Baby shower is one word which brings a huge smile on my face, and so does baby shower gifts. I mean what's not to love about it- your friends and family get together to plan a surprise party for you, good food, fun games, blessings and tips. Best part is you need not do anything much other than turning up for the party with your pregnant belly and that awesome ''I am pregnant'' glow. AND presents...Omg!! How can I not mention the presents...gifts for you and your baby- Cute baby clothes, diaper cakes, some more of cute baby clothes, some more diaper cakes? Wait a minute. Isn't that getting repetitive and boring?
We all fall prey to this ''Idea's vacuum''. What to give as a happening baby shower gift which not only will look well-thought out but will also be REALLY useful to the new mommy. Agreed that babies always need tons of them but still...we can do better than that...right? Here's a list of some cool gifting ideas which are not only more exotic than plain old ones, but are also far more thoughtful. Read on.
A baby Hamper with a difference
Make a hamper but fill it with some unusual stuff. Not the onesies and diapers but stuff like cute crib shoes and socks in various colors. You can also add stuff like matching bibs and hat sets. Wash cloths, burp clothes and a cute blanket will also help in adding variety. If you know whether it's going to be a boy or a girl, buy accordingly else keep the stuff neutral. Like instead of buying the stuff in pink or blue, go for sunshine yellow or pastel green.
''Pamper the mommy'' hamper
Let's face it. Once the baby is born, it is taken good care of. It's fed on time, changed frequently and put to sleep in the comfiest bedding possible. What about the mommy? Poor sleep deprived creature goes days without a proper change of clothes- just one housecoat to the other, eats frozen microwave dinners and sleeps like a dolphin (i.e. with one eye open and half the brain fully awake). This to be mommy definitely deserves some quality TLC. Fill up a hamper with bath salts, yummy smelling body lotions, foot scrubs and scented candles. A massage or a pedicure gift certificate from her favorite spa can prove to be the cherry on the cake.
A Nursing kit
A would be mother gets so engrossed with preparing for the baby that she sure forgets what all she will require once the baby is born. A nursing kit will be a life saver trust me. The mommy will surely thank you later for this seemingly non glamorous but very practical gift. Fill the hamper with breast pads, good quality pure lanolin cream for those super painful cracked and sore nipples, some tissues and a baby nail clipper. Nail clipper? Well, for clipping those innocuous looking nails, feed time is the best time. Throw in some granola bars and dark chocolates or dry fruits for those marathon feeding sessions when the mom becomes hungry but is unable to move as the baby is about to doze off. Yup. Speaking from my own experience.
Something Handmade or with a high emotional value
No matter what, handmade spells ''with all my heart''. We buy baby stuff and later get rid of it. But handmade stuff are always the longest to stay. Even when the baby has outgrown them for good. My most prized possession remains the silver bowl and spoon that belonged to me when I was a baby. They were later gifted to my son by my mom. A hand crocheted shawl or small booties or a hand baked cake for the shower will also be great.
A diaper bag
With my first baby, I was completely clueless as to what to buy for the baby. My mom did the shopping for me. She gifted me a cute looking diaper bag with all the fixtures. The biggest hassle was to carry it along. Consider this- when you are out and about, you have to hold the baby, the diaper bag AND your own handbag. Second time round I was pretty sure that I wanted a diaper bag that looked more like a handbag so that it can fulfill the dual role. I bought a suppa glam diaper bag that can easily hold my wallet and makeup. Tada. Well the point is, a stylish looking diaper bag that can double up as a handbag can be a good baby shower gift.
A booboo kit
Parents hate to think of a scenario where their baby might fall sick. However gifting a basic medical kit for any such future emergencies can be another good gifting option. Fill it up with baby pain reliever, nose decongestant, nose suction device, diaper rash cream and other such basic medical supplies.
A gift card from a lifestyle store
It might sound boring but the gift card comes handy when they have to make multiple visits to the stores to buy stuff like diaper and baby wipes.
Yearly subscription of a good parenting magazine
A parenting magazine can keep a new mommy informed about all the things she might deal as a new mother. From postpartum depression to breastfeeding queries to losing the baby weight.
Big brother/ big sister Hamper
While the new baby and the mom bask in all the attention being showered on them, do not ignore the older sibling of the baby. A small baby is the last person to be giving a damn to gifts. Whereas older siblings are in an age where they would love to receive a present. A gift in the name of being the ''big sister/brother'' also pumps them in the right way and they do not feel insecure with the new-born in the picture. Simple goodies like craft kits, colours, a puzzle or a good book is all that is required to make the older sibling happy.
Board/Cloth books for the baby
You might hear some sniggers when this present is opened however there is no minimum age to start reading to a baby or to introduce them to the wonderful world of books. Make sure the books are meant for infants and are made with super soft material like cloth or felt.
And with that we come to the end of our list. Tell us what else do you think might prove to be a very good baby shower gift? What all did you receive as a baby shower gift? Were there any totally useless gifts that you received? Tell us in the comments section so that the other readers know what NOT to gift as well.
