It may be your first baby shower invite or it’s that time of year where you’re finding yourself invited to baby shower after baby shower. Whether you are a seasoned pro, or just a beginner when it comes to attending baby showers, knowing what gift to bring can become a bit daunting. The Mom to be may very well have a baby gift registry set up – making your job, as the guest, as easy as just picking from her wish list. In the event that you are left to decide what gift to bring on your own, this article will give you the rules, tools and ideas to help you choose the perfect gift to give. To avoid people buying the same romper or outfit for bub, it’s best to put potential gifts into categories. This strategy will also help with budgets you have set for gifts and to ensure you don’t gift every Mom to be you are celebrating, the same thing.
What you decide to buy for Mom and bub would most likely fall under one of three of these categories. You are welcome, depending on your budget, to purchase from one category or all three, the choice is yours.
Essentials: These would be items that are essential to having a new baby. Some examples of these are baby clothing, pacifiers, baths, towelling, bedding, diapers, bibs, medical tools – nail clippers, thermometer, hairbrush etc. Even playmats, changing pads, bottles, breast pump, the list goes on. You will have the new Mom and Dad thanking you when they don’t need to rush to the store, only a few short days after bub comes home for diapers – you can never give enough diapers or baby wipes.
For Mom: These are items you might want to purchase for Mom specifically. You may want to treat her, so that she is not forgotten in the ‘aftermath’ of giving birth or simply make her feel special. Items such as; massage voucher, comfy pyjamas, hair salon voucher, face masks, heat packs, belly band or baby keepsakes, journals or endless amount of coffee. It’s likely this Mom to be is a good friend of yours, so gifting her something special should be pretty easy!
Extras: This category can be anything you wish to gift that isn’t necessarily a necessity for Mom and Bub. It could mean something handmade to show some sentiment or to create a keepsake for Mom to cherish. Extra clothing is always a bonus and giving that special outfit/shoes or one off item would be lovely. You may want to purchase another special blanket as an extra for the pram or crib. Anything you choose from this category may just be personal, special or helpful.
Now that you have been given options for gifts you can begin to do your research on cost. You may wish to put together a gift basket from yourself and a few other ladies to increase cost and quantity to gift to Mom. You may want to plan ahead and start to make something yourself that will hold a lot of meaning and sentiment for Mom to be or simply just pick from the essentials list as you know you couldn’t go wrong!
Giving the right gift doesn’t need to be hard. If you want to know exactly what Mom is wanting/needing, give her or her shower hostess a gentle nudge towards making herself a gift registry or try browsing our gift finder.