doesn't always mean higher quality in my experience. I would recommend reading the reviews from other people on the websites if you are not going in person so you can check out softness and material quality.

Slippers

I usually get a new pair of slippers every year in my Christmas Eve Box (hello family tradition). Mum to Be will likely want new slippers for her hospital bag or for her to relax in as her feet grow (swollen feet in small slippers is not the one, trust me!). 

I always recommend supermarkets for slippers as they're affordable and usually very good quality. ASDA and TESCO have great ranges. My last pair are actually from B&M and have lasted me a good year two years (no holes as of yet, but I do need to get a new pair I think). You could go all out and purchase a pair of UGG slippers, I have heard these are the height of comfort, however given they are likely to get stained or have baby sick on them in the next few months, you may want to save this splurge for when baby is a bit older. My recommendations vary from £6.00 up to £80.00 for the UGG version.

If I was personally to pick a new pair of slippers I would be going for the Laines London Lobster slippers in Navy £45.00. The whole collection has beautiful varying designs with embellished brooches on the front - the full collection can be viewed here. A little on the pricer side, but certainly beautiful. 

Dressing Gowns

My current dressing gown is from AVON and I live in it. I have had it since last Christmas and I genuinely think it is one of the best dressing gowns I have ever had. 

That being said, you can purchase a dressing gown from anywhere really. Supermarkets usually have a very good Christmas range, Matalan has a great range of PJS and Dressing Gowns in matching sets and you can also find many stockists online. If Mum-to-Be is a fan of the silk robes, you could purchase her a personalised silk robe and there are many sellers online for this. 

6. Stretchy loungewear

As above, Mum-to-Be may be feeling uncomfortable (if she is anything like me she certainly will be) and is likely wanting to wear something that looks and feels like PJS, but is not. This is where loungewear steps in. The comfort of PJS, but looks acceptable to wear if having guests over... Honestly an absolute winner. 

I have accumulated quite a collection of loungewear thanks firstly to lockdown and then due to my ever growing bump. Sainsburys had a very good selection of grey loungewear with stretchy pants (I just sized up in their regular collection) and team these with my stretchy jumpers / tops. 

ASDA have an incredible selection - do not make the mistake I did by thinking the stretch would be enough to accommodate the bump. I got my usual 8/10 as it was stretchy and it was not stretchy enough sadly (this set will be my pre-pregnancy set when my body is somewhat back to its usual self). I love this grey jumpsuit, which I purchased in Anglesey for £18.00. It is really comfy! I got a size medium and there is definitely enough room for bump to grow a fair bit more before our due date. 

This section for me is a staple set. 

7. Portable photo printer / polaroid camera / Scrapbook

I love this gift idea and will certainly be making a purchase myself. The Adventure Challenge has a scratch-off book of fun activities you can do as a family with space for a photograph and to write a little note about the activity. The activity book also comes in a dates edition and a friends edition. You can purchase the activity book here for £29. 

To turn any photographs on a phone into polaroid pictures for the scrapbook, and of course dependent upon budget, you could purchase mum a polaroid printer. There are numerous options available on google and they retail from £50 to £120 for a printer by Polaroid themselves.

9. Food / Chocolates / non-alcoholic spirits or alcoholic spirits

As a mum to be chcocolate has become a food group for me! I would be ridiculously happy to receive my favourite chocolates or savoury snacks to fill up my treat drawer. 

To accompany the chocolate and snacks, you cannot go wrong with Mum's favourite tipple. Most spirits and beers have alcohol free versions, which means mum can still enjoy her favourite drink (just with less alcohol) or if baby's due date is near to Christmas I am sure mum would love to have her favourite drink in to celebrate baby's arrival. 

10. Jewellery

Another great gift for a mum to be would be a piece of jewellery to commemorate baby or baby's arrival. There are so many options out there and you can tailor this gift specifically to Mum. This gift can take many forms such as earrings, a bracelet or necklace. 

As we do not know whether we are having a boy or a girl, I will be commemorating baby's arrival with a winter / Christmas themed piece and Fei Liu have a beautiful snowflake pendant necklace and are also supporting the make-a-wish foundation. This piece is completely stunning and will hold a special place in my jewellery collection for the rest of my life. You can purchase your own here or check out the rest of Fei Liu's collection for other beautiful pieces, which may be more tailored to mum to be and baby. 

Fei Liu are an award winning jewellery brand, which was established in 2006 by Fei Liu who studied at the Birmingham School of Jewellery. Fei Liu's store is based in the historic Birmingham Jewellery Quarter  and I am a huge fan of their commitment to helping do good. Their chosen charity this year is the Make a Wish Foundation (you can find out more here) and the special snowflake pendant, which retails for £150, has been especially designed to support the charity. 10% of every sale of the special edition Snowflake Pendant (SNF-925R-308-CECZ) will be donated to Make-A-Wish UK via Work for Good, which is an incredible donation so not only will you be purchasing a wonderful gift for Mum you will also be supporting an incredible charity!

11. Vouchers

As a fail safe option, you could always purchase vouchers from mum's favourite shop so she can treat herself to something once baby arrives. You could also gift mum to be some monies, however I feel the voucher adds a personal touch to this gift. 

I hope the above has given you all some helpful ideas and hopefully gift ideas you can use to treat Mum this Christmas! If you have any additions you think would be good gift ideas, please feel free to add them in the comments below and let me know if you have found this guide useful and would like more content such as this. If you have stumbled upon this post and are looking for advent calendar recommendations then the lovely Kay can help you with ideas and has created this post to help you all! 

Don't forget to keep up to date with the blog via my socials and keep your beady eyes peeled for our next set of gift guides throughout 2022!

Until Next Time 

T 

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