Best & Worst Baby Shower Gifts for First Time Moms
Whether it's your sister, best friend, co-worker, or whoever you know who might be welcoming a baby soon, it can be hard to choose the perfect gift for a baby shower. As impersonal as it may seem to pick something off of the parents' registry, keep in mind that they took a lot of time and effort to select specific items that they wanted and needed for their new baby. A gift from the registry will always be welcomed and appreciated that's their whole purpose! However, if for some reason there is no registry (which is rare for a FTM, but does happen from time to time), or you absolutely cannot stomach the thought of choosing something off the list, then there are some universally acceptable gifts that you can buy.
Think about what the baby will actually use in its first few months, as well as beyond. Some of the most under-gifted (and most desired) items are older baby gifts - such as toddler clothing, larger diaper sizes, & feeding supplies for starting solids. Consider how quickly babies outgrow certain items.
This is just a small list of some of the best (and worst) items you can purchase for a FTM, based on my experience (and those of some of my close friends and family) with all of them.
THE WINNERS:
1. Cash & Gift Cards: This is one gift that you can, honestly, never go wrong with. Gift cards to Target, Wal-Mart, & BuyBuyBaby, are great for stocking up on diapers. If you want to choose a clothing retailer, Carters/OshKosh, Children's Place, & Old Navy all have extremely affordable clothing where they can get the most for their gift cards - they also have great deals, door-busters, coupons, & rebates that can be combined. You could also get something just for mom and dad, such as a gift card to their favorite restaurant, a Shutterfly gift card for documenting her pregnancy and first few months of baby's life, or an Amazon gift card that can be used for anything they need! This gift is sort of a fail-safe.
2. Books: It’s hard to go wrong with reading to a child of any age, so I will always recommend books when asked. There are so many great options out there, though I would recommend board books and touch-and-feel books for the smaller babies, then some nicer classics in paper format for the older kids who learn how to take care of their things. Some great options for babies are any of the Golden Books, all of Eric Carle's stories (which come in paper or board book styles), & all of Margaret Wise Brown's books come in both paper and board book styles as well. For older babies and young children, I would recommend titles from Doctor Seuss, Maurice Sendak, & the Berenstain Bears books!
3. Homemade Gift Baskets: Simply go out and buy a cheap wooden basket or baby hamper and fill it with essentials! Alcohol-free wipes, Q-tips, Boudreaux's Butt Paste, teethers, Children's Tylenol, simethicone colic drops, unscented laundry detergent (Tide makes the best one, IMHO), baby thermometer, baby lotion (Aveeno is best), breast pads, Lotrimin cream for yeast infections baby might get, pacifiers for newborns (AVENT Soothies are best for newborns), baby nail clippers & files, & anything else you think they might use. Seriously, just raid the dollar bins at Wal-Mart or Target - they will have most of it right there in travel sizes. You can put either diapers or blankets on the bottom of the basket and write a little note for the baby welcoming them into the world, or an encouraging letter for mama to read when she is up at night nursing and changing the baby. You can get seriously creative with this gift if you want to!
4. Diapers & Wipes: Seriously, you can't go wrong with this one. All babies wear diapers, unless mom is doing some weird, crunchy lifestyle tweak, but that is pretty rare these days. You can see my previous post Disposable Diapering 101 if you want advice on which brands of diapers are best. I would suggest skipping over the Newborn size entirely, unless they are expecting a preemie or twins - since babies outgrow these so quickly, and the hospital will provide a few packs for them upon discharge. Size 1 & 2 should suffice for at least the first 6-8 months, so stock up on those. Don't forget about those larger sizes, as most people don't remember to purchase those and mom ends up with a bunch of unused Newborn & Size 1 diapers because baby outgrew them so quickly. Newborn diapers tend to go up to 10lb limit, but my son was in them for the first 3mos - as he was a breastfed preemie who took a while to gain weight. Size 1 picks up at 10lb and goes to about 14lb. My son was in these for another 3mos. Around 6mos he graduated to size 2, which is 14-18lb. Most babies are in Sizes 2-3 for the longest, so these are the sizes to buy. However, Sizes 3-4 diapers usually come into play after the 1st birthday, and baby is in these for a LONG time - usually until potty training, as they go up to 28-32 pounds. If not, Size 5 will get you through, unless baby is large for age - then you have some diapers that go all the way up to Size 6! For your purposes, I would buy a pack of Size 1, a pack of Size 2, & a pack of Size 3. If you want to get a jumbo pack, I would get Size 1 or 3.
5. Bouncy Seats: Honestly, I have this on here because I wish I had one for every room in my house. This is great if you ever want to put baby down for just a second, but don't want to leave them on an unattended surface. Great for if he is napping and you want a quick shower, if you are cooking, cleaning, or really anything where you need both hands, but don't want to worry if baby will roll off the sofa or bed. They come very cheap, and the ones that vibrate are great for soothing. My favorite brands are Fisher-Price Snug a Bunny & Nuna Leaf!
6. Car seat Cover: This is the gift that parents didn't realize they needed! Car seat covers by Carseat Canopy come in all different prints and have different fabric options. These are great if you live in a place that is very sunny, windy, or dusty. It's great for keeping the germs out when baby goes to their wellness visits at the pediatrician's office, as well. And it's okay if they get multiple ones, because they tend to get dirty as baby gets older and grabby, and they have different fabrics or different weather. You can also have these monogrammed on the website!
7. Sleep Aid/White Noise: Cloud B makes this amazing little invention called the Sleep Sheep On the Go. This saved our lives in the first 3mos of my son's life, as he was a very light sleeper. This little thing has 4 different sound settings, and twist-dial volume control. It also has two different timers, set to mimic baby's sleep cycle. This was probably the best gift we received to date!
8. Toddler Clothes: Items that many people forget, or just don't think, to buy are baby clothes in larger sizes. People get so caught up in the fact that there is about to be a newborn, that they tend to not remember that this baby will spend such a fleeting amount of time in the Newborn & 0-3mos sizes. They innocently stock up on these items, and mama ends up with a pile of clothes she has to return or box up as baby outgrew them too quickly to even try on. I would suggest purchasing clothes in larger sizes, namely the 6-9mos or 6-12mos category. Most babies fly through Newborn & 0-3 mos sizes, so anything larger than that is bound to be a hit. Don't forget about 12-18mos either, baby will eventually get there! Keep in mind the seasons as well. You wouldn't want to buy a Newborn swimsuit for a baby born in December or a 0-3mos parka for a baby born in March! (More on that conundrum later...)
9. Cool-Mist Humidifier: This is an often overlooked baby gift for FTMs. I only got one because I personally requested one. If mama's baby is anything like my son, he will get the sniffles and congestion a lot. The Crane "Oscar the Owl" humidifier was just the thing that helped break up all that snot and helped him breathe better at night, and ultimately wake up feeling better. This is one of the most common late-night trip to Wal-Mart purchases for FTM's.
10. Swaddle Blankets: Not to be confused with receiving blankets, crib blankets, or general baby blankets - these puppies are super useful (and often pricey). My favorites are the Aden & Anais Night Sky Classic Muslin Swaddles. They are very breathable - in case baby gets it over his face. They are stretchy, warm/cool depending on the room temp, & super easy to use. They are also HUGE, so lots of fabric to work with for a nice, secure swaddle. This brand also comes in many different colors and styles!
THE LOSERS:
1. Baby Bath Sets: Aside from the fact that everyone and their mom will get baby bath products, they are just not suited for sensitive baby skin! Nothing says ignorant gift-giver like a ton of scented, alcohol-ridden toiletries for your newborn.
2. Lingerie: This should go without saying. And it is actually a bigger problem than you would think. This is a baby shower, not a bachelorette or 'panty party'. Besides, sex is probably the last thing on a heavily pregnant woman's mind, and this will most likely continue for the first few months post-partum as well.
3. Inappropriately-Sized Clothing: Few things suck more than mommy opening a precious present with a beautiful, flowy, size 6mos sundress for her new daughter...when she will be 6mos old in November. Clothing is always a welcome gift, however, you should take care to at least do some basic math and figure out what size is appropriate for different seasonal clothing. Otherwise, if you are too lazy to do so, at least include the gift receipt so Mama can switch it out for something she can actually use.
4. Clothing with Special Instructions: Along with #3, another extremely annoying gift is clothing that has special wash or care instructions for a baby. No mom wants to take 4 month-old Kate's frilly pink church dress to the dry cleaners every week when she spits-up all down the front of it. Nor does she want to have iron 6 month-old Henry's Armani trousers when they come out off of the clothes line, since they can't come in contact with even the low heat setting of the dryer. While an outfit may look precious, and maybe you are willing to splurge on an expensive one - keep in mind that mommy will be doing well to just get everything in a single load of laundry once a week - not making unnecessary trips to the dry cleaners.
5. Frilly Blankets: Besides being the most over-purchased baby shower gift, most blankets are not actually safe for newborns. Fuzzy, fleece, flannel, & fancy blankets with ribbons, bows, & frilly designs are not only suffocation and choking hazards, but they can overheat a baby very quickly. Newborns often struggle with regulating their own body temperature for the first few months of their lives, so these little gifts can really throw their systems out of whack. If you insist on purchasing blankets, however, opt for a more useful version - like the swaddles mentioned in #10 of the "Best" list, or a practical HALO SleepSack.
6. Baby Bathrobes: Honestly, new moms will be doing great to keep baby from screaming like he's dying with a towel. Do you really think she's gonna have the patience to be able to get him in a bathrobe? It's a waste of fabric, often just gets in baby's face and irritates him more, & is otherwise useless. If mom wants a cute one for pics, she'll likely get one herself. Spend your money on something a little more useful. If you really want to get one, make sure it is in a larger size, for when baby starts enjoying bath-time and it can be introduced into her routine at night.
7. Baby Shoes: Babies truly have no real need for shoes until they start to stand & walk. Even then, you shouldn't go crazy buying lots of shoes. When they are tiny newborns, they really only need some thick, comfy socks to keep their feet warm. Hard-soled, restrictive shoes can actually mess with the development of baby’s feet if they aren't sized properly (and let's be honest, most newborn shoes only come in one-size). So letting your little one walk in bare feet or socks is not only more convenient, it's healthier, too.
8. Anything Vintage/Used: Really, some moms don’t mind hand-me-downs or antique items. However, there are many moms who mind it quite a bit. Regardless of where your new mama falls on this issue, please, for the love of all that is good in this world, make sure that everything is stain-free and looks like-new. Unless you think handing over a box of useless garbage is the best way to welcome a new baby. It's always good to check with the mom or her husband before making such 'donations'.
9. Sports-Related Items: Unless you are absolutely certain that Mommy & Daddy love the Astros, Patriots, Mavericks, or Aggies, I would advise against such specific purchases. Last thing you want to happen here is buying little Johnny his first LA Lakers jersey, only to find out that Mom & Dad are die-hard San Antonio Spurs fans! Guess where that gift is going...
10. Any gift you received at your own shower that you didn't use or want: This is by far the biggest no-no. Why on Earth would you think it was okay to give someone your leftovers, especially if you never ended up finding it useful or desirable. Now, if you happen to have something that you didn't use simply out of preference, then that is another story and can possibly be a viable option. unused Breast Pumps & freezer bags (if you know mom is going to be nursing), still-wrapped bottles (if you know she is feeding formula or pumping), clothes with the tags & receipts, duplicate items you never exchanged, and still-packaged Sippy cups or dinnerware for toddlers can all be great options for a goodie basket. Just make sure that you get her something new to go with it - preferably off her registry or something practical that you know she wants.
