Believe us, we love buying miniature overalls, tiny booties and squeal-worthy toys for baby showers. But, when Baby has arrived and your new parent friends are running on a couple hours sleep and a fistful of stale cereal, here are some gifts for which they’ll truly give thanks.

1. Dinner. Treat your friends to a great meal—that they can eat in their sweatpants. Catering to You has a prepared food counter with daily specials, and they deliver for special occasions. You can schedule a delivery on behalf of your friend, or send them home from the hospital with a gift card that they can use as needed. Or, gift them with a card for Chef Shuttle Restaurant Delivery, which picks up orders from local restaurants like Bruno’s Little Italy, The Fold, Little Greek Restaurant, The Purple Cow, Lilly’s Dim Sum Then Some and many others.
2. Clean Home. Hire a cleaning service to keep things tidy when brand-new moms and dads just can’t manage. There are multiple services in the area, including The Cleaning Authority, which uses green cleaning supplies, HEPA vacuums and microfibers throughout the home.
3. Coffee. Grab a gift card to their favorite coffee spot (or the one closest to their home base), because they’re going to need caffeine—and lots of it. Or, put together a gift basket, so they can brew their own at home. Sherwood roaster Leiva’s Coffee even has a Coffee Club subscription, which mails the recipient a 1- or 5-pound bag every month—and you’ll be helping support their family-owned farm in Guatemala.
4. Photo Prints. Baby will be the subject of hundreds of adorable snapshots before her first birthday, and new parents will surely want to print those precious moments. Pick up a pre-paid card at a Bedford Camera & Video location in Little Rock or North Little Rock; for $39.99, the cardholder can print 200 4x6 photos (you can also mix in some 5x7 and 8x10 prints). Or, purchase a gift certificate online that can be redeemed for different products, including photo books, canvases and calendars.
5. College Savings. Probably the last thing on a new parent’s mind is college. But, now’s the time to start saving and you can help by contributing to an Arkansas 529 College Savings Plan. Once the little bundle of joy has a social security number, he or she can be signed up by a parent, grandparent or caregiver. The funds in the account are set aside for the sole purpose of schooling, whether the beneficiary chooses to attend a traditional four-year college, trade school, or any other school accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Plus, the savings plan offers an Arkansas State income tax deduction and a matching grant for those who meet income requirements. The best part: For every birthday, holiday, graduation and milestone in the child’s life, friends and family can continue to make gift contributions through the easy-to-use Ugift service. Learn more about the program at Arkansas529.org.
6. Car Wash. Once kids are in the picture, you can bet that the family vehicle will get used and abused. When that little bundle of joy starts snacking on Goldfish crackers and Cheerios in the backseat, a car wash and detail will be much appreciated. Find a location in the family’s area of town, and see if they offer gift certificates.
7. First Aid Kit. The first time Baby has a fever is stressful enough without making a midnight run to the pharmacy. Assemble a baby first aid kit, with essentials like an infant thermometer, infant acetaminophen and ibuprofen, antibiotic ointment, topical calamine lotion for insect bites and rashes, rubbing alcohol swabs to clean thermometers, saline nasal drops, cotton balls, baby nail clippers and scissors, petroleum jelly and sterile gauze, and other must-have items.

We asked our Facebook followers, “What was the best gift you received as a new parent—something that helped you through those first few exhausting months?” Here’s what they said:

• “Meals prepared from others! You have no time to cook in the beginning and it saved us from getting take-out all the time.” —Stephannie Cawiezell
• “A swing! My baby boy would sleep in it for hours until he was ready to nurse or needed a diaper change. It’s a must-have on every parents list.” —Crystal Todd
• “Diapers, diapers, diapers. Baby food and formula—it was expensive as a new, young parent. Also, just having people there to help, with anything, even to babysit for a few hours.” —Nathan Kirby
• “My neighbor’s chicken soup and a coworker’s handmade swaddling blankets—much better than commercially-made blankets.” —Becky Patton Layes
• “[Custom Orbit Labels] are a lifesaver to ‘mark’ bottles/cups with when going to daycare! Definitely one of my favorite gifts!” —Pamela Raquel Lee
• “The gift of time. I loved close friends just coming over and holding the baby while I took a shower or washed some dishes. And having a baby can be so isolating—it was nice to talk to someone besides my husband.” —Kila Williams Owens