Baby showers are filled with fun games, delicious treats, and plenty of excitement. But finding the perfect baby shower gift to bring to the event can be quite challenging.
Of course, registry lists can be a great help, but what if there isn’t a registry, or what if you’d like to surprise the mom-to-be with something thoughtful that isn’t on the list?
Read on to learn what some of the best practical baby shower gifts are. With our helpful list on hand, you'll be sure to choose something the new parents will love!
Best Practical Baby Shower Gifts for Diapering
- Diapers
It should come as no surprise that diapers top the list. Every baby needs diapers—lots of them!
Even a few boxes of diapers can help a lot. You might even like to give several different sizes, so that the diapers can be used in the first few months no matter how big the baby is and how fast she grows.
If you’re looking to go the extra mile, consider registering the new parents for a diaper subscription service. Diaper subscriptions help parents have the diapers they need, when they need them.
Certain diaper subscriptions even help parents keep up with their developing baby, so they can easily update the size of the diapers and delivery frequency they’ll need for their little one.
- Baby Wipes
In addition to diapers, parents will go through an abundant amount of baby wipes. Baby wipes aren’t just great during diapering, but can also be used to wipe hands, feet, and even faces.
If you’re considering giving a diaper subscription service as well, you might like to choose a provider that offers baby wipes as an additional product to include.
- Diapering Baskets
A practical and fun way to package a number of diapering-related gifts is to place them in a beautiful basket. To make the gift even more practical, you could use a diaper bag instead of a basket.
You can easily fill the basket or diaper bag with useful baby shower gifts including diapers, wipes, diaper creams, lotions, changing pads, and more.
Best Practical Baby Shower Gifts for Feeding
- Bibs
Babies are messy, especially when they eat! Bibs are great for capturing food, drool, and burping messes, helping the baby’s top to stay clean for just a little bit longer.
Opt for packs of three or more or buy a bigger bunch, since most parents go through a quite a few throughout the day.
- Bottles
Baby bottles are essential for feeding, whether the mom-to-be chooses to nurse or formula-feed. For breastfed babies, breast milk can be pumped and stored for bottle-feeding at a later time. This also allows other family members or caregivers to help out with feedings.
Stock up on BPA-free plastic bottles or go with glass baby bottles with interchangeable nipples. Useful baby shower gift options include a set of baby bottles with a range of bottle nipple sizes to fit throughout a baby’s first year.
- Utensils and Bottle Accessories
In no time at all, the baby will be eating solid foods, so you could give a set of dishes and utensils in a cute pattern, as well as a colorful sippy cup or two.
The parents will also need some basic accessories for bottle-feeding. Dish soap, dishwashing bottle brushes, bottle warmers, and bottle sterilizers make for a very practical set of baby shower gifts.
Best Practical Baby Shower Gifts for Bath Time
- Baby Bathtub
A portable baby tub is the ultimate baby shower gift for bath time. Some tubs even come with a built-in thermostat to help parents make sure the bath water is just the right temperature for their little one.
- Toiletry Gift Baskets
Fill a playful basket with practical baby shower gifts featuring a bath-time theme.
Shampoos, body washes, and lotions designed for infants are all essential. You could also add accessories such as a waterproof thermometer, some toy rubber ducks, and a soft towel to round out your baby shower gift basket.
Best Practical Baby Shower Gifts for Household Chores
- Baby-Friendly Laundry Essentials
New parents soon discover that doing frequent loads of laundry is a necessity—babies can go through multiple outfits in just a day—and a selection of laundry supplies makes a nice gift.
Look for a gentle detergent that won't irritate a newborn's delicate skin, and combine it with stain removers, laundry bags, and more. Mesh laundry bags are great for keeping socks, bibs, and other small baby items organized and intact. You might also like to include a laundry basket for the nursery.
- Cleaning Supplies
With a new baby, messes are bound to happen, and every parent could use some help keeping things spic and span. Gather a variety of cleaning products and sanitizers, and don't forget some sponges, dust cloths, and cleaning wipes, too.
Best Practical Baby Shower Gifts for Naptime
- Smart Baby Monitor
Parents, especially new parents, love nothing more than watching their new baby— particularly while they are sleeping. Of course, they can’t always keep an eye on them otherwise they wouldn’t get any sleep themselves. Thankfully a Smart Baby Monitor means they will never miss a thing and offers a great way to put their minds at ease.
Baby monitors have improved tremendously in recent years and are packed with useful features. Many parents prefer video baby monitors that are Wi-Fi enabled, so they can check in from anywhere using their phone, make sure it has amazing night vision clarity and tracks the room temperature and humidity too for optimal baby comfort. Continuous background audio is a must so they can hear their baby even when their phone screen is locked.
Give the gift of sleep with the Ultimate Smart Monitor Bundle from, Lumi by Pampers™. This award winning sleep routine system is paired with an unbelievably good monitor that offers amazing clarity, even when zoomed. What’s more, this clever system transforms the sleep tracking information into helpful insights and tips so everyone gets a better night's sleep!
- Swaddle Blankets
These blankets have more than just one use, making them a perfect baby shower gift. In addition to wrapping your newborn securely and providing comfort, swaddle blankets can double as burp cloths, tummy time mats, nursing covers, and more.
- Sound Machine
When it comes to lulling babies to sleep, playing white noise or another comforting sound from a sound machine can do the trick.
Most sound machines offer a variety of options from shushing noises to lullabies to womb-like echoes that can help a baby fall asleep more easily.
This is a truly useful baby shower gift that parents will rely on for many months to come.
Best Practical Baby Shower Gifts Just for Moms
- Gift Cards
Still not sure what to get the mom-to-be? When in doubt, go with gift cards, which are always a useful gift for a baby shower. General gift cards are a great option, as are gift cards from the store or online retailer chosen for her baby registry.
With a gift card, the mom-to-be will be able to buy exactly what she needs, whether it’s for her baby or for herself. For example, she might like to stock up on basics like diapers and wipes, or buy something she didn’t receive from her baby registry.
- Parenting Tips
If you are an experienced parent with one or two little ones of your own, you might consider making a homemade journal for the mom-to-be with inspiring quotes, affirmations, and some helpful advice peppered through it.
It might also help to add a few helpful links at the back that the new parents can use once their baby is born.
These links can range from useful articles on how to set up a feeding schedule and how to soothe their baby to insights into tracking their baby’s milestones.
You can also include a link for rewards loyalty programs and apps pertaining to diapering needs, so your gift can keep on giving and giving.
If you know the mom-to-be’s local area well you can also include personalized tips like baby-friendly cafes in her area, the best local parks and walking trails, whether any nearby fitness clubs offer “mom-and-baby” classes, and even more useful info that will really help the mom when her newborn is here.
- Time Off
Every new mom could use some R&R. Offer to babysit, pay for a sitter, or help her out with a few chores. Get her tickets to a see a movie or even her favorite band.
You could also arrange for someone to look after the baby while you take her out for lunch or treat her to a spa day. Anything that can help her feel rested and refreshed during this busy time will much appreciated.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What are useful baby shower gifts?
Best practical baby shower gifts can include
1. Diapers
2. Baby wipes
3. Diaper bag set
4. Bibs
5. Baby bottles
6. Bottle cleaning set
7. Baby bathtub
8. Baby toiletries
9. Baby-friendly laundry essentials
10. Set of baby-safe cleaning products
11. Baby monitor
12. Swaddle blankets
13. Sound machine
- What is the best gift for newborn baby?
Baby essentials such as diapers, wipes, bottles, swaddle blankets, and baby monitors are all great gift ideas for a newborn.
Baby showers are a wonderful way to celebrate and support the mom-to-be while providing the essentials she’ll need once her little one arrives. Whether you’re browsing through unique gift ideas or supplementing a registry item, you're certain to find a thoughtful, perfect choice on this list of practical baby shower gifts
