Wondering what you should gift for a practical baby shower gift? It’s amazing how quickly things change and new products are developed. Even in the seven years since I had my first child, I can’t believe how many new baby items are on the market that didn’t exist back then!
As a new parent, it can be really overwhelming when it comes to putting together your baby registry. You don’t know what you really need vs. what you don’t, and often, the price tag can cause some major sticker shock.
So, if you happen to be in the middle of figuring out what to put on your baby registry or if you’re a guest who’s headed to a baby shower in the near future and are looking for a practical baby shower gift, here’s the list of my top practical baby gifts:
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Practical baby shower gift idea: Books
There is no such thing as having too many books, in my mind! Start baby’s love of reading early with some great traditional and new classic books to add to their collection. These are just a couple of ideas, but be sure to check out my comprehensive list of best books for baby shower gifts post to see my favourite ideas, from my favourite new children’s books to my favourite books with strong lead characters.
Practical baby shower gift idea: Diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream
It doesn’t get much more practical than gifting diapers and baby wipes. Often, parents will stock up on smaller diaper sizes, so I like to recommend gifting larger diaper sizes for later on. As well, lots of little ones often have allergic reactions to certain brands and wipes, so I always encourage people keep this in mind and consider buying sensitive/hypoallergenic diaper, wipes and rash cream products.
Here are my favourite suggestions for both regular and sensitive products:
Cute and practical bath gifts for new babies
Is there anything better than that new baby smell? We love the idea of gifting some great bath-related items for a baby shower gift. You could even buy a baby bath or baby tub and fill it with practical items like washcloths, baby bath wash, a hooded towel and some toys to make a cute baby shower gift basket. Here are some of our favourite baby bathing items:
Practical baby shower gift: eating and drinking accessories
I know many people adore giving adorable gifts for new babies when they are just born. But don’t forget about all the things mom and dad will need to purchase for when baby starts their first solids and drinking out of sippy cups! Some of my favourite items to gift for a baby shower are food and drink accessories like plates, utensils, placements, bibs and cups. Trust me – it’s often something new parents overlook when picking items for their baby registry (I may or may not be speaking from experience here). They’ll be thankful you helped them stock up on these items!
Practical baby shower gift: sleep sacks
Before I had my first son, I didn’t even know the miracle that is a sleep sack existed. But they do! And they make a fantastic gift. I found I never had enough (shout out to all the laundry I had to do thanks to middle-of-the night spit up and blowouts!), so the parents-to-be will be grateful to have some extras on hand.
Practical baby shower gift – carriers, swings and newborn sleep spaces
Let’s be real – babies fall asleep in the darndest places, and sometimes, you need somewhere to put them and some way to free up your hands from holding the little one! Thankfully, there are lots of great items you can get for the parents-to-be to have around the house to do just this. Here are our favourite must-haves (and yes, I think you pretty much need all of them!)
Practical baby shower items: sound machines
Again, add this to the “didn’t know I needed it until I neede it” category. Baby sound machines are a MUST for any nursery! There’s lots of different versions you can get, ranging from musical mobiles to crib sound machines to ones you control with your phone. Here are some of our favourites:
Practical baby shower gifts: DIY baby food supplies
I know it might sound extra, but making your own baby food is really simple, easy and honestly, less effort than running to the store to buy the store-bought jars (also, my kids refused to eat store-bought food for some reason, so there’s that).
I actually ended up doing this right off the bat because someone bought me a Baby Bullet for a baby shower gift (again, tick this off in the ‘didn’t know I needed one’ category), and I ended up LOVING it!
Practical baby shower gift: Nursing and feeding supplies
New moms will be extremely grateful to have breast pump and breast milk storage bags on hand right off the bat. And whether the new mom chooses to breastfeed or not (I’m all pro-female choice on this one, as I could not breastfeed either of my kiddos for a variety of reasons), these feeding/nursing accessories are great, regardless of which way you feed baby.
One final practical baby shower gift idea
While it obviously makes sense to want to shower the baby with new gifts, don’t forget about the new mom/mom-to-be, too! We’ve also put together our list of favourite gifts for new moms that make a great (and different!) baby shower present as well.
We hope you enjoyed our favourite practical baby shower gift ideas! Please share this on Pinterest if you found it helpful.
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