Crafts for the mom-to-be or new mom

Everyone makes stuff for babies, right?

I'll let you in on a little secret: any new mom who has a decent collection of family and friends ends up drowning in cute handmade baby clothes. Half of them get worn once or not at all, because everything is the same size and the baby is growing out of sizes so quickly. I recieved eight little knitted/crocheted layette sets, for a baby born in April, all of them for babies under six months in age. So, within weeks it was too warm to wear most of them, and she grew out of them before it got cool again. (When they say six month size, what they mean is three-to-six months. Count on average size babies being three months ahead of the official wisdom on clothes most of the time.)

If you want to be really original in your gift to the new mom, make something that's more for her than for the baby. Some suggestions:

1) For the mom-to-be: shrugs and cardigans that aren't fitted at the bottom. If you know someone who is trying to get pregnant, a shrug is the perfect gift - it's wear-now, wear-later practical, it's fairly quick, and it's really stylish. (Also note: if you're planning to get pregnant in the next few years, take advantage of the current trend and buy or make a few shrugs. They're marvelous maternity wear, flattering all curves, especially the belly curves.) On a similar note, short capes and ponchos add pizazz to a collection of basic maternity tee's or turtlenecks.

2) For the mom-to-be or new mom: a nursing poncho. When I had my first, I used to take her over to the local mall several times a week - it was air-conditioned and there was lots to see. I often found myself nursing her in the ladies' room at Sears, which had a nice seating area. The problem was that she was used to a half-naked mommy at home, and she loved to grab with whichever arm was up. She had a good grip. She also had great timing. She hated being under the blanket that was necessary for privacy when we were in public. The result: she bared my breasts for me, by pulling the blanket off, on a regular basis - usually as the door was opening and a bunch of people could look in. I didn't care too much, but they did. So this time around, I'm making myself a poncho. It's made from a baby-friendly yarn - Paton's Melody - it's light as a feather and works up really easily, it's got a nice texture to it that will be lovely against the baby's skin and mine, and I'm making it so that it will cover baby and all my crucial parts while she's nursing. If it's too hot to wear outside, it can be stored under the stroller until needed. No more accidentally bared breasts! (If I'm going to flash people, I'd rather do it on purpose and at a time when I'm not leaking, thankyouverymuch. :) It needs to be long enough to cover breast and part of baby. For a spring/summer baby, it shouldn't be much longer than that; for a fall/winter baby, you may want something with more coverage. I'm going for the over-the-head look, but a wraparound would work too, provided it had a closure somewhere. Baby-friendly yarns are a must, because this item will attract spit-up. Something washable is good.

3) For the new mom: a nursing cushion. These are crescent-shaped cushions, designed to fit under both elbows at once and stretch across the front. They're great for times when the chair Mom is sitting in doesn't have adequate armrests for supporting baby's head; it gets very tiring on the arms. Again, baby-friendly yarns are a must.

Just some thoughts from a woman who's got babies on the brain - and the belly - at the moment. :)