BREAKING NEWS (20th February): The Duchess of Sussex touched down in her home country of the U.S. this weekend, and was spotted at her own baby shower in NYC’s Upper East Side wearing an all-black ensemble.
Donning sunglasses and a black quarter-sleeve peacoat as she cradled her baby bump during her arrival at The Mark Hotel for her baby shower. She paired the look with a neutral tote bag by Carolina Herrera, oversized sunglasses by Le Specs, and Hatch Maternity black skinny jeans.
This marks the first time the Royal mama-to-be is back in America since her wedding to Prince Harry. For her top-secret surprise visit, she planned a baby shower with her stateside friends and family (including BFF stylist Jessica Mulroney). She already visited macaron and tea room Laudrée in Soho on Saturday with Mulroney.
The seven-months-pregnant Markle arrived at the swanky Upper East Side hotel on Tuesday and reportedly received a Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 crib as one of her gifts. Friends like Mulroney, Serena Williams, Priyanka Chopra, Amal Clooney and Markle’s Suits co-star Abigail Spencer were all reportedly in attendance at the baby shower.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expecting their first child in the Spring of 2019. And although baby showers are not all that common in the U.K., they don’t break any royal protocol or traditions. So that got us thinking… what on earth do you buy a baby that hasn’t even been born yet? Let alone a royal baby!?!?! Do you opt for the safe, practical route of nappy bags and cotton onesies (snooze), or do you try to find something that the baby will love and want to play with once it’s actually developed motor skills?
Alternatively, do you buy something for the parent/s to be? Luckily the MUMOKI team have been to lots of baby showers and been on the receiving end of a few as well, so we’ve done the hard yards for you and put together a list of the best baby shower gift ideas that even the Royals would approve of.
And if you are reading this and you are the new mum to be, don’t worry we have you covered too. Read on for our list of items that you will need to stock up on and buy for yourself before the baby arrives.
The best New mum and Baby gifts that Meghan Markle’s friends should by her
One Royal expert Marlene Koenig recently told BAZAAR.com she would “not be surprised if the Duchess of Sussex’s American and Canadian friends might do something and throw her a shower, thus maintaining the North American tradition.” My Royal Instagram stalking tendencies are hoping for a very glam high tea at the Dorcester with besties Jessica Mulroney, Serena Williams, and Priyanka Chopra in the Duchess’s future.
All protocol aside though, the couple probably won’t have a baby shower. Let’s be honest. There’s nothing they can’t go out and buy themselves. The couple also only asked for donations to charities they support in lieu of wedding presents when they got married, so she’s not exactly in the habit of accepting gifts.
Be that as it may, the couple WILL undoubtedly receive a tonne of gifts regardless. Just hours after the pregnancy announcement was made in Australia, the royal couple received their first baby presents, a fluffy stuffed kangaroo and fleece UGG booties, from Governor-General Peter Cosgrove and his wife, Lady Lynne Cosgrove. Markle reportedly said the sweet gesture was, “so cute,” calling it, “our first baby gift!”
So if you need a few royally approved baby shower gift ideas for your girlfriend, or in fact you find that you actually DO get an invite to high tea at the Dorchester, then here are a few practical and stylish gifts for the mum to be.
Jeremy Scott for Cybex Pram: It’s basically like the Rolls Royce of Prams. With top-of-the-line safety standards and angelic design (i.e. it actually has gold angel wings!), Cybex truly comes out on top when it comes to creative direction.
Bondi Beach Baby muslin wraps: Because they are organic and have some of the cutest designs and patterns going around. We particularly love the Lemonade Swaddle with matching nappy change mat and bib.
Merino Kids Baby Go Go Bag Sleep sacks: They have the best ratings for warmth while keeping your baby’s skin and core temperature happy using only the very best, ethically sourced 100% superfine merino and organic cotton.
Baby wash, lotions and oils: Weleda is a beautiful english brand that has been around for years and are well known for their fantastic kids bath and skin products. And they already have the Royal seal of approval! Well from Posh and Becks at least and they count as royalty kind of.
Cute hooded bath towels: These ones by Breganwood Organics are generously sized, and gorgeously soft with adorable little rainforest animals on the hoods. Pottery Barn Kids also have some really cute options for bath time.
Baby activity centre and gym: A baby gym makes a great newborn toy. Within a week or two, you’ll be putting your little one down for tummy time–and they like lying on their backs and looking up at things (that they can’t really actually see). But with time, you can lay your little Prince or Princess on their back underneath it and they’ll gradually start to focus on the movement. Initially it’s all about the visual stimulation but as baby gets older, he’ll start to reach out for toys, stimulating hand-eye coordination. We found this great little play mat with a safari theme (because that’s part of the Harry and Megs story after all!) which you can pair with this non-toxic play gym by Hess Spielzeug.
Baby Bouncer: For when she needs to put the baby down to cook a roast chicken. Our favourite is the bouncer by Baby Bjorn which is lightweight, portable and minimal, making it great for keeping the baby safe when you need to go hands free.
A really fancy water bottle: Fruit infused water is so not high vibe. And breastfeeding is thirsty work! Best do all that rehydrating in style. And considering Megan Markle is one of the most influential women in the world she should definitely be seen sipping on water that has a healing crystal soaking in it — a.k.a. a crystal elixir.
Really beautiful Children’s Books: There are so many lovely children’s books out there that you can give as gifts but our favourites are the Bunny Books series where 100% of the profits go back to supporting the Gidget Foundation. The Gidget Foundation is a not for profit organisation supporting the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents dealing with perinatal depression. So the bunny books tackle common issues such as insomnia, anxiety and fear, motivation and help you focus on the power of gratitude while you are reading to your little ones.
A really chic dressing gown that is both beautiful and warm: This one by Olivia von Halle is hand-cut from 10 metres of silk-satin to create a loose, kimono-like silhouette and printed with graphic blooms. Wear it with the matching pajamas, or net-a-porter tells me it’s also acceptable to wear loose over denim during the day!
Herbal teas that are good for you: Pukka do a great range that are specially made for breastfeeding mamas.
Smythson “Mummy to be” baby book: The ultimate in luxury English stationary that is truely fit for a Duchess.
The essential new mum items that Meghan Markle needs to start stocking up on now
Don’t wait for your friends to buy you these. Add to cart for yourself asap…. and that includes Megan Markle.
Lanolips 101 Ointment: For lips, for cuticles, for nipples. It’s the universal skin saviour every mum needs. heck every woman needs full stop.
Cloth nappies: Not for changing the baby’s bum (coz let’s be honest – how likely is that really? If you could pay someone else to do it, wouldn’t you?) but rather for all the vomit. I swear I had at least one towel in each room of the house and one constantly draped over my shoulder. And in this case, the cheaper the better. Sorry your Highness. These ones from Baby Kingdom are perfect. One pack of 12 should do the trick.
Baby wipes: You can never have too many baby wipes on hand and you can use them for EVERYTHING. Yes obviously changing nappies, but also sticky fingers, cleaning spills on floors and tables, getting stains out of clothes, cleaning bike chains and much much more. Now with that in mind ee have tested A LOT of baby wipes in our time and the ones that pass our Royal tests are the wipes by WaterWipes or Wotnot.
Maternity Pads: It’s the least enjoyable part of being a new mum but the reality is you will need LOTS of maternity pads. These ones by TOM’s are hypoallergenic, breathable, and specially designed to offer maximum comfort in the days after giving birth.
Clarins Body Oil: Use liberally all over your body as soon as possible, as frequently as possible to avoid stretch marks. The best one for pregnancy out of the range is “Tonic” which is made from 100% pure plant extracts and specially made for pregnancy. Bio Oil is also a good, more affordable option – but money isn’t really the point here.
Thank you cards: Girl is going to get A LOT of gifts so best to be prepared to write LOTS of thank you notes. Personalised Smythson stationery sets the benchmark for excellence. Unrivalled in quality, the British stationary house uses traditional copperplate engraving on specially milled Smythson paper, ensuring that each handcrafted piece is fit for a King.
Button down pyjamas in every colour and weight possible: You will spend tonnes of time in your PJ’s so best do it looking like Royalty. These ones from Luna Atelier even have a Serengeti print!
Nursing Bras: You deserve to feel beautiful and comfortable during this mysterious, sometimes unsettling, season of pregnancy and nursing so best get yourself some nice underwear that fits. Because we need to support ourselves – both figuratively and literally. Hotmilk Lingerie specialises in high quality maternity and nursing wear that refuses to compromise on function or style. From practical everyday items to seriously sexy, lacy numbers, they’ve got a little something for every new mum.
Want more Meghan Markle Bump Inspo? Check out our Pinterest page with all her best Mum-to-be looks or shop her looks now below.
