When I had my first child, our community of friends and family blessed us with amazing gifts. From new clothes and diapers to treats and books, we got everything during the first few weeks of our son’s life. Because I’m in a period of life where it seems like everyone around us has children too, I took lots of notes on the best gifts we received.
We can all think of the obvious and very necessary gifts (mostly the ones I mentioned above), but I also love the gifts I would never have thought to buy myself and the ones that are really thoughtful or memorable.
I asked our Real Moms (and really, all gift givers) to share the best baby gifts they’ve ever received. And from the practical to the essential, there’s something for any baby on your list.
Best Practical Baby Gifts
As a first-time mom, I’m so grateful for the moms who came before me and had children. They gave us things we didn’t know we needed. And other Real Moms have shared similar experiences of giving and receiving.
Real Mom Mariah D. says the best baby gift she ever received was a small fry for his bedroom. She pumped exclusively for the first few months of her son’s life and being able to store milk in the middle of the night without having to make several trips up and down is a luxury afforded by the mini-fridge.
Bonus: Also store bottles of cold water here and any snacks that need refrigeration for those middle-of-the-night feedings or pumping sessions that leave you parched and ravenous.
Real Mom Ashton S. shares that an electric baby nail file is her favorite baby gift. My best friend (and new mom of twins!) Abigail C. disagreed with this gift. If you’ve been a mom for more than a week, you’ve probably looked at your baby’s sharp nails (usually after they’ve scratched you or their own sweet face) and wondered how you can trim them.
At the hospital with our newborn son, the nurses warned against clipping or trimming our son’s nails so we tried several different types of manual nail files, but to no avail. Enter the electric nail file. It has multiple pads for different growth stages and it works quickly and quietly so you can file while baby sleeps or eats.
Real Mom Carrie D said. Ikea dishes for children was the gift that stayed in their family the longest. Even though her babies are 7 and 9, they still use these foods! They are fun, durable and may not be something you think of as a registry or gift.
If you’re a mom like me, you don’t even think about snack cups or sippy cups or kid-sized plates and utensils until it’s almost too late and your baby is ready to enter the world of real food ! Giving away favorites is a great way to take something off a new parent’s plate.
Get a cute basket like this one and stock it with extra diapers, wipes, bibs, burp cloths, changing clothes, small toys, hand sanitizer, and snacks for mom! It can be kept in the car for emergencies or on another level of the house for convenient diaper changing. As an added bonus, this is a cute gift that doesn’t need any wrapping!
Now that I have children of my own, I rarely buy newborn clothes for friends and family and instead, opt for larger sizes. Babies outgrow newborn size so quickly that cute clothes are barely worn anymore! The best advice I’ve gotten when it comes to gifts for babies is to choose clothes in a few (bigger) different sizes.
As my kids grow into petite sizes, I’m glad I have 6-9 month or 9-12 month clothes in the closet waiting to be worn! To complete the gift, consider adding these divider size hangers as a way for Mom to stay fit in all those dress sizes.
Best Baby Gift
Not every gift has to have a practical purpose — it can just be something you love that has sentimental value! We love these suggestions from our Real Moms who choose to gift the precious and sweet things moms love.
Real Mom Brigitte F. loves to give gifts BooginHead Paci Teether Blanket. They’re more than just a lovey or a blanket– they attach to baby’s pacifier and come in a variety of trendy colors for boys and girls. The blanket also has a teeether for baby to chew on! I love a gift that is both unique and practical.
Before my son was born, my mother gave me a gift simple baby book. This is the best gift for me because it’s not too involved or too complicated. It was something I could keep up with even when I was a sleep deprived mom and I know it will be a memory for years to come. For more memorial ideas, check out this post.
If you have a new baby or are looking for something to add to a shower gift, I always suggest gifting a children’s book. I am a firm believer that you can never have too many books in your child’s collection and they add more color and fun to a baby’s nursery.
The books I like to receive the most are the ones friends say are their kids’ favorites. We were given so many Sandra Boynton board books that our son loved to read before bed. For one of my baby showers, my coworkers gave me a copy of Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss that they all signed with love and congratulations for our new baby. These are some of our favorite children’s books here at RegistryFinder.
I always think that a personalized gift is an important way to go the extra mile. One of my coworkers gave us a handmade gift monogrammed burp cloths which matched our son’s nursery. And my sisters-in-law screen-printed this perfect onesie with our son’s birth statistics. You can find similar products at Etsy.
My mother-in-law, who raised 7 boys, kept a few very special clothes to pass down to all of us daughters-in-law when we had sons of our own. We have a pair of my husband’s Osh-Kosh overalls and an adorable Christmas sweater he wore as a child in our daughter’s clothing collection and they spark the sweetest memories!
Fun Gifts and Toys
So your newborn baby probably won’t be playing with toys for a while, but when they’re ready you’ll be glad for the friends who gave you fun gifts like these.
My mother sent it to us Baby Einstein glasses and art cards when our son was little. We don’t know how much she likes to look at herself in the mirror. This has become our go-to toy – perfect for tummy time entertainment and car seat trips. Even as she got older, she loved holding the cards and turning them over.
Now this is one of my favorite gifts for new friends with new babies. This is something I know they will love!
You can never go wrong with a stuffed animal as a gift. Flappy the Elephant is especially sweet with super soft fabric and interactive features like singing, peek-a-boo and flapping ears. This is sure to be a treasured lovey for years to come!
Has become a beloved part of our bedtime ritual over the past few months. Any bath toys are guaranteed to be our son’s favorite. I love this set of Boon Bath Tube because you can keep adding to it over time. The more profit, the merrier!
There are plenty of opportunities for imaginative play when you combine them with some of Boon’s other great bath toys, like cogs building set or the stacking boat fleet set (our personal favorites!).
If you’re still not sure what to buy, we always think it’s a good idea to peruse the baby registry for the rest of the baby stuff. Even after the baby shower we know mom will be thankful! Not sure where to find the registry? No problem! RegistryFinder.com makes registry shopping very easy; You can find all of mom’s registries in one convenient place!
Looking for more tips from our Real Moms? Check out our GiveIt Blog! ‘Tis the season for all the gift ideas for moms, babies, and toddlers and we’ve got you covered!
