Denise sent us an email:"O.K, I've got a friend at work who wants to get his 7-month-pregnant wife a nice birthday gift. He's looking for something she can use now and keep (I already suggested a prenatal massage -- but she's doesn't like being touched by strangers.) I think he wants something a little luxurious.
Suggestions?"
We're sure we can think of something, Denise.










I think the diaper bag is a really good idea, BUT my husband had the same idea for my birthday when I was pregnant and I don't think he got the reaction he was looking for. I was really excited to get the "diaper bag of my dreams," but at the same time it was my last birthday before I became a Mom and I sort of wanted something me-related as opposed to baby-related. (I was used to people talking to my belly and everything being about my belly and the baby, but I just wanted something I could enjoy for myself.)
view kitjule's profile
Maybe she would like really comfy cashmere slippers like:
http://www.blissworld.com/product/style/shop style/sleepwear/white-warren cashmere ballet slipper with travel pouch.do
or
http://www.christopherfischer.com/browseItem.php?cat=6&item=434&ipage=1&color=225&PHPSESSID=10f51cf74d46fdbb815663b9947c68f0
view kitjule's profile
I got her a diaper genie. She didn't scream with joy until she found her real present inside the diaper genie.
view joebelt's profile
diaper bag is a GREAT idea, but for the $100 range, I think JuJube's are still too diaper bag-y to wear sans kid. How about a Nest bag?
http://www.littledudesanddivas.com/brand-shop-nest-diaper-bags.html
view selena's profile
Wow, Selena! Those are great -- I think they might merit their own post, too.
view Alex's profile
diamonds!
view Sol's profile
I'm currently pregnant and I wouldn't like to have a baby related gift. I know it may sound selfish but, you gotta still pay attention to yourself and don't be all about baby. Hopefully she'll have baby showers and if not, she'll still have a lot of gifts from relatives and friends.
I would go with something like earings, perfume, make up, gift card from a place she likes, spa gift card, purse, movie or show tickets. Something you know she will enjoy. Slippers is a great idea too!
However, I don't know, she might love something baby related, you never know.
view Natipug's profile
i agree with natipug. i just had my son and i would be bummed if my husband got me something baby related for my birthday. i don't think it's selfish to say so. when you have a baby it's pretty much all about them from that point onward.
jewelry or a gift card to her favorite store would be great.
as far as not her not liking being touched by other people, wait till she is in labor. there will be a room full of people touching her and i'm pretty sure that she won't care!
view reesemcg's profile
I agree with Natipug I would want something for myself. I'm currently pregnant and even for Christmas a lot of the presents were baby related. Which I appreciated but felt a little overshadowed. I did get a gift certificate for a trendy maternity store and that was really welcomed. What would he get her if she wasn't pregnant? That is probably the best starting point. If he wanted to get her something baby related maybe make it a gift from the baby.
view megb's profile
I am all about jewelery. Something simple that can be engraved with his and her initials and room for the baby's initials. Maybe a charm bracelet. My husband gave me his watch one year when he was still going to school and money was really tight. It's a Fossil and really big...but I wear it more often than my wedding ring..I love it...and I can't wait until I get to engrave the names of our children on it.
view Sonia's profile
I'm anti-bag for gifts in general, b/c I'm so picky about what I carry and how stuff should be organized in bags. Even if she does like bags, it's probably best if that item is kept on the baby registry and not given as a birthday gift.
However, the slippers are a great idea. Or how about a luxurious bathrobe. Thoughts of walking up and down hospital hallways make these a great gift for mom to be without being completely about baby. Plus anything that goes next to the skin is sexy.
view anatolia's profile
The bag is a great idea. Jewelry is a great idea, too (something classy, but perhaps with the baby's birthstone?). But what about a really wonderful weekend getaway, just the 2 of you? It may be the last hurrah for quite awhile. Afterward, enlarge a nice photo of the two of you from the getaway. Although it's somewhat baby-related, I really loved the loungewear my hubby purchased for me to wear post-baby (I refused to wear maternity clothes home from the hospital). Nice comfy draw-string pants and a matching hoodie kept me modest and not-self conscious but also helped me feel put-together.
view sassypiggy's profile
I love the weekend getaway idea..all my friends that just had babies would have benefited from that.
view Sonia's profile
I wouldn't get her anything baby-related at all. My birthday passed recently, and I'm about three weeks away from popping my first baby out. Although there are a few things I'd like for the baby that are more about me, I was still secretly hoping any gifts that came my way were just for me.
Thankfully they were. My husband gave me a beautiful scarf that I never would have bought myself (it was a touch pricey ... and entirely frivolous). It was perfect.
Jewellery would be nice (but no baby birth stones), or some fantastic shoes, if he's confident he knows her style. Or as someone else suggested, think about what he might give her if she wasn't pregnant.
Another great thing my husband has done for me, is make a day of my birthday. He took the day off work, we went out for breakfast. We went shopping, and I got to pick out a purse (could've been anything ... but I needed one at the time), and he made me dinner. It was lovely.
view anmar's profile
Definitely don't get her a baby item (unless you want to get her a pretty outfit to wear on her birthday, and then you have to get her something else, too).
One of my favorite gifts was a Victorian slide bracelet. My mom gave me the starter bracelet with a few charms, and she and my husband have been adding to it over the years. I have a slide for my birthday, and another with my son's birth stone, and another celebrating a big work accomplishment
Here's one of many sites that sell them:
http://www.brooksfinejewelry.com/.
view Birdy's profile
I agree with many of you. I became a mom 6 weeks ago and my birthday is this Thursday and am really hoping I don't get all baby-related gifts. It's MY day! My mom has already said she wants to get me a piece of jewelry with a baby birthstone, which is lovely, but not quite the same. But at the same time, I'm too tired to offer any non-baby related suggestions since that is where all of my time and energy is focused. Plus, I hardly leave the house or have time to take care of me, so I have no gift ideas for me anyhow. It's quite a dilemma. Heh.
I love most of the non-baby gift ideas here for the poster. But definitely keep it totally mom-focused. Perhaps tickets to a concert or play or her favorite TV show on DVD? I'd love that sort of thing.
view schnappycat's profile
Ditto on the many no-baby-gifts-for-birthday comment. My baby is due a month after my birthday, and I'm really hoping for something that doesn't have a baby theme. I also don't want to be reminded how huge I'm getting (with something that has to fit, like clothes, rings, etc.), and there will be plenty of baby gifts coming soon enough. Maybe an overnight getaway to a nice hotel (the Westin Heavenly Beds are great), tickets to a Broadway show, a great home-cooked dinner, or whatever is her style.
My favorite birthday gift last year was a custom bracelet with my initials and birth year made from recycled typewriter keys, from What's Your Type: http://www.whatsyourtype.com/bracelets.html
view AmberM's profile
Another thought I had is something like a "wine or beer of the month club." You can choose however many months you'd like. My husband gets beer each month and loves it! Even if she plans to breastfeed, there are ways around imbibing if she is a big fan of wine and it might be a nice way for her to relax after a long day with the baby. And there are also other "of the month" clubs (cheese, etc.) if that is more her style.
http://www.beermonthclub.com/
view schnappycat's profile
Don't get things for the baby for the mom. (Does that make sense?) Don't get her a blender either. Think Father of the Bride. When in doubt, buy jewelry or chocolate. Expensive chocolate.
Honestly, the gift really depends on the budget. Is he looking at spending 10-20 dollars or 100-200 dollars or 1000-2000?
view ADonuts's profile
my birthday was less than a month after i gave birth to our daughter last year and thankfully, i received no baby-related items though no extraordinary items i can remember.
i know this guy's wife says she doesn't like strangers touching her, but i totally appreciated a sumptuous one-hour pedicure about a month before my baby was born. my feet were swollen and i couldn't reach them anymore yet it was summer and i wanted my feet to look nice. and the massage was awesome.
for my birthday i would have loved a gift certificate to an aveda salon for an updated hair style, and maybe a manicure/pedicure. jewelry is always great. if low on cash (or even if not), maybe a gift certificate to a movie theatre with "coupons" for a handful of movie afternoon during which dad or someone else watches the baby. it's sort of baby-related, but really more about the mom. also ditto on the loungewear/robe. fabulous gifts that can be enjoyed for a long time.
view r8ermom's profile
Why don't you get her a beautiful cashmere wrap? Something that will fit her today and one year from now? Plus she can also use it when she is breastfeeding?
view jennyd's profile