Hello little one! 5 perfect gifts for a baby shower

Whether it’s your best friend or sister, her firstborn or her fourth, bringing a new baby into the world is a joyous occasion for everyone close to the family.

One sure-fire way to celebrate the news and shower the mom-to-be with good wishes before the bundle of joy arrives is with a baby shower.

Our guide will take you through the best gifts for a baby shower to make the new mom feel loved and ready for this new chapter, from organizing the event, to the perfect baby shower gifts for both mom and baby.

• Help organize the shower
• Be part of her support network
• Baby shower gifts all about her
• Practical gifts for a baby shower
• Bring the fun

1. Help organize the shower – the ultimate gift!

Traditionally, a baby shower is organized by the mom-to-be’s family and friends. There’s a lot of planning that goes into a baby shower, from choosing a venue to organizing the best date for everyone’s schedule. Pull it all off, and you’ll have the ultimate baby shower gift to make the expecting mom feel special and appreciated.

Organization is key when it comes to planning a baby shower. We recommend hosting the event one or two months before her due date – that way she’ll have an idea of what gifts she needs, and you may even be able to focus the theme on the baby’s gender.

Then set yourself a checklist of everything that needs to be done before the shower. This could include:

• Setting yourself a budget
• Picking a theme
• Sending out invites
• Buying the decorations
• Arranging catering
• Getting the mom-to-be’s gift registry
• Ordering the cake
• Planning the activities
• Decorating the venue

Tips for organizing the perfect shower

• Pick a theme – decide on a theme for the baby shower, and plan the décor, food and games around this. Always have the mom-to-be in mind – does she want a traditional pink for a baby girl, blue for a baby boy or would she prefer something more modern? Think outside the box, what season is the baby due to be born in, what TV shows, movies or music does the expecting mom like?
• Send out the invites in advance – give the guests plenty of notice for the baby shower so they can obtain their gifts and plan getting to the event. Explain the theme in the invites and give guests a flavor of what to expect – from food to timings.
• Think about food – plan food around the events of the day. If you have a jam-packed itinerary, stick to easy buffet or table foods guests can snack on throughout the day. Or, for a sit-down affair, afternoon tea is a great option, finished off with some delicious cupcakes.
• Buy small favors for the guests – from freeing up an afternoon to attend, to buying and bringing gifts for the mom-to-be and baby, guests are a big part of the celebrations. Show your appreciation for their time and gifts with a small and simple favor, such as candy, chocolate or a scented candle.
• Assign roles for the day – when the baby shower finally arrives, ask for some help from the other guests. Ask someone to be in charge of taking photos throughout the day, and another to write down the gifts received and from who for sending thank you cards later.

2. Be part of her support network

Having a baby is both an exciting and challenging time for the mom-to-be. Whether she’s becoming a mom for the first time or bringing in a new addition to the family, sometimes the best gift you can give is your unwavering support.

Instead of a physical gift, think about ways you could make life a little bit easier for mom and baby once he or she finally arrives. Not only is this a great way to carry on being a part of her exciting new chapter, it’s also kind on your budget.

Some practical baby shower gift ideas include:

• Babysitting – if she already has older children, offer to take them off her hands for a few hours or overnight. This will let her wrap her head around her new life and gives her some precious bonding time with her new bundle of joy.
• Cooking – the last thing on a new mom’s mind is cooking. Take a big casserole to see them through the next few nights or buy them a gift card from their favorite carryout restaurant so they can order in once the baby is asleep.
• Cleaning – ditto to cooking, cleaning isn’t even an afterthought when you’ve got a beautiful new baby demanding all your attention. Organize for a cleaner to come during the first few weeks while mom and baby settle into a routine or take some washing and ironing off her plate.
• Run her errands – from picking up fresh groceries to mailing her thank you letters to family and friends, take a weight off her shoulders and help her relax with her new baby by picking up and working through her to-do list.

3. Baby shower gifts all about her

Often when we think about baby shower gifts, we picture tiny booties and super soft blankets. But a baby shower is a great time to shower the mom-to-be with gifts and well wishes.

While everyone else is gushing over the tiny feet and cuddly toys, give the expecting mom a gift that she can cherish. Not only will this show her how much she’s loved, but it will also let her know that you are with her every step of the way in this new and exciting part of her life.

This could be anything from a basket of all their favorite foods they couldn’t enjoy while pregnant, to a pamper box for when they finally get a moment alone to relax. Whatever makes the sleepless nights and mood swings that are to come that little bit easier.

Ideas for sentimental baby shower gifts

• New mom care package – once the new mom and baby are home and settling into their new lives, everything else can be pushed to one side. A care package can just remind her to take some time for herself, even if it’s as simple as grabbing a relaxing bath.
• Keepsake box – once her baby is in the world, she’ll have the joy of experiencing all the firsts that come with motherhood – from the babies first curl to their first outing. A keepsake box is the perfect place to store these happy mementos.
• Bump to birthday journal – help her record all the ups and downs of motherhood, from the moment she brings home her new baby, to their very first birthday. This journal will be a sentimental keepsake she’ll cherish for years to come.
• A birth kit – these can be a real savior when the big day arrives, and she goes into labor. They usually include anything that will help keep her calm, from a handheld fan to a washcloth and lavender oils. Throw in a little note to make her smile amidst the pain – a simple ‘You’ve got this’ can do wonders.
• Baby book – most people go into motherhood wanting to know everything they can, and even if she has other children, there will always be something new or different she’s not prepared for. A book on motherhood can be a great way to build her confidence, especially one on the more humorous side – try The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide to Surviving Your Baby's First Year.

4. Practical gifts for a baby shower

As tempting as it may be to buy a cute little outfit or cuddly animal, chances are the parents-to-be have already stocked up on all those adorable little must-haves. In reality, all new parents fail to grasp just how many diapers, onesies and bibs you actually need in those first few weeks of parenthood.

They may not be the most exciting gift at the time, but the new parents will quickly appreciate your practical baby shower gifts when the washing starts to pile up and their precious newborn has just had their fifth poop of the day.

These don’t even have to be practical gifts for the baby either, there’s plenty of options when it comes to making a new mom’s job easier. This could be a week’s worth of premade meals or a nursing top to help with breastfeeding.

Finding practical gift lists

• Hand-knitted clothing – knitting a cute hat or blanket for the new arrival is both a practical and sentimental way of gifting the new parents. There’s plenty of designs online for everything from knitted activity books to mobiles and washcloths
• Velcro swaddle blankets – swaddling a baby can help keep them calm and warm, plus get them to sleep much faster. A Velcro swaddle will take all the fuss out of wrapping their newborn up tight, especially after those midnight diaper changes.
• Quiet door closure – doors are noisy, and babies are sensitive, put the two together and the new parents could be up all night trying to get their newborn back to sleep. Instead, this simple parenthood hack can make all the difference of finally sitting back and enjoying the evening together and having to repeat the nighttime process all over again.
• Wet bag – from dirty diapers and wet wipes to swimming clothes, a wet bag will see them through all the challenges of motherhood when out and about. There are plenty of cute and colorful designs to choose from too, perfect for matching the mom-to-be’s unique style.
• Grocery order – baby brain is real, and when you’ve just brought home a newborn, the last thing on your mind is groceries. Treat the parents-to-be to a Shipt membership and they can get all their groceries and household essentials delivered to their door.

5. Gifts for a baby shower – bring the fun

Even if you’re not organizing the baby shower event yourself, anyone can bring a little fun to the celebrations. There are so many baby-themed activities and games you could introduce to the baby shower and get all the guests involved in – just make sure to run it by the mom-to-be and organizer first.

Some of our favorite baby shower games include:

• Guess the baby – get all the guests to bring a photograph of themselves as a baby, then number them and get everyone to guess who’s who.
• Baby Bingo – this is a great activity to keep all guests amused while the mom-to-be is opening her gifts. Have different cards filled out with common gifts new moms are given, from blankets to stuffed animals, then guest can mark off any item that matches what’s on their card.
• Baby birthday sweepstake – when the guests arrive, get them each to fill out a piece of paper with the date and time they think the baby will be born on. You could also include the weight and gender (if not already revealed).
• Decorate baby onesies – buy a pack of cheap baby onesies and some felt-tip markers and get each guest to design an outfit for the new arrival. This is a great way to mark the day and leave the mom-to-be with a memento.

Send baby shower gift cards

Give the mom-to-be a celebration she won’t soon forget with the perfect baby shower gift card. From stocking up on all of the essentials at Buy Buy Baby to finding the most adorable little outfit at Baby Gap, we have gift cards bring a smile on their face. Or, help ease them into motherhood with a DoorDash gift card, so they can get their favorite meals delivered once the new arrival is sound asleep.