Okay, real talk. Every year, March 8 rolls around, and somewhere between the Instagram reels and the "Empowered Women Empower Women" mugs, we completely forget the one woman in our lives who has been quietly doing the most extraordinary thing a human being can do raising another human being, usually on very little sleep and even less appreciation.
We're talking about moms. New moms, expecting moms, postpartum moms who are still figuring out what day it is. The mom who woke up four times last night and still packed a nutritious tiffin by 7 AM. The one who knows where literally everything is in the entire house except her own sanity.
This Women's Day 2026, let's skip the generic. No more gift baskets filled with things she'll never use, no more scented candles that end up in a drawer (you know the drawer). This guide is specifically about gifting the moms in your life in a way that actually means something. The kind of gift that makes her tear up a little because someone finally noticed what she needed.
Let's get into it.
Wait, Before You Scroll: A 30-Second Gift Checklist
If you're short on time (aren't we all), run through this before picking a gift.
What stage of motherhood is she in right now? Is she pregnant, newly postpartum, a few months into breastfeeding, or a veteran mom who has been at this for years? Because a gift that's perfect for one stage can completely miss the mark at another.
What is the one thing she complains about most? Sore back from feeding? Nothing comfortable to wear? Her old bag that's barely holding it all together? That complaint is your answer.
And if you genuinely have no idea, skip straight to gift number 10 on this list. We promise it won't feel like a cop-out.
1. The Everyday Outfit She'll Actually Reach For: Maternity and Nursing Co-Ord Sets
There is a very specific kind of tired that comes with being pregnant or newly postpartum, and one of its many symptoms is standing in front of your wardrobe for five full minutes and wearing the same thing you wore yesterday because nothing else fits or feels okay. Sound familiar? You probably know someone living this exact life right now.
A good maternity co-ord set is genuinely life-changing for this reason. It is not just comfortable, it is put-together-comfortable, which is an entirely different category. These are two-piece sets designed around a growing bump and a nursing body, with soft fabrics that stretch without clinging, waistbands that do not dig in, and necklines designed for breastfeeding access. She can wear them on a grocery run, a video call, a slow Sunday morning, or a visit to her OB.
The Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) has long emphasised that clothing comfort during pregnancy directly affects posture and physical wellbeing, particularly in the second and third trimesters when the centre of gravity shifts. A well-fitted, supportive outfit is not vanity. It is health.
What makes this a great Women's Day gift is how personal it feels. You are not giving her something for the baby. You are giving her something entirely for herself.
Shop here: Maternity Co-Ord Sets at The Mom Store
2. The Skincare She's Been Too Scared to Buy Herself: Pregnancy-Safe Body and Belly Care
Here is something almost no one talks about: the mental load of skincare during pregnancy.
From the moment a woman finds out she is expecting, she starts reading every label on everything. Retinoids? Out. Salicylic acid? Gone. That face cream she has used for three years? Suddenly suspicious. Pregnancy-safe skincare is a legitimate need, and it is exhausting to navigate alone.
The stretch marks conversation is also worth having openly. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), over 90% of pregnant women develop stretch marks, most commonly in the abdomen, breasts, and thighs. While genetics plays a major role, consistent moisturisation with body oils and butters from early pregnancy has been widely associated with improved skin elasticity and reduced severity.
That is where anti-stretch mark and body care products come in. The ones at The Mom Store are curated specifically for pregnant and postpartum bodies, free from ingredients flagged as unsafe during pregnancy, and genuinely indulgent to use. Pair a belly oil with a body butter and a face product from the pregnancy skincare collection and you have a full self-care kit that removes the research burden from her entirely.
She will not have to read a single label. That alone is a gift.
Shop here: Pregnancy Skincare and Stretch Mark Care
3. The Thing That Will Change Her 3 AM: A Quality Nursing Pillow
You know that moment where someone tells you about a product and you think, "Why has nobody told me this before?" A good nursing pillow is that product.
Breastfeeding is beautiful and wonderful and also, at 3 AM, it is sometimes just deeply uncomfortable. Poor positioning during feeds causes upper back tension, neck strain, and wrist fatigue that accumulates over weeks and months of nursing. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life, which means this is not a short-term activity. Six months, multiple feeds a day, every single day. The ergonomics of it matter enormously.
A properly designed nursing and feeding pillow brings the baby up to breast level, which removes the need for mom to hunch forward and hold the baby's weight in her arms simultaneously. The result is a noticeably less painful feeding experience, and a mom who can actually relax a little during those night sessions instead of grimacing through them.
The best ones also double as tummy time support for the baby and a general baby lounger, so they get used well past the breastfeeding phase.
If you want to pair this gift with some genuinely useful reading, our blog on 8 Simple Tips to Make Your Breastfeeding Journey Easier is one of our most loved posts. Print it out or share the link alongside the gift. Any new mom will appreciate it.
Shop here: Nursing and Feeding Pillows
4. The Gift of Real Feeding Flexibility: A Breast Pump
Okay, this one requires a quick reframe because "a breast pump as a Women's Day gift" sounds very practical and not at all romantic. But stay with us for a second.
A breast pump gives a breastfeeding mom something genuinely rare: freedom. She can step away from her baby for a few hours. She can sleep through a night feed while her partner handles it. She can go back to work without stopping breastfeeding. She can share the feeding experience with family in a way that is not possible otherwise. That is not a product. That is a quality of life upgrade.
The American Academy of Pediatrics supports breastfeeding for at least 12 months, and a breast pump is often the single tool that makes it possible to continue past the first few weeks when the difficulties peak. For many moms, pumping is not optional. It is the thing that makes continued breastfeeding feasible.
Breast pumps and accessories at The Mom Store cover a solid range of options. If she already has a pump, then pump accessories such as replacement parts, milk storage bags, and nipple care products make for a thoughtful and genuinely useful addition to her kit.
Shop here: Breast Pumps and Accessories
5. The Underrated Essential She Has Probably Been Ignoring: A Proper Maternity Bra
Nobody buys themselves a proper maternity bra. Everyone should, but nobody does, because it feels like an indulgence and because there is already so much to buy. This is precisely why it makes such a good gift.
The structural changes a woman's chest goes through during pregnancy and breastfeeding are significant. According to the NHS, breast tissue begins changing from as early as six weeks into pregnancy, and a well-fitting, supportive bra through this period helps manage discomfort, skin sensitivity, and posture strain.
A good maternity bra is not just comfortable. It does real work: supporting changing breast tissue, allowing nursing access without the full undressing routine that makes midnight feeds feel like a production, and accommodating size fluctuations through pregnancy and postpartum without digging in or sagging.
If you are buying this as a gift and are not sure about fit, our detailed guide on choosing the right maternity and nursing bra walks through every stage, style, and sizing consideration. It is genuinely one of the most comprehensive pieces on the subject.
Shop here: Maternity and Nursing Bras
6. The Outfit That Will Make Her Feel Like Herself Again: A Beautiful Maternity Dress
At some point in the second or third trimester, most pregnant women hit a wall with their wardrobe. Everything is either uncomfortable, unflattering, or simply not designed for the body they are currently in. And that feeling, of not recognising yourself in the mirror, of not having anything to wear to the thing you actually want to go to, is genuinely demoralising.
This Women's Day, a beautiful maternity dress is the gift that addresses exactly that.
Indian maternity fashion has come so far in the last few years. There are maternity co-ord sets for everyday comfort, elegant baby shower and photoshoot gowns for the moments she wants to feel her most beautiful, gorgeous maternity ethnic wear for weddings, pujas, and family occasions, and sleek maternity work wear for the mama who is still showing up at the office every day with a whole baby inside her.
Give her something she will put on and feel genuinely good in. That experience, of pulling on a dress that fits beautifully and thinking "okay, I look nice today," is not a small thing when you are eight months pregnant and haven't felt like yourself in weeks.
Shop here: Maternity Dresses for Every Occasion
7. The Bag That Was Designed for Her Actual Life: A Stylish Diaper Bag
We need to talk about what new moms are currently using as bags. It is often a combination of a regular handbag, a freebie tote from a hospital discharge kit, and whatever bag happened to be nearby when they left the house. There are bottles in the pocket, a nappy or three loose at the bottom, a muslin cloth that has been used as approximately six different things today, and no dedicated place for literally anything.
A proper diaper bag is the kind of organisational reset that makes leaving the house with a baby feel like a manageable activity rather than a logistical crisis.
The good ones have dedicated sections for bottles, wet items, clean clothes, nappies, the changing mat, snacks, and a small separate compartment that is just for the mom's things because she is a person with belongings too. They also look like actual bags, not medical supply carriers, which matters because she is going to carry this thing everywhere for the next two to three years.
This is one of those gifts where the recipient thinks they do not need it until they have it, and then they cannot imagine how they survived without it.
Shop here: Diaper Bags for Moms on the Move
8. The Gift Everyone Forgets About: A Postpartum Recovery Kit
Here is the uncomfortable truth about postpartum care in India: it is vastly underprioritised. There is tremendous focus on the new baby, as there should be, but the mother's recovery often gets sidelined once she has been discharged and pronounced "doing well."
Postpartum recovery is real and it takes time. The World Health Organization's maternal health guidelines note that the postpartum period, defined as the first six weeks after birth, requires structured physical and emotional support for the mother. The physical changes that occur through pregnancy and delivery, from hormonal shifts to muscle and tissue recovery, do not resolve in a week. Some take months.
Postpartum essentials at The Mom Store are designed with this reality in mind: abdominal support, comfortable recovery-friendly clothing, nourishing body care, and nursing accessories that reduce the physical demands of feeding a newborn. A thoughtfully assembled postpartum kit is one of the most meaningful things you can give a new mom because it communicates something very specific. It says: "I know your body just did something extraordinary, and your recovery matters to me."
If you want to create a real gift experience, put together a bundle: a postpartum recovery item, a soft maternity nightsuit, a nourishing belly oil, and a nursing bra. Wrap it properly and add a handwritten note. She will remember that gift for a long time.
Shop here: Postpartum Essentials
9. The Gift She Wears More Than Anything Else Right Now: Comfortable Maternity Nightwear
If you were to calculate the total hours a pregnant or nursing mom spends in her sleepwear versus any other clothing category, sleepwear would win. Not even close.
Between the multiple bathroom trips through the night in the third trimester, the round-the-clock breastfeeding sessions in the early newborn weeks, and the general tendency to stay in something soft because getting dressed feels like an unnecessarily ambitious activity some days, a good maternity nightsuit or feeding nighty is the single most-used garment in her wardrobe right now.
The best ones are soft enough to actually sleep in, have feeding access built in without requiring a complete undressing at 2 AM, and are made from breathable fabrics that work in India's climate. Pair one with some comfortable maternity lounge pants and you have an "at-home comfort kit" that she will wear every single day.
This is the gift that feels small but lands big. Because soft, fresh, well-fitting nightwear when you are spending a large portion of your life in it is genuinely one of life's quiet pleasures.
Shop here: Maternity Nightwear and Feeding Nighties
10. The Gift That Puts Her in Charge: A Gift Card or Curated Mom Gift Box
We promised earlier that this one would not feel like a cop-out, and here is why it absolutely isn't.
Think about it from her perspective. She has spent the last several months making every decision based on what the baby needs, what her partner needs, what her family wants, what the paediatrician recommends. The number of times she has genuinely just chosen something for herself is probably embarrassingly low.
A Gift Card from The Mom Store is a declaration. It says: "Go. Pick something for yourself. Whatever you want, no justification required." That act of being given permission to just choose something for herself, without guilt, without practicality as a filter, is more emotionally meaningful than it sounds.
If you prefer something tangible and ready-to-gift, the curated Gifts for Moms collection has beautifully assembled options that take all the guesswork away. And for the new mom who is celebrating Women's Day in the haze of those early newborn weeks, pairing a little something for her with a Newborn and Baby Gift Box makes for a celebration that honours both the mother and the new baby she has just brought into the world.
Shop here: Gifts for Moms and The Mom Store Gift Cards
A Quick Gift Cheat Sheet: Who to Buy What For
Not sure which of the above is right for the mom you are shopping for? Here is a simple way to think about it:
If she is in her first trimester and still figuring out what works, start with pregnancy-safe skincare and a maternity bra. Both are immediately useful and address real daily discomfort.
If she is in the second or third trimester, a maternity dress, co-ord set, or gorgeous baby shower gown will mean the most. She is feeling her bump the most right now and a beautiful outfit can genuinely shift her entire day.
If she has just delivered and is in the early postpartum weeks, a postpartum care kit, nursing pillow, and soft feeding nighty are what she actually needs. Save the pretty stuff for a later gift.
If she is a few months into breastfeeding and heading back to work, a breast pump or pump accessories will change her life. No exaggeration.
If you truly do not know or want to get it perfectly right, go with the Gift Card. Every time.
5 Women's Day Celebration Ideas That Cost Nothing (But Mean Everything)
Because sometimes the best gift does not come in a box.
- Let her sleep in. Take full charge of the morning. Baby, toddler, chaos, all of it. She does not have to know what time it is until she decides to.
- Make her eat a hot meal. Sitting down. Start to finish. Without getting up once. For many moms of young children this will feel like a luxury she hasn't had in months.
- Get the kids to make her something. A scrawled drawing that says "Best Mama" in wobbly letters is the kind of thing that ends up framed on walls. Help the children make her something by hand.
- Tell her something specific. Not "you're amazing." Pick one specific thing she does that does not go noticed enough and name it out loud. "I notice that you always pack his allergy medication even when you're rushing. I see it and I want you to know it doesn't go unseen." Watch what that does.
- Give her the remote. No input, no compromise, no "are you sure you want to watch that." The whole evening, her choice.
The Bigger Point Behind All of This
We talk a lot about celebrating women on March 8. And we should. But motherhood is one of the most physically and emotionally demanding experiences a human being can go through, and it is also one of the least publicly acknowledged. The sleeplessness, the body changes, the identity shifts, the constant giving without asking for anything in return: it is a lot.
A thoughtfully chosen gift will not solve any of that. But it will say something. It will say: "I see what you are going through. I thought about what you actually need. You are not invisible in this."
That is what Women's Day should feel like for every mom. And it starts with choosing gifts that mean something real.
Go make her day.
Further Reading on The Mom Store Blog
If you want to go deeper on any of the topics in this guide, these are some of our most useful and widely read posts:
8 Simple Tips to Make Your Breastfeeding Journey Easier From Real Mom Life covers the practical and emotional side of nursing in a way that is honest, warm, and actually actionable.
From Bump to Baby: When and How to Choose the Right Maternity and Nursing Bra is the most thorough guide to bra sizing and style selection for pregnant and nursing moms.
6 Simple Valentine's Day Ideas for New Moms at Home has some ideas worth borrowing for Women's Day celebrations with a newborn in the house.
10 Simple Tips on Buying Newborn Baby Clothes in India Without Overbuying is a great companion read for anyone shopping for new moms this season.
How to Play Holi Safely During Pregnancy is a timely and fun read for expecting moms heading into the festive season right after Women's Day.
Shop everything featured in this guide at The Mom Store, India's most loved destination for maternity, nursing, and baby essentials. Use code MAMALOVE at checkout for a little extra love on your order.
