Awesome Gift Ideas for Mamans

When a baby is on the way, it is usually the case that you cease to be a human being valued for your personality, wit, charm and good looks and turn into the walking incubator for another human being who will soon take all the attention away. (I'm not bitter, honest... even though my mother walks past me to say hello to my baby first).

You get zillions of baby clothes, toys, blankets, etc etc, but I really think the best gifts are the ones for the mother, who goes though hell and back to bring this little human into the world.  As an aside, I must admit I was shocked and horrified to find that giving birth is just not one day, but weeks of physical misery... but that's another post.

Here I have brainstormed with others and in my selfish mind about what some fabulous gifts would be to give to that amazing woman in your life.

• Pool together with others to purchase a year's worth of monthly massages. Endota Spa (www.endotaspa.com.au) is a personal favourite of mine. 
• Alternatively, book her a decadent weekend at the Peninsula Hot Springs (www.peninsulahotsprings.com.au) in Victoria or Golden Door (www.goldendoor.com.au) and arrange with the father to look after the baby for a day/weekend. Ensure you get this in writing before the baby is born and before he realises what he's signed and wants to reneg!
• Contact her hairdresser/beauty therapist and try to arrange them to visit her at home. Similarly you can try to arrange this over the course of a year, because the way she looks will probably be the last thing on her mind.
• Organise with other friends a schedule of babysitting, taking in turns. Give her dates ahead of time so she can make plans and look forward to doing something special during those times. And it costs nothing! 
• Come over and cook a meal for her and her family. This will be so, so appreciated by all.
• Arrange a cleaning service to come over and blitz the house, spit and polish every nook and cranny, so she can look at a sparkling house for a change.
• Give her something cultural. Subscribe her to The Age, Vogue, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, something to keep her in touch with her grown up self and take a break from coo-ing and worrying about the last time her baby did a poop.
• DVDs - entire series, to help fill in time when she's at home waiting for the baby to come and bored out of her skull (I would have loved this, waiting an extra 8 days for Goo to decide to come into the world)
• A Labour Survival Kit - I recieved one of these at my baby shower, and at the time I didn't appreciate it at all, rather I was quite horrified by the maternity pads and Ural - I used every item in the kit and was so grateful for it all. For example, in my kit there was also essential oils, a shower gel/moisturiser kit, breast pads, prune juice (!), a pair of thongs. I would add to that chocolate or something high in energy!

That is all I can think of for now, but will add to it as I think of things, and I would love suggestions as well.