Best Baby Shower Gift Ideas

I love finding out when a friend is pregnant because then I get to buy them a baby shower gift!!! Yes, ok, it’s exciting they’re having a baby and all, but now that I’ve had kids, I love knowing what moms REALLY need.

I used to spend so long wondering what to get for a baby shower gift, even if it’s on their registry. Will it be enough? Will they actually use it? It was weird to buy someone butt paste or nipple cream. Why do they need a C shaped pillow when they probably have pillows?

Now, I look at each baby registry to try to identify what someone else will buy them anyway, what they really don’t need IMO (*cough* Sophie the Giraffe *cough* wipes warmer), and then what is missing.

I think the best baby shower gift is the gift that is useful, whether or not they know they need it. Even if it’s something like infant’s Tylenol. Is it boring? Yes. But will they be so grateful you gave it to them at a random 3 a.m. when they realize their little one has a temperature? Absolutely!

When putting the gift together, these are my go-to baby shower gift ideas:

• Swaddle sleep sack. I always buy Halo sleepsacks because it’s what I know, but there are a ton of options out there. Fleece, cotton, muslin, whatevs. As long as it helps the baby to feel bundled and sleep.
• Pottery Barn Kids gingham hooded towels. This one is very specific. I’ve gone through a lot of baby towels, all of which get hard or seethrough after a few washes. These are soft, thick quality, cute and the hood is on the corner so the extra length from the diamond shape means you can use it longer as baby grows!
• A sound machine. Babies love white noise and if you were sneaking out of a room, or want to make any noise in the house without waking the baby, you would too. Again, there are a lot of options out there, but will it make white noise for hours without stopping? That’s all you need.
• Portable changing pad. It’s amazing how many people leave this off their registry. I think so many people hyperfocus on the registry and not on the going out of the house part. I love these all in one mat plus diaper and wipes case.
• Boudreaux’s butt paste with Natural Aloe. The regular Boudreaux’s butt paste works great, but I find the green box with the aloe wipes on and off so much easier. Help a mom and dad out!
• Zutano Baby Booties. Baby socks are impossible to keep on. These booties are FANTASTIC! Especially for cooler months or nights, these were my go-to item to keep my baby’s feet warm.

“If mom plans to breastfeed” baby shower gifts:

• Haakaa Breastfeeding Pump. No, it is not really pump, but yes, it is a gift from the breastfeeding gods. I didn’t discover the Haakaa until my third baby and it was LIFE CHANGING. I include this in every gift I can, followed up with a link to this YouTube video explaining how to use the Haakaa (because like a pump, it’s not intuitive).
• Earth Mama natural nipple butter. I’ve used a few nipple creams out there but this one was the best. It works well, is easy to apply, not sticky, and doesn’t stain my clothes as others did. You also don’t have to wash it off like other creams, which is helpful for mom and baby.
• Earth Mama milkmaid tea. When mom is freaking out thinking her supply is too low, it’s helpful to have this tea on-hand. Must contain Fenugreek. If she’s not a tea person, the Mother’s Milk lactation chews are also a good option; I ate these every day for like 18 months.
• Nursing breast pads (bra inserts). These don’t have to be anything fancy, just absorbent and washable. To a new mom, it’s a strange gift to receive, but she’ll be grateful when her nipple cream or breastmilk don’t seep through her nursing bra, shirt, etc.
• Medela quick clean micro-steam bags. Especially with a new baby, I sterilized every pacifier, pump part, pacifier, etc. until parts were big enough or I was comfortable enough with putting them in the dishwasher. But then I kept one in my pump bag in case I needed to use it in a pinch at work (and I did!).

Here are some cute little extras to add to your baby shower gift, if the budget allows:

• Where’s Baby’s Belly Button? pop-up book. While baby won’t be using this for a while, my kids LOVED this book and it was so unique, I always try to add one in to the gift because it’s so fun.
• On the Night You Were Born board book. This one is really for the mom. My kids really didn’t care much about this book but I tear up every time reading it, it’s just so sweet.
• Have You Ever Tickled a Tiger book. I’ve read this book so many times, I could read it with my eyes closed. It’s short and sweet but toddlers love it. Touch and feel books are always a good buy.
• Teethers. Parents won’t need until one day they need it ASAP because baby is teething and anything that helps baby feel better is critical.
• Musical, light-up, colorful car toy. It must make noise because when the baby is screaming in the car, the only thing that might help your sanity is being able to make the music and lights play with one hand from the passenger or driver’s seat.
• Baby washcloths. They’re smaller, lighter and softer than a regular washcloth. It seems silly but yes, they get well used.

Sometimes it’s a second baby, the registry is fairly empty or they already have a lot of hand-me-downs.

“For the baby that has everything” baby shower gift ideas:

• Baby bath silicone brush. The brush says it’s for cradle cap and eczema, and while that’s true, it’s also a great everyday brush for those super fine baby hairs. This pack comes with two, one for the bath and one for the changing table!
• Rectal thermometer. After countless nights of confusion with the forehead and underarm thermometer (temperature fluctuates with every try), I’ve realized that the only baby thermometer worth buying is one that can also be taken rectally. It’s the most consistent.
  Themed gift idea! Pair the thermometer with some infant’s Tylenol, infant’s Zarbees, saline spray, and a Nose Frida and you’ve helped them through their kid’s first cold!
• Freshly meals for mom. Especially after a baby is born, having nutritious, quick meals for mom is so important. I ate Freshly meals to ensure I was eating healthy foods, and they were ready in less than 4 minutes! Read my Freshly review »
• Pampers Swaddlers diapers. You know they will use these! And from the diapers I’ve tried, pampers has always been the best. This gift cannot go wrong!
• Portable sound machine. It might run on batteries but I still used our portable sound machine a lot. Around the house (in lieu of an app on my phone), in the car or out at a restaurant, etc. Anything to keep the baby sleeping is great!

You may have noticed I do not have clothes on this list. Or car seats, bouncers, a Boppy pillow, etc. It’s because usually, those are things that get bought anyway. And, as a mom, I always liked to buy the clothes myself so I could pick them out. I like to let the mom have the fun of buying baby clothes!

I try to go for the things that someone else might not buy because “it’s weird” or not as cute or exciting. But, I know in the end, these baby shower gifts will definitely be used and very much appreciated.

When you buy a baby shower gift, do you stick to the registry or go off-list? What are some of your go-to items?