Gifts for second-time parents (2024)

The best present you can give moms and dads celebrating the birth of their second baby is an extra set of hands. Many second-time parents will tell you that having another child more than doubles their work, so offer to help with the housework, pick up the siblings at preschool, or feed the baby. Here are some other great suggestions to help welcome baby number two:

Something to eat and drink

There's a good reason why people bring food during life changing events: It’s thoughtful, comforting, healthy and helpful. Show up with food that can be eaten right away or stashed in the freezer for a couple of weeks. Bring fresh fruit and in-season vegetables that will help keep everyone healthy. Sweets will come in handy too — especially as something to offer visitors dropping in to see the new baby. And don't forget about drinks. Gourmet coffee beans, nice teas, or even specialty juice, are a treat for tired parents. Of course, a bottle of wine or even champagne is perfect; it is time to celebrate the birth of a new baby after all!

A mother's helper

While mom's in charge of the baby and dad spends time with Junior, who takes care of everything else? Enter the helper. Hire a postpartum doulaOpens a new window, for a few hours or a whole day, and they'll thank you forever. Postpartum doulas can wash the dishes, make dinner, and do the laundry. Plus they're trained to care for newborns, so they can pitch in with the baby when needed.

Books on temperament, new siblings

Just as first-time parents need information on how to manage life with a baby, second-time parents need guidance on how to handle life with more than one child. Get them started with And Baby Makes Four: Welcoming a Second Child Into the Family, by Hilory Wagner, Welcoming Your Second Baby by Vicki Lansky or Twice Blessed: Everything You Need to Know About Having a Second Child, by Joan Leonard. Books on sibling rivalry and temperament are also great choices.

Membership to a local museum

Museums are great destinations for families — most allow strollers; some offer art classes for kids on weekends, and all have the power to nourish the mind and the soul. A membership to a science, art, or children's museum is a wonderful non-traditional family present. Parents will appreciate the fun of a children's museum, and while the kids may not yet be able to tell a Picasso from a Pissarro, they'll like the colours and shapes in the paintings and sculpture. Aquariums and zoos are popular with kids all the way into the school years. Make membership your signature gift — renew it for them year after year.

Swing set or a sandbox

If second-time parents have a roomy yard (and you've got other friends who will go in on a gift), offer to buy and install a swing set or sandbox. Their firstborn will swoon over having a mini playground right at his doorstep, and mom and dad won't have to worry about scheduling a walk to the park into their already busy day. The baby can join in the fun when she's a little older.

Family hammock

Picture this: Your friend has just had a baby and she's so busy with the newborn that she hardly has time for her firstborn, who is disoriented from all the change. In the meantime, her partner is busy trying to keep the household together. A hammock can literally scoop them up and give them the collective hug they sorely need. Just make sure it's big enough for the entire family, and offer to hang it up for them.

Baby bike seat or bike trailer

If they're biking enthusiasts, no gift will make them happier than a baby bike seat, or trailer, with a matching mini bike helmet. Make sure the helmet you get comes with pads of different thickness to adjust to the child's growing head.

Double stroller

Double strollers aren't just for twins. They come in handy for toddler and baby combinations too. Depending on the model, children can enjoy the sights while sitting side by side or one behind the other. As a bonus, add developmentally appropriate stroller toys for each child so they can both entertain themselves while mom and or dad pushes.

Babysitting time

The birth of a new baby is earth-shaking to a big event for a sibling, even one who wanted a brother or sister in the first place. And although second-time parents may try hard to include their firstborn, few have enough time to juggle all their duties the way they'd like to. One of the best gifts you can give the family is your time. Offer to babysit for their older child so mom and dad can concentrate on the new baby, or care for the newborn so the older child can have one or both parents all to himself occasionally.

If you are still looking for ideas, here are some suggestions from BabyCenter Canada's community:

• "The best gift I received as a new mom was, a basket filled with bath care items for myself (something to really pamper me) and also a smaller one for the new baby.
• As a second-time mom, for every gift I received for my new son, family and friends had purchased something very small (colouring books, or crayons, small hot wheels cars) for my toddler. It really made the baby shower nice as my toddler wasn't left out.
• As a third-time mom the best gift I received was just friends and family volunteering to watch the older children for a few hours so I could bond with the new baby. I also received a swaddle blanket with Velcro. It was a lifesaver as the baby felt cuddled, and I could tend to the other children.
• And as a fourth-time mom I haven't given birth yet, but I know the best gift this time around will be diapers or time."
• "First, second or third (and on)...the best idea I've heard of was a month's worth of housekeeping services - including laundry! Especially for first-time moms who think they have to do everything and be supermom....!"
• "Meal services from a personal chef that delivers...that would be AMAZING for 1st, 2nd or 3rd."
• "With my second baby I didn't really receive too much, but a gift that I really like to give other moms is a basket with items that I couldn't live without. Like my diaper rash cream, my oatmeal wash and lotion, a bath bear (foam bath accessory that cradles baby, real cheap too), a pack of diapers and one sleeper."

Shopping for other gifts? Read about presents for newborns.