Hi,
My best friend is currently 6 months pregnant. I am her birthing partner (eek!!). I have been buying stuff for the baby since january (made the msot of the sales!)
So far i have got her :http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.205-4959.aspx in the january sales and have bought another box :http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Babies-R-Us/Collections/My-Favourite-Things-Nursery-Box(0046328) and filled it with practical things like:
sudocream,  calpol,  gripe water,  dummys,  muslin cloths,  face cloths,  cotton wool,   Baby sponge,  Toothbrush/nail scissors&clippers/soft hairbrush set

Question is, what else can i add to the box? What things are useful to have?Even if its not something that can be used immediately but are handy to have in the cupboard for when the time comes. I have tried to go down the 'practical' route as most people give toys and clothes as gifts.
Thanks

Remeber to add something for the elated, but exhausted mum :-)   I buy mum something nice, something that will be appreciated... After my 1st child 30something years ago... my best friend bought me a bottle of my favourite perfume, so that even when I was knee deep in all things horrible, I would still feel good :-) (she also added, "and not too whiffy") :-P... I have done the same ever since...

Oh yes, i've already got a seperate box of goodies for mum :-)

Your friend will be very pleased that you have got her a nursery box full of all the practical things that she will need new mums get a baby pack from hospital with some of these things but they soon run out so she will be grateful at having a lovely nursery box full of essentials. :-)

Nappies, changing mats, being other essentials, however without sex and weight that can be difficult to do unless you wanted to add vouchers, might be an idea.

Baby grows are essentials too, I know many will be buying them, but you can never have too many, have a look at this idea below, I thought it may be something that you could copy yourself.

http://www.baby-gifts.co.uk/baby-bouquet-pink.htm

Has she got her moses basket etc too? You could add feeding bowls, utensils, first tooth, hair keepsakes, baby book.

The list is endless, sure many others will add who can remember better just having babes themselves. :-)

Buy some BIGGER sizes of baby clothes as everyone will buy newborn size, she will have millions of them and once the baby has grown (within like 5 minutes) nothing at all. I really appreciated those thoughtful friends of mine who bought a size or two up so I had some saved. :)

Scratch mitts , I always needed these for my son when he was a baby. I didn't like the supermarket ones as they wouldn't stay on but mothercares own were quite good.

As an expectant mother myself I think what your doing is fantastic :)

Have you included.............

A baby towel
Top 'n' tail bowl
Hooded robe (more cute than practical) :)
A supermarket are doing a pack of their own newborn nappies (pk of 48) for £1!! (A**a)
Shawl

But to be honest you have already got an awful lot of stuff for baby bump. Wish someone would do this for me lol.

Goodness, Fred's Mum - you are incredibly generous :) :) When I was having my babies, I thought it very generous of someone to buy a pair of bootees :) :) Does your friend actually know you are buying all this for her, as part of the joy of having a first baby is going out and buying all these things yourself :) :) Your friend is a lucky girl for having such a good friend :)

Daisy

Ditto Kayc, when I had Ben my "uncle fred" who was my Da's mate from school? gave me a card and a big box of chocolates, he said the baby would get plenty and these were for me! My "baby" is 25 monday but I still remember his kindness and thought and he never married so was an older batchelor then (the pair of them are 79 now!! and still mates, they do a bit of building the geriatric builders we call them)

Thanks everyone.
Yes she does know. I have tried getting things that dont matter if you double up on, for example bath products etc. I am going to give it to her soon so she can work out what to get based on what she already has but im hoping this will really help her. She hasnt really bought anything yet other than a few babygrows. keep telling her she needs to get organised but shes so laid back about it all shes practically horizontal. I like that idea of baby robe - is very fitting as i have got her all bath products for buba.
I saw the nappies in 'the well known supermarket'!! but they were sold out - not surprised at that price!!! I have been looking out for a nice baby book but havent found one i like yet (fussy!). thought it would be nice to get it for her now to start filling in about her and her partner before the babys born.
Thank you.Keep the ideas coming as I want to get it finished off soon so i can give it to her. Im sooo excited for her :-)

ear plugs? :) ....sorry.....dont do babies of human variety!

your friend is so lucky to have you, what about colic drops,baby powder,thermometer in case baby is unwell,gro bags are fab and the supermarket ones at a fraction of the cost are great,tons of wet wipes,e4s or aqueous cream for dry skin,bottle warmer for night feeds if she is not breast feeding,one of theses little clay kits for baby's hands and feet,baby's first photo album etc
good luck x

What a lovely friend!  I found these things to be absolute godsends when my daughter was a new baby (bath support, snuggle wrap towel and bug in a rug).

http://www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Fabric-bath-support/dp/B001CFP4F8/sr=1-5/qid=1267801896/ref=sr_1_5/275-8998849-7927901?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42764041&mcb=core
http://www.mothercare.com/Cuddle-newborn-snuggle-wrap-towel/dp/B000IVU09M/sr=1-2/qid=1267801915/ref=sr_1_2/275-8998849-7927901?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42764041&mcb=core
http://www.babygurgles.co.uk/baby-wrap-p-341.html

Simone :)

As you enjoy photography how about taking photo's of her throughout her pregnancy and at the birth etc, then do a little book or something for her?

There are some lovely photo's on photography sites for you to view and it wd. be something different as well.

>Buy some BIGGER sizes of baby clothes as everyone will buy newborn size, she will have millions of them and once the baby has grown (within like 5 minutes) nothing at all. I really appreciated those thoughtful friends of mine who bought a size or two up so I had some saved. 

I had the opposite, everyone bought me bigger sizes and I had nothing in newborn to put baby in .... had to take her to sainsburys at a day old to buy her some pink sleepsuits :)

>A supermarket are doing a pack of their own newborn nappies (pk of 48) for £1!! (A**a)

if its the supermarket ones im thinking of, dont bother, they are rubbish, to be honest you cant beat pampers (we have tried the lot !!!)

>What a lovely friend!  I found these things to be absolute godsends when my daughter was a new baby (bath support, snuggle wrap towel and bug in a rug).http://www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Fabric-bath-support/dp/B001CFP4F8/sr=1-5/qid=1267801896/ref=sr_1_5/275-8998849-7927901?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42764041&mcb=core

http://www.mothercare.com/Cuddle-newborn-snuggle-wrap-towel/dp/B000IVU09M/sr=1-2/qid=1267801915/ref=sr_1_2/275-8998849-7927901?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42764041&mcb=core
http://www.babygurgles.co.uk/baby-wrap-p-341.html Simone 

Ditto all of these, especially the bath support, a friend bought me mine it was so handy.  Just about to buy my friend a bug in a rug wrap, I found mine invaluable im just considering whether to get the next size up as she has just grown out of the last one.

I would just say, give loads of things that mothers the mother... A big basket of lovely things from Lush or Bodyshop. They don;t do stuff for babies but they do wonderful stuff for women in general!
Give things the mum can enjoy on her own, later, as she will be overwhelmed at first. There will be times when she would love to look after herself for a few moments. When our animals have a litter, we love the mums the most, knowing that passes down to the babies; look after the mum first of all and all else will follow. I might be right off course as I have never had a baby myself, but I still think the mother should be celebrated as much as possible.... lots of support.

I have been racking my brains trying to think what I would have wanted after having my baby and I cant think of a single thing (other than liposuction ;) ) maybe I had it easy I didnt need to snatch time to myself as she was such a good baby.   I did however enjoy a couple of glasses of wine after I decided breast feeding wasnt for me !!

I always buy new babies a collection of baby coat hangers,lots of friends give clothes without a hanger.No one else has mentioned the bath thermometer,experienced mums don not need one, but anxious new mums find them reassuring.Also if you buy a baby toy,get it from a well known maker so that duplicates can be acquired. if the baby gets very attached to  a toy that gets lost or needs a wash,its always handy to have a spare.

Kamillosan cream (good for sore nipples if breast feeding or nappy rash I find), lavendar essential oil and tea tree oil for the bath after birth (I used these for weeks after in my baths), disposable pants (very handy), plenty of Ferrero rocher for those night feeds! Pyjamas (I found I couldn't take enough baths! and therefore needed clean PJ's), Breast pads (again if breast feeding).
Apologies if I've repeated what you've already bought.

I second the 'grobag' (baby sleeeping bags) invaluable I found!

Hi you could buy her a scrapbook she can fill with memories. I am a nanny and I love having lullaby cds for when the babies are going to sleep, i find them great for getting them into a good sleeping routine as they soon associate the same music with sleep time if you are consistent using it.
Donna

> they soon associate the same music with sleep time if you are consistent using it.
>

Not just as babies ....We had a mobile that played Brahms lullaby .....all 4 of my offspring (now in their 30s) say that they start nodding off as soon as they hear it now :D

Thank you so much everyone :-) some really good ideas. A scrapbook of the birth sounds like a great idea. I am doing a hamper for mum full of goodies but have a little while to get that complete as i will give it to her after the birth of the baby. I want to give her all the baby things soon so she knows what else she still needs to get.
It has been really enjoyable getting all the stuff for the baby knowing that it will be be put to good use. A nice baby outfit is lovely but honestly children dont really get the wear out of it and im quite old fashioned - i like to see babys in babygrows rather than 'proper' outfits. They dont stay little for long enough as it is !!

Ooh, just a thought and it may be abit pricey but what about a 'photo shoot' of mum & baby?