Celebrating a new addition to the world is so exciting—especially if it’s a close friend or family member! And the baby shower is always something to look forward to…until it sneaks up, and you still don’t have a gift.
Buying for baby seems easy because there are so many choices, from clothes to toys, the options are endless! So endless that it can be overwhelming, which could lead to serious gift buying stress. Do you stick to the registry or stray from it and get creative? Focus more on mom-t0-be or baby? To help with the baby shower gift-buying dilemma, we’ve asked four of our favorite mom bloggers for some tips. Read on for their advice and ideas for the perfect baby shower gift.
Baby Starter Bundle
“I love the idea of getting the new mama-to-be several items that she would use in one cute basket or storage tote! She’ll need storage too, so getting a fun basket or canvas bin will definitely go to use! Some of my favorite items to put in are a soft swaddle blanket (I swear by swaddling newborns, they love it & there’s nothing sweeter than a fresh baby all bundled up), I also love a few 100% organic cotton gender neutral sleepers the snap kind are my favorite, a wood toy teether, and a “Hello my name is _______” sticker for the hospital, this is a fun way to introduce baby + baby’s name to the world! Also, if the soon to be mama is having a girl, throwing in a bow (or three) is a MUST, I recommend the nylon ones, they are stretchy and soft on baby’s head. Save the pacifiers, bottles, and lotions for mama to purchase, some babies can be so picky when it comes to these items, or have sensitive skin so its best to hold off. These gifts work for a boy or girl, which makes shopping easier & allows the new mama to save the items for a second baby.” – Chelsey | Bright & Bold
Think Outside the (Registry) Box
“In addition to picking something off of the baby registry, I love finding items from small shops I’ve found on Instagram for my expecting friends and family! There are so many sweet options like handmade bows for the girls or bonnets for baby boys, unique books, personalized wooden blocks, or embroidered stuffed animals that might be a splurge for a new mama. Add them to a cute outfit (go for the bigger sizes!) and I promise they’ll be a huge hit!” – Cait | Home Sweet Ruby
Don’t Forget the Essentials!
“My baby boy was showered with so much love… and clothes at our baby shower. Very few people actually bought the things I put on the registry (that took me weeks to complete *rolls eyes*). As a new mom, I researched EVERYTHING… I even Googled “best baby burp cloths.” Silly, right? So the fact that 85% of our guests bought clothes instead really bummed me out because I spent so much time researching the things I wanted/needed. Yes, it was nice I didn’t have to buy any clothes, but I was really looking forward to receiving the essentials every mom and baby needs. Had I known we were going to receive so many clothes and nothing from our registry I would have put on the invitations, “please no baby clothes.” Is that snobby? That would be advice I would give to a new mom, though. Clothes are great to receive and I’m sure everyone likes to see the baby in the clothes that they bought, but new moms obviously have NO baby essentials like a baby bath tub, play mat, pack n play, diaper bag, bottles, etc.. And that means the mom has to scramble weeks before the baby is due to get the stuff she and baby needs. Another thing I wish I did was ask that people buy a book instead of a card. I wanted to see the well-wishes and notes to our baby people would write in the cards, but after thinking about it (after the shower), they could have done that in the books. Not that our baby cares if I read Cat in the Hat over and over again, but I do. It gets old reading the same few books, so definitely ask for books instead of a card… they cost pretty much the same anyway (side question… **why are cards SO expensive?) Now, every mom is different with the things that they absolutely have to have for themselves and/or their baby, so I’ll just briefly list my must-haves…
Nursing Pillow… my baby boy is 8 months old and I STILL use this when I breastfeed him at home. It makes life so much easier for the breastfeeding mama.
Travel Crib… our baby still sleeps in this because he’s in the same room as us. It’s the perfect size – our baby weighs 17 pounds and is 26.5 inches long and he still has a lot of room. It’s also so easy to bring along when we travel.
Any sort of play mat/activity gym… our baby still loves his play mat. Now he loves to sit up and play with the dangling toys.
Changing Pad Liners… I get SO much use out of these at home and on-the-go. They are super easy to clean (just throw in the wash and dry in the dryer) and aren’t bulky at all.
Breast Pump… any breastfeeding mom needs a breast pump.
The items above are things that I have gotten SO much use out of and would buy over and over again for each baby if I had to.” – Olivia | The Team of Chances
Moms Love Gender Neutral
“For many people, the first thing they think of when considering a baby shower gift is the gender and whether this is the first, second, third (or so on) baby. For me, that’s not the case! I have a little girl but always requested gender neutral colors and patterns so that it could truly be reused for every subsequent baby. I also purchase many of the same things for the first time mama versus the mama of four. While it’s nice to be able to reuse many baby items, I feel like some things should just always be brand new to that baby. These things include teething rings, burp cloths, washcloths, and baby blankets. As I said, these are things that can be washed and reused but it’s always nice to get those types of things brand new.” – Chelsea | And Then Life
So if you’re attending a baby shower soon, we hope this helps! Do you have any baby shower gift ideas of your own? Share them in the comments below!
