It is such a thrill for most people to hear that someone has had a new baby, even people who don’t know you very well, are excited as it is such a special moment when a new life comes into the world. Everyone wants to share in it which can have its positive’s and negative’s, I remember that when I had my first baby I received gifts from all sorts of people, some of who I didn’t really know!

Life with a new baby can also be a bit daunting, because it is a complete life change and you know your life will never be the same. It doesn’t take long to get used to it and I remember not long after the birth of my children I couldn’t remember them not being in my life and what life was like before them.

One of the things I love best about friends or family having new baby is that you get to go out and buy presents. There is such a huge range of things to buy and although many items can be very practical, baby products have become very fashionable recently, with designer nappy bags and even designer buggies. It is nice to know that just because you are a mum, you don’t have to turn into a frump. There have been lots of celebrity mums over the past few years that have shown that you can be trending when you are pregnant and when you are a mum.

I love to buy nice looking presents, but I also really like being practical. There is absolutely no point in buying a present for a new baby that they have already got, or something that they don’t want. I usually ask the parents if there is something that they would particularly like or need and then I go and choose whatever it is but with an element of what I want to buy. It is also important to treat the mum and siblings if there are any. I quite often buy some nice food for the mum, as they sometimes get forgotten. I remember my sisters came round after I had a baby and emptied the bin for me, I burst into tears because I was so grateful that they had helped me out, I never thought I would be able to empty a bin again myself because I was so tired.

Having a new baby can be so all consuming, stressful and tiring but it can also be very rewarding, make sure you take it slowly, don’t expect too much of yourself and let people help you out . If your friend or family has a new baby, remember to help them in the way they want and try to get them a gift that will be useful or helpful to them.