New mum gifts: what to buy someone who's just had a baby

Best new mum gifts: Something personalised to wear

A gorgeous piece of jewellery is always welcome, but a gorgeous piece of personalised jewellery with your baby's name, birthdate and a cute little boy or girl figure and mini heart or birthstone charm is just divine. Merci Maman is the go-to brand for personalised mummy jewellery; the Duchess necklace (from £119) makes a lovely memento and even the Duchess of Cambridge is a fan.

Best new mums gifts: Something that's useful for baby

Practical purchases for new babies can be tricky, but we think there's one item that's so versatile it makes a brilliant new mum gift: large muslin swaddles. We're obsessing over the award-winning Mama Designs muslin swaddles (£26 for a pack of two), with their monochromatic pineapple and cute cloud prints. Muslins are great multi-taskers: mums will use them to wipe spit-up, as a nursing cover, a swaddle blanket, a changing mat when on the go, a light cover in warm weather, a blanket for any older child's toys... the list goes on and on.

Best new mum gifts: Someone who can help them sleep

Sleep deprivation isn't a joke. But it is a reality of new motherhood. Which is why one of the best gifts a new mum can get is the gift of sleep. A maternity nurse or night nanny can help (check out websites like Little Ones London, The Maternity Nurse Company and Maternally Yours – there are a plethora to choose from in London). With maternity nurses typically costing from £200 a night, it's not something all new mums can manage. But you don't need a night nurse for weeks straight: we've had friends who had a wonderful experience with a maternity nurse who came for five nights in total over a period of several months, whenever they were having a wobble, trying to do some sleep training or struggling with a new stage. But even one night with an extra pair of hands can make a huge difference to an over-exhausted mum.

Best new mum gifts: Something pampering

Now that new mum can finally see her toes again, we think she'd love nothing more than having them painted a gorgeous red shade. But attempting a mani/pedi with a babe in tow - who may scream and wriggle the entire time - isn't a relaxing prospect; it's pure stress. Enter mobile beauty service Prettly, which brings nails, blowouts, makeup application, lashes and brows, massage, tanning, facials and more to the comfort of home. Even better? If you're snowed under, you can just order a gift card from their website to send to your friend until you have time to go see her for a proper visit.

Best new mum gifts: Something that will make them laugh but is also practical

It can be tricky to buy new mums practical gifts for babies that don't verge on the overly intimate (hello, breast pumps), but that they'll also use. Enter the Baby Crap tote from Lola & Gilbert at Not On The High Street (£17): it's the best new-mum gift we've ever received, continues to put a smile on our face, and doubles as a baby bag (plus, it's washable). Also, it's guaranteed to get a comment or start a conversation every time a new mum wears it out.

Best new mum gifts: Something that smells divine

New mums spend lots of time on their home turf, and the smells surrounding them – baby sick, nappy contents – don't always suggest 'ultimate relaxation.' So bring the new mum in your life the most gorgeous candles you can find. Cowshed has some of our favourites; they smell great and they're really fun. She may feel like a Grumpy or Knackered Cow, but Wild Cow may be just what she needs to feel invigorated. Candles are £36.

Best new mum gifts: Something they've been deprived of

After nine months of no alcohol, no sushi and no delicious, gooey, smelly cheeses, these are top of every new mum's wish list (trust us). So coming over with a selection of Gorgonzola, Cantal and some kind of unpasteurised ewe's milk cheese might not be your first instinct, but to her they will be perfection. A bottle of fizz works a treat, too. Cheers!

Best new mum gifts: Something for the bath

Post-birth, baths are even lovelier than we thought imaginable. Even better? Baths with your newborn: co-bathing is another opportunity for skin-to-skin contact and mum-baby bonding. Neal's Yard Remedies' Mother and Baby Organic Collection (£45) has delicious bath goodies for baby and mum, including oil for baby massage. Also, Neals Yard Remedies' Tea Tree Oil can be very soothing and refreshing for any post-labour cuts or grazes.

Best new mum gifts: Something they really want to try

Parenting buys are divided into a few groups: there's the boring stuff you really need to buy, the lovely Instagram-ready gear you purchase and then realise that it may be gorgeous, but your child will always choose the plastic tat over the wooden toy, and the parenting stuff that represents the parent you'd like to be. If you can buy your friend a present from that third category, then you've just won pal of the year. Aspirational parenting looks like different things to different people: for some, it's a cashmere blanket for baby, for others, it's a leopard print baby sling from Artipoppe costing over €700. For us, it's the eco-friendly buys that we love, that let us test out the waters of sustainable parenting, like Smallable's Hevea Star Ball and Baby blue bottle (£25), a glass baby bottle with protective rubber ball cover.

Best new mum gifts: Something unexpected

New mums need a little treat all to themselves, and the latest form of mum hamper is the new mum subscription box. mamaME boxes have five new gifts for mum each month, from a mum's night out kit with lipstick and earrings to a mum-to-be box with sleep mask and bath salts. You can get them as a one-off or order three or six-month subscriptions. The sooner new mums learn the benefits of self-care, the better.

Best new mum gifts: Something tasty

Food is essential for new mums. If they're breastfeeding, they're burning hundreds of calories a day from that alone, and if they've got a baby that requires 20,000 Fitbit steps around the park to fall asleep, well, you can imagine how hungry they're feeling. If you have the time and inclination, making them a lavish breakfast or giving them lasagne to last for a few meals is fabulous; however, you can also get them amazing food without lifting a finger courtesy of COOK, which makes frozen ready meals that taste delicious and are nutritious. Sign her up to the new parents' discount for 10% off the entire COOK range for six months.

If you do decide to head over to the supermarket, pick up a cabbage or two to bring over – frozen cabbage leaves slip into nursing bras and really help relieve hideously painful blocked ducts and mastitis pain.

Best new mum gifts: Something for the memories

A keepsake box or trunk is a gift that a new mum will treasure for a lifetime, especially when it's a Meminio memory case (from £130). They are made from bonded leather, have organisational pockets at the interior, and come in a selection of lovely hues. Also, you can have it personalised with a baby's initials and DOB.

Best new mum gifts: Something to watch

Many new mums feel stressed about the lack of routine in the early days with a newborn. There's a lot of sleeping at weird times, not sleeping when you should be, feeding, crying (both mum and baby), trying to meet up with NCT friends and feeling like getting out of the house will take two hours... and most of those early days become a blur. Until new mums discover the beauty that is binge-watching: those four-hour marathon feeds baby needs in the afternoon? They're no longer a stress, they're an opportunity to find out what The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel is up to. Whatever your mum friend has in terms of TV and movie channels, get her more. Sign her up Amazon Prime and Netflix, purchase Sky Atlantic (Games of Thrones!) for her, or just copy your favourite rom-coms onto her laptop. Variety is key.