Baby Shower Gifts for New Moms

My friends and family have recently had a bunch of babies. I took an informal poll of the new moms I know to find out which new-mom and baby gifts were the most appreciated, and which were still in their boxes.

Lots of baby showers include a registry or two these days, just like weddings. If you weren't invited or no shower is thrown for a new mom (and what a shame!), ask the new dad, partner, or close friend if there's a registry set up for the baby and mom.

A few things nobody wanted much of: Baby clothes. It’s hard to resist Dad’s favorite baseball team or that cute little rock-and-roll baby shirt at Hot Topic.  All babies wear clothes, right?  But they go through clothes quickly. The average newborn will outgrow those newborn-size clothes within 3 months or less – one particularly big baby did it in 1 month, to his mom’s chagrin. But most moms reported having plenty of newborn clothes, particularly if it wasn’t their first baby. So don’t overdo it on baby clothes, or consider buying items a size or two larger so baby has something to grow into. Consider items like bibs and crib sheets, which won’t be outgrown for much longer. Pick neutrals which will go with anything, if you don’t know what color Dad painted the nursery.

Most parents also said they got plenty of commemorative items (“too many”, one dad sighed; “we didn’t need more things to dust”) and toys. If you really want to buy a toy, make sure it’s baby-safe; it’s a shame to see Teddy sit on a shelf because his button eyes are a choking hazard. Also, beware of large play items and things that may need to be assembled; assembly takes time, which new parents never have enough of – and large items may take up space they don’t have to spare, or which was intended for Mom’s new craft table rather than more baby stuff.