10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Mommies-to-Be
Partners of Pregnant Ladies Take Note!

Pregnant women feel overweight, that nothing fashionable fits, they can’t sleep comfortably, and are so tired they could fall asleep in the queue waiting to pay for the antacids that will hopefully keep the heartburn away – and what they really want is this baby born! Unless your baby is due to arrive around the Holiday season, this isn’t going to happen, so here are a few ideas to ease the comfort zone of a pregnant partner.

1. Pregnant ladies need to be pampered. How about a gift certificate to a local beauty salon for a facial, manicure and pedicure? An afternoon of being fussed over and made to look human again will do wonders for sagging spirits - if not a sagging chest.

2. Magazine subscription. Find out what your partner likes to read and have a subscription ordered so that it comes directly to her door every week or month.

3. Pregnancy pillow. My husband referred to this long narrow pillow as my “substitute husband”! It will not do a whole lot for intimacy in the bedroom, but it will make your partner feel so much more comfortable in bed.

4. Aromatherapy Oils are great during pregnancy. They can ease all manner of discomfort from morning sickness to swollen ankles - and can help to release stress and ease tired muscles - buy the book “Aromatherapy and Massage for Mother and Baby” by Allison England and package it together with some of the special oils such as lemon and a carrier oil (you can easily purchase these at the Body Shop) that are recommended for pregnancy. Note: not all oils are recommended for all stages so read the section on what is recommended before purchasing the oils for your partners. My personal selection would include lemon, geranium, and lavender.

5. “Mother Massage” book by Elaine Stillerman. This is an interactive gift however, there is no good buying your partner this book unless you, or someone else your partner is close to, intend to use its techniques on your partner. Used with some of the oils above, and a pregnancy pillow, it could produce the first real night’s sleep your partner has had in weeks.

6. “Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy” by Vicki Iovine. This is not a medical book. If your partner has not already read this book, she will probably find it hilarious. It takes all the “stuff” connected with pregnancy and presents it in a real way by someone who has obviously been pregnant. Many pregnancy books could have been written by 60-year-old men who have never had children of their own as they are so clinical and impersonal. This book takes the opposite view; it offers practical advice on how a woman feels and explores what she experiences during the time she is carrying her child.

7. A journal where your partner can record her progress during the pregnancy. You could either purchase a blank notebook with a pretty cover for her to write her thoughts about the baby during the pregnancy, or if you feel she would prefer it, buy “The Pregnancy Journal” which gives facts and comments for each day of the pregnancy together with some space to write things such as measurements and notes to provide an overall view of the pregnancy to look back on.

8. Perfume, flowers and make up. Just because your partner has suddenly decided that she can’t move off the sofa, doesn’t mean that she is no longer female. Pregnancy makes some women feel unattractive and feminine gifts help to remind them that they are beautiful.

9. A lovely negligee for after the birth. Don’t forget that visitors and medical staff will see your partner in this (and your partner will not be pre-pregnancy size immediately after the birth) so something pretty but not-too-sexy will score better points then a short black lace shift with slits up to the thigh!

10. Monitor for listening to the baby in the womb. These are not as expensive as you might think, and although locating the baby’s heartbeat can be tricky, it is comforting to lie and listen to the water protecting the baby moving around, not to mention the occasional thrill when you hear the baby kick.

I hope that there is something in the above list that you can give your partner for Christmas, but don’t forget that the best gift you can give her is your support. It is easy for you to find ways to escape the pregnancy at the moment, but your partner will probably be more impressed by your willingness to explore baby books, and discuss birthing techniques, than she will a material gift.

Katie-Anne Gustafsson