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When a new mother leaves the house to head for the hospital, there always seems to be something that the couple has forgotten. It may be a nice idea to create a hospital gift basket that you can give to the new couple ahead of time that includes everything that they will need during childbirth. The advantage of placing all of these items into a basket is the fact that the couple can grab just one item in their rush to get to the hospital instead of searching for several.

You can purchase relaxation CDs and a small CD player to place in your hospital gift basket. There are CDs that play relaxing music as well as those that coach deep breathing relaxation exercises. These CDs can be extremely helpful in the hours leading up to the actual childbirth.

You can also purchase wash cloths and hair clips to place in your basket. The hair clips can aid in tying the mother's hair back as she begins hard labor while the new father can use the dampened wash cloths to keep the mother cool.

If the new parents have attended a Lamaze class, you may want to include a Lamaze booklet in your gift basket. Even though the couple may have attended numerous classes, once the labor sets in they may forget most of what they learn. By having a booklet with them, the father can reference it to remember the techniques used to help his wife relax.

Back labor can be an extremely painful aspect of childbirth. You may want to include a pair of tennis balls in your hospital gift basket. If the new mother does experience back labor, the father can place these balls underneath her back to help ease the pain.

As well as items needed during the long hours of labor, you may also want to include gifts that can be used immediately after the child is born. You could include a camera and film in your hospital gift basket in case the parents have forgotten to bring these items. This gift will ensure that the parents are able to record the first minutes of their baby's life.

Another item that you may want to include in your gift basket is bottled water. The mother will be very thirsty after her ordeal and most hospitals offer only tap water. You may also want to include crackers or some other food items that the mother will be able to digest easily right after childbirth.

You may want to include an outfit for the new baby to wear home in your gift basket. With all the other things that are going on in the young parents* lives, they may forget to bring something to the hospital to take the baby home in.

A final gift that you may want to place in your hospital gift basket is a bottle of champagne or sparkling cider with two glasses so that the parents can drink a toast to the new addition to their family and enjoy a little relaxation time as a couple.

New mothers are usually frightened and nervous when they make the trip to the hospital. New fathers may not be doing too well either. A hospital gift basket that contains everything that they will need during this ordeal will be greatly appreciated.