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So you’ve been invited to a baby shower. This is such an exciting time in the life of the parents to be and you want to show them your love and well wishes by showing up and giving a great gift. The only problem is, what should your baby shower gift be? This can be hard for anyone, especially if you aren’t close to the mom to be, but it can be especially hard for friends without kids.
This is when I would first and foremost direct you to the gift registry. You absolutely cannot go wrong by picking up something that the mother-to-be herself hand-picked out. Trust me, blood sweat and tears go into curating those baby registries! But, if you insist on not looking at the registry, or there are slim pickings on said registry, here are some great gift ideas that the mom-to-be will love. All of these are items that I own and have bought for other moms.
Baby Shower gifts for 6 months and beyond
When people think about baby showers they think about squishy little newborns. Those teenie-tiny clothes look super adorable on the hanger, I know, but most moms want you to leave them right where they hang. It’s not that we don’t need baby clothes, trust me, we do! The problem is that for the first baby, 9 out of 10 times, we will get way more newborn and 0-3 month size clothes than our kid will ever be able to wear! I didn’t register for any baby clothes and still ended up with a ton. I returned a bunch and she wore a new outfit every day but we still had clothes she didn’t get to wear. They grow that fast!
So put the pack of newborn onesies down and opt for 3-month sizes and up. A set of 6 or 9-month sleepers would be perfect. Or ditch the clothes completely and step outside of the box. Since most people will buy things the baby will need for the first 3-5 months of its life, you should aim to get things for the months afterward.
Teething toys are great since babies can start teething as early as 4 months. Look for toys with multiple surfaces and textures to chew on.
Spoons and bowls for starting solids are also a necessity that many people tend to forget about when shopping for a shower gift. Baby’s can start solids as early as 4 months, although most start at 6 months. Showing up with the cool easy squeeze spoon or other feeding gadgets will surely impress the parents to be.
If none of these wow you, you can also opt for the never-fail training potty or a walker. All of these gifts are great and I’m sure no one will show up with your gift. Many of these items are between $3-$20 so you can mix and match to come to a total that you are comfortable with.
Boppy pillow + Pillow cover
This is one of the items I added to my baby registry but no one actually bought me. After the baby shower, I returned some of the unwanted gifts and bought this with my store credit. I love this thing. I mainly used it while Baby P was a newborn and up until she was about 4 months but you can use it longer. It was the same deal for my second born. There are so many uses: nursing, tummy time, helping the baby sit up, and during playtime. In addition to that, the price makes them a great gift for when you want to spend a decent amount of money but don’t want to break the bank. Even if the mom-to-be wants to return it, she can and will have enough money to get two boxes of diapers or $50 to put towards that fancy stroller.
The Boppy Pillow itself is usually around $29.99. Obviously, this is the most important part, but I think getting a cover adds a nice touch. It can even be personalized at the mall with the baby’s name. They come in a bunch of cute colors and can be easily washed if they get dirty. These usually run about $8-$13.99.
So on the high end, this gift will set you back about $44. If you know the mom to be intends on breastfeeding but doesn’t need a Boppy Pillow, check out my list of breastfeeding supplies she will need. These all make a great baby shower gift too.
Cloth baby Carrier
To those of you without kids, the whole wrap/ baby carrier thing is probably strange, but trust me, they are great! This was another item on my registry that no one bought but I knew I needed it from watching other moms use it. It came in very handy when my babies refused to stop screaming unless they were on my body. Without it, no housework would have gotten done in those early months. Now I use it when I want to run into a store and not use the stroller or carry the car seat. It’s great! I can fold it up and toss it in the diaper bag and I’m good.
The Moby & Boba wrap are essentially the same thing. The only difference is the name & color options. The Moby Wrap is $44 at Target but it is sold at other stores, the Boba Wrap is $39 at Target. Both are available in 6 different colors. The Moby has more vibrant colors while the Boba has more neutral colors. I got mine in black, which allows me to wear it and it doesn’t clash with my outfit.
This gift will run you $39-$44 total.
Baby’s First Cold Kit
I really love putting together kits as baby shower gifts. It adds a really personal touch and shows that person you care enough to put in the extra time. Recently, I gave a good friend of mine a ‘baby’s first cold kit’ at her baby shower. I got a tub from Walmart and filled it with all of the cold/sickness supplies I used for my child in her first years of life. This is a very practical gift that is sure to be appreciated because usually first time parents aren’t prepared for that first cold. It’s also nice to not have to buy these items yourself. Buying cute clothes and shoes is way more fun as a new parent.
Here are a few suggestions of things you could fill your kit with:
The great thing about this gift is that you’re buying the items individually. This way you can set your price range and fill the bin with items until you reach it.
Bulk diapering supplies
If all else fails, you can’t go wrong showing up with a huge box of diapers or two as your baby shower gift. And don’t forget the wipes! A lot of moms are having diaper raffles at their showers now. I did and it worked out great. If not you can bring diapers in bulk as a great gift by themselves or as an addition to whatever else you think of. Ask the mom to be if she has a preferred brand and stick with that. Also, remember to get larger sizes. Like I mentioned before, people tend to buy smaller diapers but we need bigger ones too! If you buy a large box of size 3 and 4 diapers with a box of 7 baby wipe refills you will knock the socks off the mother-to-be!
A large box of 100+ diapers is usually $24-34. A bulk box of wipes is about $14.
With one box of diapers and a box of wipes, you’ve got yourself a headache-free $50 gift that you know won’t be returned.
Don’t overthink the gift! Most moms will appreciate anything you get and the fact that you were there to celebrate the life they are bringing into the world. If you are struggling, I hope this list helped you out! Feel free to leave more gift suggestions in the comment section below.
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