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Baby Shower Gift Ideas

How to Shop for a New Mother-to-Be

© Lena Gott

Many expectant mothers register for baby gifts. Shower guests who don't have a registry as a guide must get creative.

Shopping for a new mother is fun, but not always intuitive. If the gift giver doesn’t have a baby or experience with babies, choosing an appropriate baby shower gift isn’t easy.

Take Advantage of a Baby Gift Registry if Possible

Luckily, most expectant parents create a baby gift registry to guide the gift giver in making choices. Choosing an item off of the gift registry is always a safe bet. Purchasing a gift card for the store that carries the gift registry is also a valid alternative; the new mother could use the gift card to purchase desired registry items that no one purchased or perhaps use it to purchase baby necessities such as diapers or wipes (if the store carries those) after the baby is born.

What to Buy If the Mother Didn’t Register for Baby Gifts

If the mother-to-be didn’t register for baby gifts, this poses a slight dilemma. Baby gift possibilities are endless! A well-intentioned gift giver will have to consider the mother’s personal taste as well as try to guess at what others have purchased for the baby. Aside from encouraging the mother-to-be to create baby registry, a shower guest should use common sense when choosing a gift. One tactic could be to simply ask the expectant mother what she would like as a gift. Beyond that, here are two gift options:

Buy something personalized for the baby. If the sex of the baby is known, the gift could be gender specific, such as a cute dress for a girl or a piggy bank painted blue for a boy. If the mother has shared the baby’s name, the gift could be personalized with the baby’s name. Personalized baby gifts include a monogrammed diaper bag, embroidered baby blanket, or a wall decoration that incorporates the baby’s name.

Buy the necessities. Regardless of the baby’s name, gender, or birth date, all babies require certain items. A practical gift could be to place an assortment of newborn care items in a small wicker clothes basket lined with a cute printed material. The entire gift is useful, including the basket. Any expectant mother would be delighted to receive a basket full of wipes, ointment, tearless shampoo, lotion, a baby hairbrush, a travel toiletry kit for baby, or any combination of these items. A nice twist to this gift idea would be to include one fun item such as a rubber duck.

Don’t Forget a Gift Receipt

A mother who didn’t create a gift registry will likely receive duplicate gifts because baby shower guests may not know what the others are buying or what the mother already has. Prevent the heartache of potentially not being able to return a duplicate gift by including a gift receipt.


The copyright of the article Baby Shower Gift Ideas in Baby Products is owned by Lena Gott. Permission to republish Baby Shower Gift Ideas in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.





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