I too did not know of the magic of simethicone until I had a kid that was screaming her head off for what felt like a lifetime. She’s 28 months and we still use the stuff sometimes!
I was also lucky enough to have a hospital that explained the magic of petroleum jelly on the bum till all the meconium passes! Some of my friends weren’t so lucky.
I tend to not give ibuprophen simply because some pediatricians are adamant about tylenol and others over motrin. Ours tells us to use what we want and for a nasty fever use both.
We’ve found that syringes work best getting meds into the munchkin… they have a bit more force behind them and she’s less able to spit the stuff out.
Oh and a real snark bubble. The suction bulbs with safety tips are useless!!! you need the good old fashioned one… live daringly 
If you like to sew, and if your sister intends to breastfeed, shirts like this would be extremely handy.
I made myself a few of these shirts when my son was tiny and in need of frequent feedings. I got lots of requests for shirts like mine, and I ended up making them for all of my friends with nursing babies. They really work great, and can be made quickly from T-shirts and printed fabric panels ( I made mine during my son’s short naps-- when I wasn’t napping with him ;)).
Another vote for a nursing pillow—most wonderful invention for nursing moms EVER!
Oh and a real snark bubble. The suction bulbs with safety tips are useless!!!
We called ours The Boogerectomizer.
I paid $8.00 for a hospital-packaged snot-sucker from my baby’s doctor because the one I got at the department store sucked (actually, it didn’t suck–that was the problem). The relief it brought my little girl was worth every penny and more. This is definitely one item you don’t want to economize on!
(Of course, you might want to include some kind of restraints to use on the baby when you have to clear his nose. It may help him breathe better, but he HATES having it done and will sprout additional arms and legs to aid in fighting you off!)
This suggestion has been made in earlier posts, I just want to reinforce it. Gift certificates for restaraunts. Whether they be from McDonalds, Pizza Hut, or any other place that delivers or you can easily pick up on the way home from work, not having to worry about preparing a meal while caring for a little one is greatly appreciated. Even if they can’t arrange to go to their favorite restaraunt, being able to enjoy a meal from there is a welcome break.
Some places might have a “dinner and a movie” special, where for, say $30, you get 2 dinners and two tickets for a movie. Find out if any places in their area offer a similar special, and when you come in to visit the “spud”, pick one up and insist that they let you look after him or her while the parents get some much needed alone time.
Tabithina That tee looks great! I think I’ll make myself a few before baby is born. It certainly looks inexpensive and fairly easy to do especially when you can pick up some cheap tee’s at the thrift store along with some nice cloth for cheap at the fabric store…
Ohh so much stuff that I can probably make. I’m gonna be busy forver!
Oooh what Casey said and include a few for the local coffee and donut chain!
Also some places do exist that aren’t movie theatres but places where you can sit at a table and have dinner while a movie plays. I’ve always wanted to go to one of those!
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions!
Regarding bigger clothes, I suspected that she’d mostly get teeny clothes, so I knitted stuff rated 9 mos and 1 year, figuring that if she gets it now, she can put it on the spud whenever he (sonogram sez he) reaches the correct size. Glad to hear that was good choice.
This is actually Boring Mom hijacking Boring Dad’s user id…
Sorry Snoopyfan, chocolate really isn’t bad if taken in moderation for most nursing moms. Too much will affect even the mother… we’ve all experienced THAT kind of a sugar buzz. I have nursed 3 little ones and never given up the chocolate. Some days that was the only way I survived!
As for the few who cannot eat chocolate and nurse: you know who you are and you’ve seen what your baby will do. My friend’s daughter is allergic to chocolate and was screaming for HOURS on end within a few hours of ingestion. Needless to say, they cut the delectable taste treat out of the diet.
Now for another suggestion: if the mom is nursing send her a copy of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and tell her about www.lalecheleague.org This is a fab website for all kinds of questions related to nursing. I prefer the Baby Book by Dr. William Sears to the What to Expect books, much more useful information…
And finally, one thought that has not been mentioned: videos! The first few weeks and/or months mom is too tired (dad, too) to leave the house and even if they could go places, what’s there to do at 4:00 am??? Gift certificates for movies, a subscription to Netflix or something like that would go really well with the delivered, easy to prepare dinners!!!
Sorry Snoopyfan, chocolate really isn’t bad if taken in moderation for most nursing moms. Too much will affect even the mother… we’ve all experienced THAT kind of a sugar buzz. I have nursed 3 little ones and never given up the chocolate. Some days that was the only way I survived!
Cool! I didn’t know that! Thanks for the info!
Daddy of a two-month-old boy here…food is the #1 best idea for a care package. I’m talking about either 5-minutes-and-you’ve-got-dinner type food or coupons for pizza or Chinese delivery or whetever, just bear in mind that:
-They won’t have the time or energy to cook.
-They won’t have the energy to go out to eat and the baby might not be up to it yet.
So help them have good food at home. Come over and fix them dinner if you can - and look after the kid while they eat. Eating together is kind of a novelty for my wife and myself right now - we usually take turns, one taking care of Captain Fussy while the other scarfs down dinner.
Another big thing you can do - gift certificates to Babies-R-Us or Wal-Mart. There are always plenty of last-minute needs that must be picked up, no matter how well prepared the baby showers have left an expectant mother. We were certain we had everything we needed. A few days after the baby arrived, we found ourselves spending lots of money at Babies-R-Us and we haven’t stopped yet.
Along the same thinking as the food suggestions, I’ve had great feedback from giving spices. It can be really nice to have something you can sprinkle on frozen dinners etc. to make them less like cafeteria food, Exactly what you get depends on knowing the tastes of the recipients. I like to make a mix, using my coffee grinder, of 1 part each ancho chile, oregano, basil, and garlic – very good for anything tomato-based. Penzeys has great stuff. Consider also something like taco seasoning or any of the other blends. If you don’t want to order something, you can find some decent blends at the grocery store too.
I’d also suggest a diaper bag that doesn’t look like a diaper bag (i.e., isn’t pastel with cutey-wootie aminals all over it, or Disney stuff, etc.) unless the parents-to-be are really into Baby Chic. These are often available at outlet places like Ross Dress for Less or Marshall’s, or eBay. (They’re often made by “designer name” brands like Kenneth Cole, etc., which makes them bloody expensive if you buy them at full price.) This way the diaper bag can be used even after the kid’s out of diapers – and Dad may feel less of a spectacle carrying it even when it still has diapers in it. And it’s a great presentation to put all your other gifty things in.
Yay for new babies!
You can get 12-packs of “bar mops” or “shop towels” at places like Target or Home Depot. They’re cheap white terrycloth. A pack shouldn’t run more than $5 or $6.