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As a midwife and friend to many a Mumma to be, I've seen some incredibly practical baby shower gifts in my time. I have also seen some gifts that are just never used.
After quizzing my friends and clients, I wrote this ultimate guide to practical baby shower gifts for the Mummas to be in your life and their precious newborns.
5 Practical Baby Shower Gifts (for the Babies)
1. Baby clothes
TIP: Newborn babies don't stay small for long and so when you are choosing clothing for a newborn, selecting larger sizes (such as 0-3month, 3-6month) can be a great idea
H&M and Zara sell some really cute clothes and some good basic bits.
Zara also has the option to customise some of the basic clothes with the baby’s name - practical and thoughtful.
Mittens
I often find that parents forget mittens and socks when packing for the hospital.
Mittens, I would say are a more practical gift as often baby grows will cover the baby’s feet, but only certain baby grows will have in built mittens. I stress mittens as babies can start to scratch themselves with their nails as soon as they are born.
H&M have some great hat and mitten sets, perfect for the winter babies we have coming
Blankets
Blankets/muslins can also be a practical gift.
Hospitals will provide baby blankets but when parents have their own, wrapping their baby in it just feels so much more special and may even be softer. You can also never have enough muslin cloths..FACTS.
Amazon have some very aesthetic muslin cloths (they sell muslin hooded towels and bibs too).
2. White noise machines
These are truly a game changer.
I see ‘Ewan the Sheep’ used in the hospital all the time and he is AMAZING. Parents also say that this is often a gifted item. There are so many different ones easily available and aren’t too expensive.
The noises Ewan makes are to remind the baby of its time in the womb (it has 4 different white noise settings) and is to be used whilst settling a baby to sleep.
A side note, I would check with other friends who are buying for this Mumma as she will not need more than 1 of these (a gift receipt could be a good idea).
3. Nappies
I can assure you, your friends will thank you for this one and will be so grateful for the spare nappy pack at the back of the changing cupboard when they find they have run out in the middle of the night.
In terms of choosing the brand, I can confidently say that although there are many different types out there- they all pretty much function the same.
What I will say, however, is that I do love a nappy with a wetness indicator- this makes deciding whether or not to disturb a sleeping baby for a nappy change much easier.
Pampers nappies were voted as the best overall nappy of the year and the best budget nappy award went to Aldi’s Mamia nappy- you can buy a pack of 56 for £2.99
Also, water wipes are the way forward, soft on the skin and soso much easier to use than water and cotton wool (trust me).
4. Story books
New Mummas often say that books that are interactive and make sounds are very practical for their newborns.
Books with sturdy and cardboard pages are also great as by 6 months babies START putting things in their mouths and paper pages would tear.
There are some wonderful mindful books out there that come with hardback pages and can be found on Amazon
Buying parents a story book to read to their bump and eventually their newborn can be so helpful for bonding.
My favourite book to gift is ‘Guess How Much I Love You’ written by Sam McBratney.
5. Portable mobiles
Having a mobile that can be moved from changing mat to cot to car seat has been said to be a life saver.
These really don’t have to be particularly fancy and can be bought in colour or in black and white. Babies start really enjoying these from 2 months onwards and keeps them distracted whilst they may otherwise be feeling unsettled.
A few friends of mine suggested this one:
5 Practical Baby Shower Gifts (for the Mummas)
1. Affirmation cards
As a midwife and woman, I know how important it is for women to feel powerful in pregnancy and as they enter their birth experience.
Affirmation cards are an easy and practical way of helping women to reaffirm their power and their innate ability to birth their babies.
I also LOVE the calming and intentional vibes affirmation cards can bring to a birthing space.
The Positive Birth Company have their own set of affirmation cards which are great but you could also buy some downloadable ones from Etsy and print them on card.. I really like these ones:
2. Books
I recently read ‘Give Birth Like A Feminist’ and I think it is an important book not only for pregnant women but also midwives.
It works to remind pregnant women they have power and agency in the decision making regarding their bodies, pregnancy and birth.
Another book I love to gift my friends is called ‘Self Care For New Mums’.
This was written by a Midwife and Doula and is a pocket, all-knowing hype woman that dispels any postnatal recovery myths and boosts women’s confidence during a time that can often feel quite overwhelming.
3. Headspace gift card, The Pregnancy Pack
Gifting your pregnant friend access to this app gives them 30 days of calming content.
It helps parents to start bonding with their unborn baby and helps parents prepare for parenthood.
Tools like this that are easily accessed and leave your pregnant friends more prepared than when it found them is a very practical gift in my eyes.
4. Breastfeeding accessories
If you know your friend is planning on giving breast feeding a shot, breast pads, nipple creams and breast pumps (although I do think breast pumps can be quite a personal decision) are such practical gifts.
A friend of mine who had a baby recently- said the last thing she would want to be doing in the first few weeks postnatally would be taking emergency trips to the supermarket for breast pads and nappies.
5. Vouchers
Whether the voucher is for Zara kids, John Lewis or ‘COOK’- who actually have worked with The Positive Birth Company to create a food package for new parents, a voucher gives parents the freedom to buy items they need.
A few friends of mine said food vouchers were the most practical gift they received and really took the pressure off cooking in the early days.
HAPPY SHOPPING XOXO
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