Photos help create cherished memories for the couple
If you're handy with a camera, take photos of the expectant parents. There are some creative and fun ways to pose them, both indoors and outside. Some professional photographers specialize in maternity photos. Visit their websites for inspiration on how to pose your subjects. This is a gift they will cherish forever.
Parents can get creative by painting or decorating their casts
Belly casting is just what it sounds like, a plaster cast of Mom's belly. This is a great idea for a keepsake that the child will cherish when he or she gets older. There are websites where you can buy the supplies. When complete, they can be painted or decorated and hung on the wall.
Errand runners can be lifesavers
Most towns have at least one errand service. Sometimes they call themselves a personal assistant or personal concierge. Whatever they choose to call themselves, the expectant parents will call them lifesavers.
All the errands that new parents have to squeeze into an already too-short day can easily be delegated to an errand runner: pick up the dry cleaning, grocery shopping, returns at department stores, post office runs, the list is endless.
Or, how about a dog walker? The family pooch naturally takes the back seat when the baby arrives. A dog walker can relieve the new parents from the task of making sure the dog gets his exercise.
A gift certificate for a month of house cleaning is also a nice gesture. Who has time to clean when you barely have time to sleep with a new baby in the house?
A relaxing massage is a great gift idea
Anything that helps the couple stay bonded is also a thoughtful gift. A romantic, candlelit dinner their first night home from the hospital, a couples' foot massage or day at a spa, a babysitter to watch the child while Mom and Dad have a few hours to themselves, can all be wonderful and memorable gifts.
A living family treeAnother fun idea is a living gift: a trio of baby trees--one for Mom, one for Dad and one for the baby.
