Gifts for labor and delivery nurses. How do you say thank you to a labor and delivery nurse? I’ve been a labor and delivery nurse for 16 years and it’s not the material gifts I remember the most it’s the heartfelt thank-you note, the big hugs from the entire family showing their appreciation, and as my dear friend and fellow labor and delivery nurse said, “It’s the emails to our manager sharing how much the care we provided meant to them”.
While this post intends to share some labor and delivery nurse gift basket ideas because I’m asked all the time, what should I get my delivery nurse? It’s not mandatory! So please don’t feel obligated because a thank you goes a long way. But for those who like to say thank you with gifts, like me I’ll share below some gifts for labor and delivery nurses.
What do you give a labor and delivery nurse that doesn’t cost a thing? These truly make the best gifts for labor and delivery nurses and are some of the most meaningful.
- On some units, the leadership team “makes rounds” this is when they come and ask about your care. This is the perfect time to let them know about the care your nurse is providing.
- Send the nurse manager an email telling him or her about the great care your nurse provided.
- If you feel your nurse provided exceptional care and may have gone above and beyond, fill out a Daisy Award form. Some units have this on the unit so you could grab one and fill it out if you desire. You can also request one.
- A handwritten thank you note.
A few gift ideas for labor and delivery nurses that don’t cost a thing!
Related: Printable Hospital Bag Checklist For Mom
Best Gifts For Labor and Delivery Nurses
Monthly Planner- There’s a lot of shift swapping, unit training, and keeping up with their family schedules. It’s a suitable gift for staff nurses to stay organized. The Happy Planner is my go-to and what I purchase annually.
Snarky Pens- If you’re struggling with gifts for delivery nurses, you absolutely can’t go wrong with pens. We seriously love a good pen. These Snarky pens have all of our favorite sayings on them like; “epidural and chill” and “Nope! I don’t need to see the mucus plug!”.
Nurse Buttons- Another gift idea for labor and delivery nurses is button pins. These are fun to put on our badges or scrub top.
This is a set of 20, so if you are putting together a labor and delivery nurse gift basket, these should cover every nurse on shift when you present the gift basket.
A Funny Coffee Mug- If anyone ever lets you into the staff break room (they won’t, LOL) you will find a ton of cups and mugs. So a coffee mug as a thank-you gift for nurses is a fantastic option.
This one is hilarious! It says, Look At You Catching Babies & Sh*t! It sums up a labor and delivery nurse’s day-to-day perfectly.
Another mug that can be added to a nurse gift basket says, “It’s a beautiful day to Catch Babies” with a rainbow in the middle. This would also be a beautiful thank-you gift for your midwife or doctor.
Badge Reel- We change up our badge reels, often looking for the next coolest one. A cute gift for nurses in labor and delivery is a badge reel with 3 newborns on it that reads, “Today’s Goal: Help People Out”.
Thank You Notes- There’s no better gift for hospital staff after delivery than handwritten notes from patients. For me, nothing warms my heart more than knowing my hard work provided a safe and joyful experience for mom and baby than a thank-you note from mom.
Healthcare Tumbler- Some days we are so busy bringing new babies into the world that we may only have time to take sips of our drinks and quickly eat whatever snacks we have stuffed in our pockets.
A good nurse gift idea is a Pitocin tumbler with the full concentration, route, and dosage on it. LOL.
Tiger Balm- For all the aches and pains, Tiger Balm is excellent to have on hand after a long 12-hour shift.
Basket- A basket to put all your goodies for nurses in.
Related: Pregnancy Must-Haves For Expecting Moms
Snacks For Labor And Delivery Nurses
Nurses love food! Junk food, real food, hot food, or cold food doesn’t matter. So snacks for labor and delivery nurses are always a good idea when thinking about gift ideas for labor and delivery nurses.
You can’t go wrong with adding snacks to a labor and delivery nurse basket! Below, I will list a few individual items and the best snack gift baskets.
- Trader Joe’s Raises The Bar granola bars
- Poptarts
- Quaker Oatmeal
- Nature Valley Granola Bar
- Carnation Instant Breakfast Pouches
- Kellog Cereal Boxes
- Special K Pastry Crisps
- Belvita Cookies
- Emerald Nuts
- Nutri-Grain
- Welch’s Fruit Snacks
- PurePop Popcorn
- ZeeZee Grahams
- Nutrition Bars
- Airheads
- Fun Dip
- Granola Bars
- Animal Crackers
- Boom Chickapop
- Peanut Butter Crackers
And so much more. This snack pack is a 75 count.
Related: Cozy Postpartum Pajamas For Your Hospital Stay
Labor And Delivery Nurse Gift Basket Ideas
If you prefer to purchase a labor and delivery nurse gift basket instead of putting together a gift basket, here are a few ideas.
Fruit, Cheese, Crackers, & Nuts Tray
Milk Bar– If you’ve been to New York and never stopped by Milk Bar, you are truly missing out. They deliver throughout the United States now. They have a few other locations as well. There are some wonderful treats to pick from to send to the labor and delivery staff. The Milk Bar Pie was once called Crack Pie, and it is delicious.
Showing appreciation for the hardworking labor and delivery nurses who help bring new life into the world is a wonderful gesture. Whether it’s a small token of gratitude or a heartfelt thank you note, the staff deserve to be recognized for their tireless efforts in caring for both mom and baby during such a special time. So next time you’re at the hospital welcoming a new addition to your family, consider bringing along a thoughtful gift to show your appreciation for all that these amazing nurses do or a simple thank you goes a long way.
Related: 13 Cute Baby Onesies Ideas
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you put in a nurse basket?
The ideas are endless. You can add a variety of items to make sure there’s something for everyone.
- Lotion
- Chapstick
- Pens
- A mug or 2
- Nurse badge reels
- Candles
- Gift cards- I would not go above $10.
What snacks do nurses like?
Granola bars
Small coffee drinks
Trail mix
Cupcakes or donuts from a popular bakery in your area are always a hit.
How many nurses will I have during labor and delivery?
Ideally, you should have 2 nurses during your stay on labor and delivery each day. One day shift nurse and one nurse for the night shift.
Sometimes this isn’t the case and you may have multiple nurses during a 12-hour shift. Also, every nurse doesn’t work 12-hour shifts, and if it’s a busy day, you may have multiple nurses during your stay.
Depending on the hospital, if you are a scheduled c-section, you may have 1 nurse prepare you for your c-section and another for the actual c-section procedure.
How many nursing gifts do I need?
This depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Do you plan on giving the nurses who gave you direct care gifts, the day shift nurse and the night shift nurse? Or do you want to give something to all staff members on that day? Or do you only want to gift the nurse who helped your baby come into the world?
Can labor and delivery nurses accept gifts?
Yes, nurses can accept gifts as long as it follow the hospital’s code of conduct policy. Nurses may not accept cash or cash equivalents like checks. Every hospital is different. You may need to call to check about gift cards.
Nurses can accept things like mugs, pens, flowers, edible items, etc. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, it is best to do a gift basket for the shift.
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