An expecting mother finds herself in a challenging yet exciting time in her life. She could be about to bring her first child into the world, or she might be adding another child to her growing family. Given some of the anxiety and stress that can come with being pregnant, a gift can be a great way to make her feel better as her due date approaches. Here are ten useful and interesting gifts that your pregnant friend might like.

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1. Pregnancy pillow

One of the most difficult tasks for a woman, when she’s pregnant, is trying to go to sleep. Pregnant women can feel pain in their joints, lower back, and other body aches when trying to go to sleep. A pregnancy pillow is specifically designed to help a woman feel comfortable when she lies down. Some pregnancy pillows can help her align her knees and hips, which relieves the pressure in the spine. In addition, it can help elevate a woman’s upper body to relieve any heartburn that can be common with her internal organs having less space. The pillow can also maintain its shape with the amount of weight that’s placed on it. Lastly, your pregnant friend can even be able to keep using the pillow after she’s had the baby, using it to support the newborn while she’s feeding him.

2. Pregnancy shoes

A woman’s feet can go through a lot of changes throughout her pregnancy. They can swell a lot, or they can grow larger. As a result of the changes, she’s going to eventually not be able to wear her regular shoes for a while. Many types of shoes can be really useful for adapting to a pregnant women’s changing foot size. Adjustable sandals are one of the top options worth considering. They’re easy for a woman to slip her feet into without having to struggle to bend over and put them on. Some sandals can also offer arch support to help ease the foot aches that can occur when walking or standing for long periods. Look for shoes that have soft fabrics inside as well, as these can also ease the pain on a pregnant woman’s feet.

3. Skincare products

Another part of a woman’s body that changes during pregnancy is her skin. There are pigmentation changes that can occur, such as the darkening of the neck, face, and other areas. Some women can develop acne problems during pregnancy as well. All of these changes may make her feel more self-conscious during this time. If you get your pregnant friend some skin products, it can assist in managing these changes and help her to feel better about herself. Keep in mind that pregnant women can’t use all skin products due to certain ingredients harmful to them or the baby. Find skincare items that are specifically designed for pregnant women, like stretch mark cream.

4. Books on pregnancy

This gift may be particularly good if your friend or relative is going through pregnancy for the first time. Since she’s never been through the process of having a baby before, she’ll likely have a lot of questions about how she should best manage with being pregnant. Getting your pregnant friend a book on pregnancy can be good for providing her all the information she needs. It may be difficult to select a good book since there are many pregnancy books out there. When choosing a book for her to read, it might be best to look for one that’s either written by a doctor or someone who has professional credentials.

5. Maternity clothes gift card

Since your pregnant friend is going to be growing in size with each trimester, she’s going to need some pregnancy clothes that can accommodate her growth. Cotton clothing can be a comfortable and light fabric for a pregnant woman to wear. It’s also more breathable, which is useful because pregnant women tend to feel hot and sweat more easily throughout the pregnancy. Leather and jeans should generally be avoided during this time. Another common problem is the rubbing of the thighs. The rubbing can cause bruises. For this reason, airy dresses are a good option that can allow a woman’s thighs to move easily and breathe.  You may not know what specific preference your pregnant friend or relative might have, so the gift card gives her the option to decide for herself. Since she’ll have the gift card that will discount whatever she selects, she can be able to get herself something nice.

6. Comfortable underwear

While we’re still on the topic of clothing, another type of clothing that your pregnant friend will appreciate is comfortable underwear. Even though this gift is a little personal, the underclothing she has now will eventually not fit her as the pregnancy continues. If you’re very close with your pregnant friend, some cotton underwear will give her just the comfort she needs. Additionally, some maternity underwear comes with light support that eases the pressure of the extra weight that will be on her back. They provide less pressure on the pelvic muscles. Maternity underwear is also designed to stretch as a pregnant woman’s belly grows, and they can even be comfortable post-pregnancy as she’s getting herself back to her old size. Best of all, you can find some that are trendy and fashionable to make her feel more comfortable and confident about wearing them.

7. Pregnancy Journal

As mentioned earlier, while being pregnant is an exciting time, it can also be a stressful and anxious time for a pregnant woman. If it’s her first time, she’s experiencing a lot of changes to her body that she’s never dealt with before. The physical challenges, particularly of the first trimester, can really take a mental and emotional toll. That’s why the pregnancy journal can be a great gift you can give to an expecting mother. She can use the journal to document all of her thoughts and feelings about what she’s going through each day. Journaling has been proven to be an effective tool for reducing stress and anxiety. In addition to using it to document her thoughts, your pregnant friend can also use it to set goals for herself, track her progress, and keep herself organized. Best of all, she can look back on the happy memories she writes down, and perhaps even share her writings with her child when they’re old enough to understand.

8. Diaper bag

Whenever your pregnant friend has her child and starts going outside with them, it’ll be important for them to have a diaper around for the inevitable moment they’ll need to change them. A diaper bag can be great not only for storing fresh diapers, but they can store toys, blankets, and baby food as well. Most diaper bags tend to have multiple pockets and space to carry a variety of things a mother needs to have for her child. Some diaper bags can have padded shoulder straps that help provide extra comfort, and the straps can provide even weight distribution to help avoid any strain to the back.

9. Baby sling

Your pregnant friend will be spending a lot of time with her baby when she’s born. A good way to keep her baby near her at all times would be gifting her a baby sling. The baby sling wraps the baby close to the mother’s chest. Some research has found that having the baby close to the mother in this way reduces the amount of crying from the child. In addition, it’ll allow your friend or relative to be able to have their hands free to do other activities while still having the baby with them. It can also provide the new mother a discreet way to breastfeed in public.

10. Video baby monitor

Most new moms tend to be anxious about watching after their child as much as possible while they’re awake. It can become a challenge when they need to be another room and have to leave their baby alone. Gifting your pregnant friend a video baby monitor will help ease her mind. Video baby monitors allow a new mom to keep an eye on their child at all times from any room in the house. Your friend or relative can take a relaxing shower while still being able to peek outside the shower curtain to see how her child is doing on the monitor. Some monitors allow the mother to also be able to talk to their kids through it, which can help calm the baby whenever they’re crying. Lastly, other baby monitors allow a new mom to record some of her child’s happy moments and share it with their friends and family.

These gifts can all be useful and appreciated by your friend or relative who’s expecting a child. When choosing a gift, consider what kind of items and activities the expecting mother likes. Use that as a guide to choosing the best gift that can make her feel good during her pregnancy or after the child is born. You can find more possible gifts for an expecting mother at this link: https://bitsybugboutique.com/