Gifts for pregnant women: ideas for every budget

Short answer: The best gifts for pregnant women make the months ahead easier (a supportive pillow, soft pyjamas, a massage, freezer meals) or give her a keepsake for after the birth, such as a personalised pregnancy necklace. Choose something for her, not for the baby.

How to choose

Three questions get you most of the way there.

• How far along is she? In the first trimester she may be tired, sick and not yet telling people, so a discreet, practical gift is best. In the third, comfort and the hospital bag take over.
• Is it her first baby? First-time mums often love keepsakes. Mums of two or three usually want time, sleep and someone else to cook.
• What is she finding hard? Sickness, sleep, a sore back, a long commute. Answer that and the gift is right.

Under £20

• Ginger sweets, plain crackers and a flask

  Gentle things for a queasy stomach, in a small bag she can keep in her handbag.

  Good for the first trimester.

• Fragrance-free hand cream and lip balm

  Pregnancy can dry skin out. Choose products without strong perfume.

• A good water bottle

  Easy to carry, easy to keep topped up.

• Cosy socks or bed socks

  Cheap and welcome on cold evenings.

• A bump journal or notebook

  Somewhere to keep appointments, questions and the odd thought.

  A small keepsake as well as a notebook.

£20 to £50

• A maternity pillow

  A long, supportive pillow helps with side sleeping and a sore back. Check it is long enough to wrap around her.

  A practical gift she will use every night.

• Soft pyjamas or a robe

  Choose button-front, so they work for the hospital bag and for feeding later.

  Pick a size up and keep the receipt.

• Cooked meals for the freezer

  Two or three portions of something she likes, labelled with the date.

  Best gift for a second-time mum.

• A hospital bag kit

  Lip balm, a long phone charger cable, snacks, hair ties, a small towel.

• A pregnancy-safe skincare set

  Check the ingredients list, and skip retinoids and strong essential oils unless the label says pregnancy-safe. If you are unsure, give a voucher instead.

£50 to £100

• A prenatal massage

  Book a therapist trained in pregnancy massage. Some therapists don’t treat in the first trimester, so check the date.

• Maternity leggings or a support band

  A voucher to a maternity shop beats guessing her size.

• Quality slippers

  Warm, supportive and good for the hospital bag.

• A cleaner or a meal delivery voucher

  Help at home is worth more than another thing to unwrap.

£100 and over

• A babymoon weekend

  A short break before the baby arrives. Check she is comfortable to travel and not too far from home.

• A maternity photoshoot

  A set of photos of the bump is one of the few things she will keep for ever.

• A few sessions of cleaning or meal prep

  Boring and brilliant.

Keepsake gifts

A keepsake is for the mum, not the baby, which is why it is a safe choice for a partner, a sister or a close friend. A pregnancy necklace is the most popular, because it is worn and noticed. Choose silver or gold, then personalise it with her stones and an engraved date or name. Because each piece is made to order, leave a few weeks.

Other keepsakes: a pregnancy journal, a framed scan picture, a letter from you to read after the birth, or a memory box for the first year.

Time and help

Some of the best gifts cost nothing. Offer to cook, walk the dog, drive her to an appointment, build the cot or do the washing. Write it on a card as a voucher and be sure to honour it.

What to avoid

• Food hampers with foods she can’t eat. Skip pâté, mould-ripened soft cheeses, cured raw meats and anything alcoholic.
• Strong essential oils and retinoid skincare. Check the label, or give a voucher.
• Diets, scales and fitness items. Nothing that comments on her body.
• Baby things she hasn’t asked for. Some women prefer to wait, especially after a loss. Ask first.
• Tight clothes. Her size will change.

Birthdays and Christmas

For a birthday, choose something for her, not for the baby: pyjamas, a massage, a keepsake. For Christmas, soft pyjamas, slippers, a pregnancy-safe advent calendar or a hamper made to her list all work. If you are shopping for someone specific, we have separate guides for a pregnant wife, a pregnant friend and a baby shower. To make a bundle, see how to build a pregnancy gift box.

Not sure what to write? Read what to write in a pregnancy gift card.

Questions people ask