Yep, she’s having a baby! Depending on who she is, you will probably be invited to a baby shower and you will be preempted to find just the perfect baby shower gift that punctuates the relationship you have and doesn’t make you look cheap. If you need a baby shower gift idea the easy thing to do is check out her baby registry. Chances are if you have children, you will realize right away that 90% of the things on her ‘list’ are simple wastes of money and just a result of the over anxious shopping of an expectant mom. If you really want to make an impression you could actually purchase things she really needs.
The problem with most baby shower gift ideas is that the gifts are somewhat senseless. You can buy cute outfits, bonnets, blankets and toys for infancy that the baby won’t really want anyways. Every mom knows that the cute outfits are great for a portrait but life is much easier when a baby is dressed sensibly rather than for the purposes of making a fashion statement. Additionally, most baby shower gifts are geared to the first few months of life which in actuality are the easiest. So although the arrangement of gifts and baskets may look cute, aside from the high ticket items like the crib, stroller or high chair little of it is actually usable.
Perhaps the best idea is to round up a few people you know that are invited to the shower and pitch in to get one of the bigger items. The stroller, car seat, crib, high chair or walkers are normally expensive especially to get a good one. If you can at least provide these you will at least know your money is going to a worthwhile gift and something the new mom can actually use.
If pitching in isn’t an option, than try to consider baby shower gift ideas that will come in use down the road. Part of the trouble with having children is that during pregnancy and the first few weeks of life, there are more people willing to help, drop off formula, do your laundry and baby-sit than you really need. Then, around the 2-month mark all this doting just disappears and the parents don’t know how to function. Think about purchasing gifts for those days. Larger size diapers, larger size (seasonally appropriate) baby clothes for the 3-6 month mark, some shoes, baby safety equipment like gates or outlet covers or even an array of sippy cups to use when the baby gets older. Consider purchasing baby wipes and diapers in bulk (Size 4) which the baby will be wearing in just a few months and which can become a huge investment for the parents. Baby care items like soaps, washcloths, powders, lotions and other essentials will also come in handy and run out quickly.
Another great baby shower gift idea is to create a crafted medicine cabinet of things that parents will need when the baby gets sick and that more than likely they haven’t thought about. Complete it with baby Tylenol and Motrin, bulb syringes, nasal saline mists, vaporizers (include Vick’s Vapors) heating pads and baby ice packs. A book on how to care for an infant who is sick and information about common illnesses can soothe them should their baby run a fever in the middle of the night (which is when it always happens.)
When looking for baby shower gift ideas, don’t forget mom. Everyone knows that a happy mom makes for a happy baby. Once a baby comes into the picture, the needs and desires of mom are normally forgotten. Things to include are gift certificates to get her hair cut or nails done. Perhaps a massage in a few months time when she will feeling the stress of raising children might come in handy or a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant so the parents can get out for a bit without worrying about overstretching the budget. Pass on the names of some good babysitters and even prepay a few so that mom can get out of the house from time to time. While baby may be outfitted from the pages of a magazine, chances are mom will have nothing to wear for a while and scheduling her a bra fitting or providing a gift certificate for a woman’s clothes only boutique can go miles for supporting your friend through motherhood. Perfume and other mom care items will also be greatly appreciated as the next few months will leave little room for items like these.
A baby shower is always a nice celebration of the new little life that is coming into this world. As you search for the perfect gift it is sometimes easier to just take the copout and choose something from a registry. However, if you include the special touch of being thoughtful, considering mom and helping her with the further away future she will find that she is eternally grateful and appreciative down the road. This can also give her something to look forward to and may be the perfect pick-me-up on those days when motherhood seems too much.
Baby shower gift ideas can be anything that YOU want to give to a mother whether for the baby or for the new family. You don’t have to be stuck working off a list and one of the most under rated gifts can be that of money. Babies are expensive! Some well stocked gift cards or some extra cash means that mom and dad can buy what they need later on when they realize that the majority of what they put on their baby registry was nothing more than fluff and filler!
