Hey everyone! I’m not very good with baby needs (as I don’t have any kids yet myself) so I’m hoping that this might help!
My best friend is expecting a baby in [name_u]June[/name_u], and for [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] I got her a box full of toys, and but for her baby shower (tentatively set in [name_f]April[/name_f]), I have no idea what to get her (she doesn’t yet know the gender, but finds out in [name_u]January[/name_u]).
My budget is roughly $50-75 CAD, and I’m a bit torn as to whether I should buy her a basket full of little things (pacifiers, blankets, etc.) or a play gym/bouncer seat (which in [name_f]Canada[/name_f] run anywhere from $16.97 (if you can find it!)-$70+).
What are some good ideas for baby shower gifts?? Or, what did you want to get for your baby shower? What was the best thing you received?
My favourite thing to do is to get the mom a gift for herself. She is going to get a ton of things for baby and often she needs a bit of extra love and attention too! My city has a pregnancy spa that specializes in pregnancy massage and such, gift cards to there have always been very well appreciated! This, or a gift basket of bath/body supplies, lotions, oils etc, something to let Mom take care of herself. Gift cards for food delivery etc after baby is born and everyone is too tired to cook, things like that!
Other than that, [name_u]Baby[/name_u] things like receiving blankets, burp cloths,(pretty well anything that needs a lot of washing) larger sized clothes (think 18+ months, and think seasonally what the baby will fit and need) my sister in law strongly encourages sleepers that close with magnets and sleepers you can undo from the bottom only so you don’t need to fully undress baby at diaper changes now that she’s had her first. Think practical gifts!
My [name_m]SIL[/name_m] that recently had a baby asked everyone to give a copy of their favourite story book as a gift, which I thought was a cute idea.
Personally, I tend to buy a couple of practical items and a couple of fun ones. So, for one of the showers I went to recently, I gifted bottles, singlets, onesies, a plush fox, and another toy.
If you are looking to get a big item like a bouncer you may want to check if she made a registry. I appreciated all gifts I got, but it was nice when I received something I researched and picked out myself. Some parents can be particular.
If she’s having a big shower she will probably get a bunch of newborn clothes, blankets, and stuffed animals so I’d stay away from those. Bottles and pacifiers could be helpful if you know what kind she wants.
Some of the best gifts I got we’re things I didn’t think of myself. [name_u]Baby[/name_u] safe laundry detergent, shampoo, lotion, soap, burp cloths, sleep sacks, hand sanitizer, and larger sizes of seasonally appropriate clothes. We asked people to bring books and I love how many people wrote a sweet message inside them for my baby to read when she’s older.
I really like the idea of getting a little something for mom (and dad!) too. We got a few gift cards for take out which helped. Maybe for the summer you can get someone to mow their lawn and water flowers (not sure how much that could cost even for just 1 or 2 times). A lot of the daily chores that need to be done get forgotten when parents are sleep deprived and want to spend time with their new baby. These are just some ideas. I’m sure she will appreciate anything you get for her!
It’s so hard to come up with good baby shower gifts… I tend to pick more practical items for my friends for their showers/babies. Again, it’s hard. You don’t know what the situation for that child could be. [name_m]Will[/name_m] he be allergic to a certain brand of diapers? [name_m]Will[/name_m] this lotion make her break out? Then again, maybe I over think.
Here are gifts that I’ve given that the mothers really seemed to like (some less practical than others):
*photo album
*mesh washing bag (for little baby socks or whatever else)
*crib sheets
*baby clothes-sized hangers
*gift cards
*baby first aid kit
*baby hygiene kit
*toddler or older-age baby clothes
*diapers and wipes
*books (sidenote: my sister-in-law requested that people bring books in place of cards, with personal notes to her twins, to the shower. It was a huge hit and very sweet. My nephews have since destroyed most of the books, but it was still sweet lol).
Personally, I liked choosing my own things that I wanted for my baby. Some people gave me things that I wouldn’t have chosen or wouldn’t use (such as baby products filled with chemicals, bottles, and dummies). I know that sounds ungrateful but I donated them on to others who would use them. I agree with the above that it is wonderful to receive something for Mum. I remember getting a really nice nightgown with buttons that I could breastfeed in, a beautiful mug, and some bath oil. I have also given nightgowns and slippers for a gift in the past. I think a pregnancy massage would be amazing to receive. If you wanted to give something for baby, then perhaps some chemical free baby bath and massage products (we used [name_u]Neal[/name_u]’s Yard in the UK) or a couple of gorgeous sleepsuits once you know the sex. Sleep suits always come in handy, as do dribble bibs. Good luck!
I am just shy of 18 weeks pregnant and I’ve just started putting together a registry. Honestly it’s quite overwhelming and I’m nervous that I’ll end up with gifts I don’t really want or need. I would really like to register for just the basics because I think everything else will be a learning curve. So as boring as it sounds, I personally think gift cards would be wonderful. On the other side of that, I would love to receive some very personal gifts. The baby books with sweet messages written in them is a great example. Also, handmade things such as crocheted blankets or something similar. I’ve lost every single grandparent and so I don’t have any family members to make me those sort of sentimental baby things. I also really like the idea of getting the mom a little something just for her. One of my best friends had her first baby just over 2 years ago and I got her a bottle of wine, a gift card to her favorite store, and a lunch date on me when she was ready to leave the house. She was very appreciative of those things because so much focus is on the baby.
I agree with @kibby, I always always do a care package for Mum and Dad, or just Mum depending on her situation. My go-to package usually includes:
Chocolate or sweets
A baby powder or fresh linen candle
Massage oil or stretch mark body butter
[name_m]New[/name_m] pajamas
Fluffy socks or slippers for Mum and Dad
A pack of glucose tablets/Dextrose energy tabs for in labour (they’re a godsend)
Some new underwear - she will ruin several pairs after the birth no matter how careful she is, and its the last thing anyone thinks to pick up
A baby comforter teddy (the kind with the fluffy blanket thing attached?) - my daughter was given one we called Snuggles and its been a firm favourite, so that’s always ‘her’ present for the baby.
Some nice coffee and new mugs for Mum and Dad
A book of personal ‘coupons’. Its always amusing and lets them know you’ll be there to help. Things I’ve included - “One takeaway delivered to your door on a day you dont want to cook”, “One washing load done for you”, “One night’s babysitting”, “One food shop dropped off for you”, “One batch of fresh cookies”, etc. Lots of new parents struggle with asking for help and this is a nice way to bridge that for them.
I always find it goes down really well and everything gets used because they’re so practical. In terms of things to avoid, these are what I don’t buy:
Newborn clothes. They’re so cute and small and irresistible, and she’ll get mountains of it and buy loads herself. [name_f]Every[/name_f] parent I’ve ever spoken to has said that they have clothes in newborn their kids never wore. I always buy size 6-9 months, because that’s the size my daughter went into and I realised “Oh no, I have next to nothing in this size!”
Cot bedding. Parents tend to have a particular vision for their nursery that they’re very protective of, and the bedding is especially important to that. Buggy blankets are cool, but not cot bedding - unless it’s a specific set on a registry they’ve created
Big things like bouncers, swings, changing stations. Like another poster said, parents can be particular and do a lot of research on exactly what they want. Check with them or check the registry, or dont risk it.
Other ideas:
A baby door bouncer, I loved the one I received at my baby shower
A baby sleeping bag, they’re so useful because babies cant kick them off like blankets
A play mat
A new baby photoshoot voucher, or a pregnancy massage voucher
Books - I got a beautiful illustrated book with all the [name_f]Narnia[/name_f] works with a note addressed to my daughter. She’s now old enough that she’s starting to read it herself, and it was my all time favourite gift from my shower
Thanks everyone! Her birthday is in [name_u]March[/name_u], so I was going to get her a gift just for her then (for [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] I got her baby toys, but also a mug for her tea and a massive Lindt chocolate bar as it’s her favourite and her craving, lol!). I’m definitely thinking the idea of little things she might need would be better - I know she’s said she wants to find pacifiers, bottles and books! I did get her a strawberry shaped teether for xmas (her in-laws own a strawberry farm, so I thought it was fitting), but I’ve definitely thought of finding her some others to go with it!
I’ll definitely have to make a proper list from all these suggestions though!
Board books are great for little ones. We love Each [name_f]Peach[/name_f] Pear [name_f]Plum[/name_f] and Ten [name_m]Little[/name_m] Fingers and Ten [name_m]Little[/name_m] Toes. [name_f]Julia[/name_f] Donaldson’s Acorn [name_m]Wood[/name_m] series is also great as baby can lift the flaps. They include [name_m]Fox[/name_m]’s Socks and Postman [name_m]Bear[/name_m].
I loved getting the practical items, the things you know every parent needs: Diapers and Wipes. Everyone always gets clothes, and you really don’t need a ton of clothes. Some other great ideas are gift cards, which allowed us to get what we wanted. Some bigger items that we loved that would be a great gift (as long as no one else is getting the same thing) would be a bouncer and a pack n play.
For my sister’s baby shower when she had [name_f]Bella[/name_f], I got her baby grows (in 3-6 and 6-9 as she had a lot of newborn ones) a dress (in newborn as she was born in [name_u]August[/name_u]), a snuggie (a little teddy bear with a blanket, I got the same thing for her shower when she had [name_u]Noah[/name_u] so it felt right!) and then a box of baby toiletries, like shampoos, Sudocrem, little baby nail clippers, etc. A few weeks after her birth, I then got her stuff for herself. I roughly spent £35, which I believe is around $60 CAD.
Nappies, baby grows, muslin and breastfeeding stuff was what she was most happy with as she needed as much as she could get!
The best gift [name_m]Ive[/name_m] seen at a baby shower is a gift certificate for a few hours from a cleaning service, I think that’s something that every single mom would be thankful for.
I like to make diaper cakes for baby showers. I normally do a couple of different sized diapers (top layer size one, middle size two, ect.) and put cute/practical stuff on it.
