Need a Great Baby Shower Gift?
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Want to bring a unique and practical baby shower gift, that baby won’t outgrow by next month? Is the registry list sparse or already picked-through? Did a first time mom only ask for cute outfits, and you want to bring her something more practical? Here are some of the most useful gifts that most moms don’t already have on their baby registry.
When it comes to baby messes, not just any burp cloth will do. These Gerber Baby Burp Cloths are wide enough to actually protect mom and dad’s clothes from that inevitable spit-up. (Many others are too narrow to adequately protect against that famous projectile spit-up). They’re thick so it won’t soak through, but also very soft for baby’s skin. As a new mom, I discovered that I needed burp clothes stationed everywhere… you can never have too many! (Pro-Tip: burp clothes make a cute and less-wasteful alternative to stuffing and padding baby gifts in tissue paper!)
2: Bluesnail Bamboo Quilted Changing Pad Liners
Used on top of the traditional changing pad fitted cover, these pads cut back on laundry and are easy to swap out with one hand if things get messy. I love this brand because they have a build in strap to roll them up for storage. This also makes it easy to throw a fresh one in the diaper bag for on-the-go. They are large enough that they stay under baby easily, even when baby becomes a toddler!
3: Munchkin Arm and Hammer Diaper Bag Dispenser and Refills
As a new mom, I knew to get a diaper pail to handle diaper disposal at home. I didn’t realize how important it would be to have a polite way to dispose of stinky diapers while away from home! The Munchkin Diaper Bag Dispenser clips easily onto any diaper bag, and the bags are thick enough and scented to contain even the most embarrassing blowout diaper. The diaper can then be thrown into a regular trashcan at your friend’s house, or a public trash receptacle, without feeling like you need to also offer to take out their whole kitchen trashcan. Mom-to-be won’t even realize what a helpful baby shower gift this is, until that first awkward public diaper situation.
4: Teething Egg Molar Magician Bundle
So many baby teethers are great… until baby starts getting molars. These Teething Egg Molar Magicians are perfect for when baby starts getting those first molars and needs something safe to reach those pesky back teeth. Longer teethers tend to allow baby to gag themselves, but this is just long enough to reach the teeth safely. The best part? They also come with a clip-on tether so baby can always find it! I kept one clipped to the high-chair straps for easy access.
Bella Tunno bibs are made from easy-to-clean silicone. They are designed superiorly, so the pocket stays open and catches the food before it lands in baby’s lap. The flexible sizing grows with baby from those first bites of solids, to being an independent (but messy) preschooler. Bella Tunno has adorable and funny designs in a variety of colors. And best of all, they donate one meal to a child for every product sold through their partnerships with Feeding America and Global FoodBanking Network. Most baby shower gifts focus on what a newborn needs, but the best gifts are something the baby will need as it grows!
6: Safety 1st Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier
This is an essential to have on hand whenever the baby gets a cold. It’s also great for winter when the air is just too dry from having the heat on. The cool mist is a safe alternative to traditional warm humidifiers, that can make the room warmer than ideal sleeping temperature, and can promote mold.
I did not anticipate how much time my hands would spend hand-washing all those little bottle and breastpump parts, and my hands became severely chapped within days. I had no idea how much I would need them when I got them as part of a baby shower gift (after all, my hands had always been fine after washing the usual dinner dishes). It was so helpful to have a pair on hand when I needed them, and they really did save my skin!
8: Babyganics Foaming Dish and Bottle Soap
Another thing I didn’t anticipate was the still-keen sense of smell I had post-partum. I didn’t even realize how strong of a scent the usual Dawn or Palmolive dish soap left behind until I needed to wash my baby’s bottles. I realized that if I could smell the scent of the dish soap after washing them, maybe I needed something more natural and fragrance free. Cue another trip to Target (don’t get me wrong… I love target… just maybe not 1 week after a c-section). The foaming soap made the washing and rinsing process quick, and the pump-style dispenser was much easier than having to carefully drip dish soap out of a traditional bottle (and try not to get a huge glob of soap that would take forever to rinse).
9: Munchkin Tidy Dry Baby Bottle Drying Rack
With clever spots for every piece of a bottle, this drying rack takes up a fraction of the counter space of more traditional drying racks. Most “adult-sized” drying racks don’t have the right spots to hold all the little bottle pieces to allow them to air-dry completely.
And a special treat for mom…
10: Contigo Autoseal Coffee Mug
New moms need coffee (or tea!), but they also want it to stay hot. Inevitably, they will get distracted yet again by a baby that needs to be changed or fed. When I was a new mom, juggling a baby and a hot cup of coffee made me super nervous. I needed a spill-proof option. The Contigo Autoseal travel mugs close as soon as you take your finger off the button, so even if it slips from your hands it will not spill! This brings convenience and safety, while keeping mom’s hot beverage of choice at the right temperature.
Bonus points if you throw in a few sleeves of Starbucks Via Instant Lattes for mommy-to-be. She can have an indulgent Starbucks treat just by mixing with hot water. These are one of my favorite discoveries! But if she isn’t a coffee-drinker, a nice box of her favorite tea or hot cocoa is a great alternative.
I still use many of these items daily, well past the infant days. Follow this list, and your baby shower gift will be something mom and baby truly appreciate.
