If you have a friend or relative who's just had a baby, you may be wondering what you can give her that's specifically for her to enjoy. Everyone focuses on the new baby, but a new mum needs some love and encouragement too in those early and exhausting days. Here are three gift options every new mum will appreciate:

Chocolate Bouquet

Some hospitals ban flowers due to concerns over bugs populating the stagnant water in vases. Naturally, new mums will want to keep their babies as safe as possible, so they may not be too keen on receiving flowers when they take the baby home, either. A chocolate bouquet is an ideal alternative, and you can choose the type of chocolates you want in the bouquet. The chocolates are attached to plastic stems and the bouquet is presented in a gift box that can be delivered in the same way a bouquet of flowers would be. What mum wouldn't enjoy tucking into a chocolate bouquet while recovering from giving birth?

Cleaning Or Ironing Voucher

Would you want to or be able to stay on top of the family's ironing or keep the house clean when you have a newborn to feed and rock all day and night? Newborns are exhausting and the sleep deprivation can quickly take its toll on a new mum who may find herself feeling guilty for not being able to do everything she once could. This is especially true if she is a single parent or when her partner has returned to work, and dads often only get a couple of weeks paternity leave. A cleaning or ironing gift voucher can lift a new mum's spirits, particularly if she's not able to get out of the house in the first few weeks after giving birth and has no choice but to watch her home get messy.

Healthy Snack Basket

Breastfeeding, making up bottles of formula and getting up several times a night with a new baby can leave mums feeling hungry but too busy to stop and make something as simple as a sandwich. A gift basket of snacks that are both healthy and energy dense is bound to be appreciated. You can buy a ready-made snack basket or make your own and include all of the recipient's favourites. Dried fruit, nuts, protein bars and individual packs of crackers are ideal.

When choosing a gift for a new mum, make sure it reflects her likes and personality. Welcoming a new baby can be as daunting as it is joyous, and your friend or relative will appreciate you thinking of her at this time.