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The Perfect Baby Shower Gift Ideas: What All New Parents Need
After the initial thrill of a loved one sharing their pregnancy news, comes the celebratory baby shower and stress of finding the perfect gift.
It’s hard to know what to buy parents to be (especially if it’s baby number two). Whether they throw an extravagant baby shower or keep things low key, a thoughtful and practical baby gift is something that new parents are bound to treasure for years to come.
Even then, there are so many products on the market and sorting through the options can be overwhelming.
Lucky for you, we’ve put together a list of products for both mum and baby that will not disappoint.
Baby Shower Gift Ideas:
Baby Bath, Bath toys and/or Bath Care
Angelcare baby bath support @angelcare
Bath time can be a daunting task for new parents and one that is particularly hard to get the hang of in the early days. To bath your baby, we recommend the Angelcare baby bath support.
Loved by babies and recommended by parents all over the world, we found this bath super easy and supportive for our little one while we learned the ropes.
Ergonomically designed to hold baby securely, both our babes seemed so comfortable, and it allowed us as parents to have our hands free to enjoy the time playing with our little one.
Don't forget the bath toys! There are some amazing ones on the market at the moment, from STEAM based, to imaginative play. We are loving the Happy Planet Toys. They are exciting and engaging eco-friendly toys, made in Australia from recycled milk bottles. So what's not to love.
Not only is playtime a crucial part of a baby's development, it is also the perfect way to make bath time fun, therefore new parents are always grateful to receive stimulating and enjoyable baby toys.
EveEco Baby bath toys @eveeco.baby
Softer bath toys give infants a sense of stability and protection, while blocks, and rattles help to develop fine motor skills.
EveEco Baby have a whole range of ducks, shells and anchors that are bath toys and double as teethers. We are loving them as their eco friendly products are natural and biodegradable, they also reuse and repurpose unused materials.
Overall, bath toys are sure to make the experience far more enjoyable for both bubs and parents. Always ensure to purchase toys made of non-toxic, environmentally safe materials.
Don't forget the towel. Every baby needs a hooded bath towel. They are oh so cute. There is nothing better than wrapping baby up in a little soft towel with a hood after their lovely bath.
We love Aussie company, Hello Chooki's bamboo baby hooded towels. They are designed to give your little one the utmost comfort and welcome them to the world of pure luxury.
A Baby Monitor
Walkabout 360 View HD Wireless Full HD Resolution Video Baby Monitor @mifo.official @mifo_au
Looking for a useful gift? A Baby Monitor is essential especially in those early days. You can find monitors that track heartbeats and some that can assist with sleep and playing white noise.
Watching babies remotely and even on your phone is such a game changer.
Baby Monitors can be quite expesive, so this gift could be a good for getting a few friends to all put in.
Baby Monitors usually last many years so getting a high-quality unit is worthwhile especially if you want to save videos. We recommend the Walkabout 360 View HD available at Mifo.
We also love the Vtech RM7764HD available at Baby Train. With features such as two-way talk with camera from parent unit or remotely via the app, and playing soothing lullabies and natural 'white noise' sounds.
Zippys
Halo & Horns Zip up suit @halo_and_horns_company
We can’t understate the importance of choosing zips over buttons. No one wants to do up individual buttons at midnight when you need to change a nappy.
I remember my first baby and I packed the cutest outfits for baby’s first outfit. Cute as they were they were swiftly replaced with anything with a zip.
Have you seen Halo & Horns? They have the cutest baby (and adult) clothing. Lot's of beautiful and deliciously soft zip up bamboo all in one suits.
Snuggle Hunny Ladybug Organic Growsuit @snugglehoneykids
We love Snuggle Hunny Kids for anything baby. From baby Swaddles to the cutest Onesies: Snuggle Hunny Kids are the leaders and in adorable baby and toddler wear.
Made from Organic Cotton their range is so good we just had to stock them.
Swaddles and Baby Wraps/ Muslin Wraps
Because babies spend a lot of time sleeping (or at least, that's what we hope!), anything that will be useful during the nighttime routine is bound to be a terrific and practical present for new parents. Sleeping bags, muslin wraps, and swaddles all keep infants warm and secure in their cots or bassinets and are available in a variety of attractive hues, patterns, and motifs.
Beyond this, it is easy to underestimate the countless uses of a muslin wrap. From swaddling baby to sleep to providing much needed shade in the pram, wraps and swaddles are the gift every new mum can never have enough of.
They are handy, must haves to keep in the nappy bag and new mums will go through them just as fast in the cot.
See our amazing range of baby wraps and swaddles by Snuggle Hunny kids.
Bed covers / Bed Mat
Bed covers or bed mats make particularly great gifts for when a baby turns 3 months or older, so still a great gift for a baby shower.
They last for years and can be put on any bed (above a mattress protector). Both practical and stylish, bed covers are a fun and personal gift to give and receive!
They can go both over or under the bed covers to protect your sheets and mattress from any accidents that your little one may have.
Whether they are a newborn prone to the occasional milk vomit, or a toddler moving through toilet training, a bed mat will be used at one point or another. Again, bed mats come in a variety of colours and patterns making them a fun addition to your child’s bedroom.
Food delivery voucher
Be Fit Food meal delivery @befitfoodaustralia
After the birth of a baby, life is bound to get a whole lot more chaotic and busier, you’ll think you’re ready, but the truth is nothing can prepare you for your new reality.
Amongst trying to find your feet and care for the new little human in your home, you need to also find some time to take care of yourselves! Even the simplest of everyday tasks, such as remembering and finding time to eat, can become a seemingly unachievable struggle.
This is where a food delivery voucher will come in handy. For the days or weeks when time is sparse and energy is low, a food delivery voucher will be like gold.
The convenience it offers is a gift any new parent will appreciate when they are needing that well deserved break and time to themselves.
Thoughtful, healthy, and most definitely practical, make a voucher from your next baby shower gift.
We love Be Fit Food meals, as they use fresh ingredients, and are dietitian designed, so you know you are getting the nutrients you need.
The Dinner Ladies meal delivery service @thedinnerladies
If you are South East Australia based, be sure to try out The Dinner Ladies. The Dinner Ladies take away the stress of planning, shopping, preparing and cooking dinner – by delivering it to your door.
First Aid Kits
Little Boo Boo's First Aid Kit @littlebooboos
Understandably, first time parents won’t know a lot of the little things they will need until they need them… and this will often happen at 2am. Therefore, the perfect baby shower gift, a baby first aid kit. Whether this is premade and purchased or made by yourself, a kit containing a variety of essential items, particularly those that go unthought of, will be invaluable to any parent to be.
For a pre-made and carefully constructed first aid kit, purchase ‘The Ultimate Family First Aid Kit’ from Little Boo-Boo’s. designed by a mother and paediatric registered nurse, this first aid kit includes child-friendly comfort aids and essential first aid items to help you treat and distract your child in times of need.
A gift truly doesn’t get much more thoughtful or practical than this.
If, however, you would prefer to make your own kit, start by adding things like;
- Digital thermometer
- Baby bath thermometer
- Baby nail clippers
- Baby Paracetamol
- Baby cough mixture
- Nasal aspirator
- Baby saline nasal spray
- Nappy rash cream
- Coconut oil (for baby massages)
- Bandages
- Tissues
- Nappy bags
- A comfort teddy bear
Combining all or some of these will leave you with the perfect little care basket to gift at your next baby shower.
A Play Mat
Grace & Maggie play mat @graceandmaggieplaymats
The number one gift idea has to be a padded play mat. Not only are they essential for baby, but they are also a great and useful gift for mum too.
Grace & Maggie's play mats create a soft and safe surface for the baby to play and practice tummy time, easing what can sometimes become an agonising process.
Grace & Maggie play mat @graceandmaggieplaymats
Did you know - these play mats are also the perfect gift for parents to use for an at home workout, especially if they no longer have time to hit the gym or attend a regular yoga session.
They also come in non-offensive, visually pleasing colours and patterns, to fit in with your home decor.
Padded play mats are great for sits ups to spit-ups and everything in between. For this reason, a play mat is obviously our first choice for the ultimate Baby shower gift.
Baby Shower Gift ideas the FAQs
What is a good gift for a second born baby?
- Gift cards
- Food
- Self-care products for mum and dad
- New baby mementos
What should you not buy for a baby shower gift?
- Anything that will need to be grown into after 1 year old (think about storage)
- Anything hard to clean
- Careful with personalisation (spelling, gender)
- Anything that makes assumptions (breastfeeding supplies, pacifiers)
How much should I spend on a baby shower gift in Australia?
The amount of money you should spend on a gift for your next baby shower will ultimately be determined by a number of factors including:
- Your relationship with the person
- How much you are comfortable spending
- How much you can afford to spend
For someone you are not that close to such as a co-worker, distant relative or distant friend perhaps consider a gift between $20 and $40.
For someone you feel closer to such as your sister in law or close friend a gift worth $50-$100 may feel more appropriate.
A more expensive and sentimental gift costing $100+ is most likely to be given by the mother-in-law, sister, or best friend.
A baby shower provides the opportunity for everyone to celebrate the impending birth of a baby and to congratulate the new mum to be. Although a gift will always be appreciated, remember it is not the purpose of your invite.
Is it rude to not open baby shower gifts at the baby shower?
Whether you decide to open your gifts in the presence of your guests or wait until they depart is entirely up to you and the nature of your baby shower. You need to consider how long you plan on your guests staying, how many guests you are having as well as the type of audience you have invited.
Opening gifts takes times and you don’t want to be rushing through it nor do you want to be spending time opening presents when you could be celebrating socially with friends and family. The more guests you invite, the more gifts you will most likely get and therefore the more time it will take to open these gifts.
Opening gifts once your guests have left may take the pressure of you for providing and overly enthusiastic reaction and take the pressure off your guests to buy a gift that is better than the next persons.
Whatever you decide, the considerate approach would be to simply inform your guests as to why you've decided to unwrap, or to not unwrap presents so they know what to expect at the shower.
Written by Laura Agrimi, mother of 2 and owner of Grace & Maggie.
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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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