Thoughtful Pregnancy Gifts for Expecting Mothers

If anyone deserves to be spoiled rotten, that’s a mom-to-be. Whether she is a first-time or third-time mom, nourishing a new life can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Many expecting moms have registries complete with all the baby essentials they will need, but there’s nothing wrong with going off-registry to treat your sister, relative, or friend. Whether you are celebrating her birthday, a baby shower, a holiday, or you just want to show that you’re thinking of her, there are many options for pregnancy gifts you can choose from.

Pregnancy Tea

Tea is a worldwide popular beverage and certainly one that many women continue to enjoy during pregnancy. So, when looking for thoughtful and eco-friendly pregnancy gifts pregnancy tea is one of the first on the list, and for some very good reasons.

Tea contains polyphenols that protect the heart, antioxidants that may lower the risk of cancer, and many other nutrients that boost the immune system. When a woman is expecting, the benefits get even better. A comforting cup of tea may ease pregnancy morning sickness, prevent insomnia, and ease other pregnancy-related symptoms. It can even contribute to having shorter labour. 

However, there are some teas that should be avoided during pregnancy. In this group can be included some herbal teas including PMS, diet, cleansing and detoxification teas, as well as teas with the herbs black cohosh, blue cohosh, dong quai, etc. Expecting moms should also avoid herbal laxatives, therefore it’s important to read tea labels carefully.

On the other hand, most caffeinated teas are regarded as safe to drink during pregnancy, but only as long as they don’t cause a woman’s total daily intake to exceed 300mg. When it comes to herbal teas, it is usually recommended for women not to consume any herb in amounts greater than they would find in foods. Herbal teas that contain the following ingredients are considered to be safe for consumption during pregnancy:

• Raspberry Leaf – is believed to shorten labour and help prepare the uterus for birth
• Ginger – reduces nausea and vomiting 
• Peppermint – helps relieve gas, nausea, heartburn, and stomach pain
• Lemon Balm – helps relieve anxiety, irritability, and insomnia
• Rooibos tea – has antioxidant properties
• Nettle leaf – a source of vitamins and minerals (just make sure that it uses dried leaves, not root)

No matter which tea you choose, it’s important not to overindulge. High consumption of tea may interfere with the absorption of folic acid.

Natural Organic Essential Oils

It’s not unknown that sometimes pregnancy can be stressful and challenging. On the other hand, it is widely known how helpful essential oils can be when it comes to stress, insomnia, nausea, etc. In fact, all these problems can be also pregnancy-related. When used properly, certain essential oils provide some key benefits, including:

• aid in minimizing nausea and upset stomach
• calm achy muscles
• help reduce swelling and irritation associated with hemorrhoids
• improve sleep
• improve skin elasticity
• reduce the appearance of stretch marks
• aid reduce anxiety during labour

There is a wide range of natural organic essential oils that can be the ideal gifts for pregnant women, as it is important to use organic products for you and your baby. The group of natural organic essential oils safe to use during pregnancy includes lavender, peppermint, lemon, chamomile, rose, and others. These are the most highly recommended ones, and here’s why.

• Lavender – an excellent aromatherapy treatment that promotes relaxation, especially during labour and delivery
• Peppermint –  can help clear the head, promotes concentration, soothes the body, and helps reduce nausea in pregnant women
• Lemon – great option when dealing with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy
• Chamomile – helps repair the elasticity of the skin and reduce the appearance of stretch marks
• Rose – encourages calm, helps get those coveted 40 winks at night, and eases anxiety during delivery

Essential oils can be used with a diffuser. 2-3 drops of essential oil should be added to the recommended dosage of water. However, this dosage is not recommended for babies under 3 months.  Another option is to use the oil for massage, but as they are concentrated, you should add a carrier oil. The usual recommended amount is 2-3 drops of essential oil to 2 tablespoons of carrier oil.

Nappy Bag

Once the baby comes, every mom’s new best friend will be the nappy bag. There are some important features to be considered when choosing a nappy bag. However, the most important thing is for the nappy bag to be big enough so that it fits all the baby essentials that you’ll need for the day out without feeling humongous.

There are many nappy bags that can be converted from shoulder bags to backpacks, which are a great choice as the bags will be probably pretty tough to wear. Carrying more weight on one shoulder can stiffen the shoulder, so it would be good when the bag could be converted to a backpack when needed.

Stretch Mark Massage Oil

There is a vast array of high-quality massage oils for preventing stretch marks that may appear during pregnancy. They have a gentle formulation that leaves the skin smooth, elastic and flexible, and maintains the skin’s moisture. It’s a fact that during pregnancy, the body needs extra tender care, so these oils can make the mom-to-be feel well and enjoy what nature is doing. 
Stretch mark oils use only natural ingredients as they are full of vitamins and minerals. Hence, common pure natural oils that are contained in stretch mark oils are avocado, almond, acai, apricot kernel, macadamia, neroli, rosehip, myrrh oil, and many others.

Pregnancy Journal

As there are million-and-one things to do before the baby gets here, a pregnancy journal is a great gift for expecting mothers. It will ensure that she stays on top of it all. Also, many moms-to-be want to document the pregnancy from start to finish. A fill-in-the-blank journal is a great way for an expecting mom to work through some of her hopes and fears, but it will also make for a great family keepsake to share with the child someday. Aside from the space provided for over 40 weeks of personal notes, pregnancy facts, and helpful tips, there are many journals that are also arranged by trimester and contain thoughtful prompts and checklists, room for photos, pockets for some extra pockets and mementos.