Has a friend or family member recently announced that she is pregnant and you want to surprise her with a gift but don’t know what to give her? What about a DIY Pregnancy Survival Kit Care Package stocked with all the essentials that the Mama-to-Be needs to get her through those first few months of pregnancy? I’m sharing all of my pregnancy care package ideas to include in a pregnancy gift basket for your newly pregnant friend below.
I’ve pulled some of my favorite essential items and put them together into a gift basket for a friend who just announced she’s pregnant! It includes some of the things she knows she’ll need like prenatal vitamins along with a few things that she hasn’t even thought of yet like antacids and a nightlight for all those middle of the night trips to the bathroom.
DIY Pregnancy Care Package Tutorial
Prenatal Vitamins and a Pill Organizer
First and foremost, prenatal vitamins and a pill organizer! Doctors recommend taking prenatal supplements for both maternal and fetal health. I took Nature Made Prenatal supplements during my twin pregnancy and I plan to take them for Baby #3 as well.
And sometimes it’s hard to remember if you took a prenatal vitamin that day or not. Pregnancy brain is real! So a pill organizer really helps to keep on track! I really like this vertical stacking rainbow pill organizer because it’s colorful and doesn’t make me feel like an old person.
Antacids and Sensitive Toothpaste
I had never really experienced heartburn until pregnancy! In the beginning, I got really bad back heartburn (where you feel it in your back and shoulders) from eating tomatoes and drinking anything carbonated and in the end, I was having severe reflux (thanks to a belly full of babies) so Tums Antacids were my best friend! I liked the berry flavors the best.
And, I also experienced some pregnancy gingivitis where my gums were inflamed and swollen thanks to all that extra blood I was making and sometimes my teeth would hurt when I would eat or drink something cold, so I quickly switched to Sensodyne toothpaste and an extra soft toothbrush (you have to see this toothbrush, it looks like a solid head on the toothbrush, but it’s just comprised of SO MANY soft bristles.)
Sleep Mask and Nightlight
When I was pregnant with the twins, the fatigue that hit during those first few months was so severe that I didn’t need a sleep mask because I could sleep in the middle of the day with all the curtains open and my husband making loud noises as he packed up the house while prepping for our move. I was out. There was no waking me up. I didn’t need the sleep mask, but it was nice to have one and I use it now even after the babies were born when I get to take a mid-morning or mid-afternoon nap while the babies nap.
Also, towards the end of the pregnancy, I had to put a nightlight in the bathroom for all those late-night bathroom visits. Mostly, I was worried about tripping over the cat who would often get up with me. Towards the end, I was so big and unbalanced that it would be dangerous if she tripped me, so I really needed to be able to see in the dark.
Water Bottle, Ginger Candy, and Saltine Crackers
When you’re pregnant, you have to stay hydrated! It’s hard to keep drinking water all day, so a water bottle helps keep track of how much you’ve had to drink and how much water you need to drink before the end of the day. Plus, you need water on hand to take those prenatal supplements! I highly recommend a HydroFlask water bottle with a straw cap.
Flavored ginger candy is great for soothing any feelings of nausea brought on by morning sickness! I’ve also got a recipe for a delicious pineapple ginger smoothie!
Other moms swear by this morning sickness tea or these Preggie Pop Drops.
And saltine crackers and graham crackers helped me get the prenatal vitamins down and helped them stay down during those first few months. I had a little routine where I would eat two crackers, take my vitamins, pills, and supplements, and then eat another cracker. I don’t know why, but it worked!
Face Masks
Pregnancy glow? Not for me in the beginning! I had some terrible acne flair up at first thanks to all those new hormones. They finally regulated towards the end of my pregnancy and I had beautiful skin for a few months, but by then I was getting so little sleep because I was so uncomfortable and had to pee all the time that I got dark circles under my eyes. Can’t win! But face masks helped and even if they didn’t do a thing at least I was spending 10-15 minutes on myself for some self-care!
Comfy Pajamas and Slippers
I pretty much lived in comfy PJs and slippers while at home during my pregnancy. However, pro-tip from this twin mom, as I got bigger the comfy PJs eventually turned into men’s extra-large sized tee-shirts and sweats since those were the only things that fit me comfortably (loosely) that didn’t cost a ton of money since they’re not considered “maternity!” But I would definitely include some maternity pajama pants in a pregnancy gift basket. Old Navy always has some cute maternity pajama or lounge pants for a low price and be sure to check out what Target currently has as well!
Here’s a link to my favorite slippers (not shown). I got them about 6 months ago and I wish I had had them during my pregnancy because carrying all that weight was a lot on my poor feet and they needed better slipper support. They’re a bit out of the price range for a gift basket (unless you just really, really like your friend or have some disposable income), but Target has an affordable knock-off and they come in PINK!
Magazines, a Netflix Gift Card, and a Baby Name Book
I wasn’t put on bed rest, but I also wasn’t super active during those last few months. I highly recommend a Netflix gift card for binge-watching tv shows, or a subscription to a pregnancy, motherhood, or Parents magazine to help pass the time.
Also, a baby name book is fun! I love this one, it’s a bit cheeky, but nearly ALL of my friends’ kids’ names are in it, and I’m embarrassed to admit it, but both of my own kids’ names are in there as well.
And finally, here’s the DIY pom-pom bunting garland I made to decorate the basket which can be reused in the baby’s nursery as a little pop of color on the wall! Plus, I made sure to put together this Pregnancy Survival Kit within a soft fabric basket that she can eventually use in her baby nursery to possibly store diaper changing essentials, toys, bibs, or hair bows. My basket is discontinued, but I did find a similar cute basket here that comes in so many other colors in case you don’t know the gender or want something gender-neutral.
Other items to possibly include in a gift basket?
- “I Waited 9 Months for This” Wine Glass – this is super cute!!
- Movie DVDs about Pregnancy or Motherhood (Knocked Up, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, etc.)
- Pregnancy Journal
- Letters to My Baby Book
- Baby Journal
- Monthly Stickers or Pennants (these are seriously so cute!) for once baby arrives
- Chocolate
- Frame for a Sonogram Photo
- Chapstick
- Stretch Mark Cocoa Butter or Bio Oil Skincare Oil – (I recommend the Bio Oil)
- Pregnancy Compression Socks (so feet don’t swell – I HIGHLY recommend them)
- Small Letterboard for monthly maternity photos
- Jar of Pickles
- Gift Card for Ice Cream
What else would you include? Let me know in a comment!
Looking for more pregnancy or baby inspiration? Check out some of my other pregnancy related posts including my infertility story and my maternity photos:
