Baby Shower Gift Guide

It’s that time of year when everyone seems to be pregnant. And with pregnancy comes baby showers. Now that we’ve had two little ones of our own, I have some favorites that I like to give to expecting moms. Some of these will be your typical baby shower gifts and some are a little different from what you’re used to seeing.

A new mom needs food! And lots of it. Those first few weeks are spent in bed, snuggled on a couch, or with a little one attached to you at all times. What a new mom really needs and wants is dinner that she doesn’t need to worry about. Pick up a few gift cards to local places that offer delivery or take-out. That’s a gift that every family with a new baby can really appreciate! 

Tastefully Simple offers freezer meal collections that would be a perfect shower gift. You can give mom the entire package and she can make them as she wants. Or… you can prep all the meals for her and then she’ll really be all set with a stocked freezer! I love this Family Faves Collection because it’s full of dishes everyone will love, including burgers, stromboli, pot pies, and lasagna.

Although a Nutri Ninja isn’t your typical shower gift, it will be a big hit with mom for sure! We’ve been making smoothies with our Nutri Ninja with Auto iQ and Smooth Boost, which is a great way for mom to get all those important nutrients in that she needs, even when she doesn’t have time to sit down and eat a full meal. It’s not just great for smoothies though! The Nutri Ninja is an all-around kitchen helper that can help you prep dinner or even make cookie dough!

Babies need eat, too! Even if mom is planning to breastfeed, she may still need bottles. Most moms will end up pumping and feeding via bottle at some point, especially if she is a working mom. Chicco NaturalFit Bottles Starter Set includes everything but the baby! This bottle and pacifier system has been engineered to be responsive to the changing feeding styles of babies. The set includes bottles with several different flow nipples,  pacifiers, a sterilizer, a teether, and a bottle brush.

Even though babies don’t immediately need plates and utensils, mom will really appreciate already having a great set for their little one when they need it. I love the Re-Play Color Wheel Starter Set. Re-Play uses recycled milk jugs to make their dishware! Not only are they fun, but their items are incredibly strong and truly able to last through multiple children.

I still love our Munchkin Travel Booster Seat. It straps to the chair and has straps to secure baby. This is another item that can be used for years because the weight limit goes up to 50 lbs! There is even a storage compartment to hold diapers, bottles, utensils, etc. 

Babies need safe places to play! Gymini® Under the Sea is a great play mat that encourages independent and joint playtime. Who doesn’t love the adorable under the sea theme? The bright colors and engaging design really appeals to babies. Babies can enjoy the mat on their backs as an overhead gym, play during tummy time, and play with all of the built in toys. There’s even a baby-activated electronic crab toy!

Every mom wants to feel good about everything they choose for their baby – from food and furniture to the products that touch their skin every day. Made with a “fewest ingredients possible” approach,” the new Tom’s of Maine baby care line harnesses the power of nature with simple, purposeful formulas and no parabens, phthalates, phenoxyethanol, artificial or animal ingredients. Included in their new baby line are several things mom needs including sunscreeen, shampoo and body wash, lotion, and diaper cream. Mom will definitely feel at ease using these products on their brand new baby!

Keeping baby safe is pretty much the job. Give mom the gift of clean hands for every visitor that comes to visit! Grab a variety of PURELL products. Hand hygiene is one of the most important preventive measures we can take to reduce the spread of illness-causing germs. PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer and PURELL Hand Sanitizing Wipes make practicing good hand hygiene easy. I love the portable bottles that I can attach to the diaper bag, a purse, or backpack. This hand sanitizing kit is a perfect gift for mom!

The Exergen Smart Glow TemporalScanner™ helps take the stress out of caring for a sick little one. Although this thermometer is ideal for a newborn, this gadget could really come in handy if anyone in the family comes down with a cold and/or fever. The TemporalScanner™ comes with features that make it even easier to take a temperature: a softly illuminated display for easy reading in any light – perfect for checking the temperature of a sleeping infant in a darkened room, the beeping sound indicating scanning can be turned off or on to avoid waking a sleeping child, and it automatically retains the last eight temperature readings for instant recall to check on fever progression.

Babies need to be cozy, but you can’t just toss a blanket in their crib! Just Born has a couple of great options that would make any baby feel snug and safe. The Deluxe Swaddle is expertly designed in consultation with pediatricians, nurses and physical therapists to keep baby sleeping safely so parents can sleep soundly. The Just Born Deluxe Swaddle will safely surround your baby in comfort, while supporting baby’s head and back! You can swaddle baby with their arms-in or arms-out and the soothing tummy wrap helps relieve gas, making for happy baby!

Wear-A-Blankets are one of my favorite items for babies! For starters, the patterns are absolutely adorable! But, what really matters is that these are blankets are safe for baby. Baby will stay warm and safe in their Wear-A-Blanket. There are mesh air vents for temperature control and soothing tummy comfort wraps. And all parents will appreciate the bottom-up zipper, making those late-night diaper changes easier.

I think every kid’s room should have a humidifier. Crane makes some adorable humidifiers, perfect for a nursery and something that can still be used much later! I think the ladybug may be my favorite! Of course, they’ve come a long way since we were kids.  Everyone needs a good night’s sleep and the Ultrasonic Cool Mist increases air moisture for easier breathing, making sure that happens! One of these in the room not only helps reduce mold and bacteria growth, but also relieves cough, cold, and flu symptoms, nasal congestion, dry cough, sinus irritation, nose bleeds, and dry skin. Did I mention it runs quietly?

Every mom registers for those super cute baby towels. The problem with most of those is that they are so small! They’re usually not the best at actually drying baby either! Something that will actually be useful for several years is a kid-sized hooded towel. Skip Hop’s 100% super-absorbent cotton terry towel has embroidered details and is gentle on your little one’s skin.

A children’s size backpack may seem like something that won’t get used for several years, but we loved ours from the time the boys were babies. They make great bags for when you don’t need to take the entire diaper bag, perfect for leaving in the car with emergency diaper supplies, or a trip to Grandma’s! This is definitely one of those items that grows with baby. Kids love carrying their own stuff around, so why not let them do it in a fun bag like Skip Hop’s Zoo Collection Little Kid Backpack?

One of the best tips I received with our first was to layer the crib mattress with a mattress protector, a crib sheet, another mattress protector, and another crib sheet. This makes those middle of the night changes a breeze. At some point, baby will soak through (especially if it’s a boy and you didn’t know to make sure to point the pee-pee down in the diaper) their clothes and sheet. Being able to pick baby up, pull the top layer of bedding off the crib, change baby into dry diaper and clothes, and put baby back down is much smoother this way than trying to change the bedding in the middle of the night. So… mom probably registered for a mattress protector, but do her a favor and get a couple of extras and pass along the tip on layers!

Give the gift of photography! It’s not exactly something you can register for, but I’m sure it’s something they want! We did not get newborn pictures taken for our oldest, but did for our youngest. I wish someone had gifted us a newborn session with our first. And I’m sure you’ll receive a nice picture in return!

Remember those early months of late nights and early mornings? Snag a Netflix subscription for the new parents! This will definitely be hit! They’ll find some new shows to watch in the middle of the night when they’re up with baby and even enjoy date night at home!

Who doesn’t need storage? Kids come with so much stuff! I love being able to give a cute storage bin instead of a gift bag. Skip Hop’s large storage bin from the zoo collection is super cute and functional. It’s the perfect way to add a pop of color and fun into any room.

We didn’t use a baby carrier much with our first, but with the second baby it was a life saver for sure! Being able to put baby in the carrier and still be able to parent to older children was amazing. A baby in a carrier feels close to mom and often falls asleep, meaning mom has hands free to get other things done! I’d suggest a carrier that can grow with baby, like the 3 Position Ergo Original.

Perfect for busy moms who need to do more cleaning with kids around, the Shark® Rotator® Powered Lift-Away™ is 2 vacuums in one – Upright and Powered Lift-Away – armed with advanced swivel steering for excellent control when maneuvering around furniture, the Rotator® has Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology® + HEPA that traps 99.99%* of dust and allergens inside the vacuum.

Every new mom wants to keep an eye on their baby at all times. With the VTech VM343 Safe & Sound Video Baby Monitor, parents can see baby (even during the night). We use this now that the boys are older, too. It’s great because it can pan and zoom, making it easy for me to check on them no matter where they are in their room. This monitor has two-way audio, which is a great way for mom to let baby know she’s still “there” or that she’s on the way.

If you want to buy clothes for baby, I’d say skip the little sizes and look at the larger sizes, 12 months and up. If you’ve shopped with a toddler, you understand why! Babies grow into toddlers quickly and mom will run out of clothes in the larger sizes even quicker! Help her out by getting some larger items. Plus, it’ll be like another shower when she pulls out new clothes a year from now.

What are your favorite gifts to give at a baby shower?