Looking for tried-and-true baby gift ideas? This Ultimate Baby Gift Guide is just for you, whether you are a new mom or someone who wants to give a new mom a gift they'll really use!
What do Babies Really Need?
I remember registering at a popular baby store for my first baby and feeling so overwhelmed at the hundreds of items that were on the gift registry lists.
Do babies really need all that stuff? Having gone through the baby stage four times now, I can say that you can get away with a lot less stuff than everyone says.
With that said, every baby is different and what may work for your baby may not work for someone else. So there is a bit of trial and error when it comes to the baby products you'll love.
Those babies who have started crawling would appreciate a baby walker, for instance. In addition, when you plan to gift a walker, you may want to read about the baby walker review summary before choosing one.
Those who are too young to walk, however, might enjoy riding the stroller. Keep in mind that strollers can come in different shapes, sizes, and prices. Hence, if you are planning to buy one, you would need to do thorough research on the Web. However, if you are on the lookout for Renting Strollers, then you can simply check out the website of BabyQuip.
Anyway, remember that there could be numerous things that could be great baby gifts. For instance, a newborn arrival set, safe bath products, and a hooded towel could make excellent newborn baby gifts. Yhou xxsents of the newborn since it can help to reduce some of their necessary expenses. So, it might be helpful to take the baby's age into consideration when choosing a gift.
To help make things easier for you, I've put together this Essential Baby Gift Guide, to help you in your gift giving or if you are preparing for your own baby!
Baby Essentials For Sleeping
1. Swaddle Blankets
Muslin swaddle blankets are the best! They are light, somewhat stretchy, and easy to swaddle those sweet babes in! There are lots of brands of swaddle blankets out there. Just make sure you get super soft swaddle blankets so that they won't irritate the baby's skin.
Perfect for: newborns and to use as a blanket for summertime, to cover the carseat, to nurse with, or as superhero cape when the child is over. True story. 🙂 These muslin swaddles we have are still used by my older toddlers as capes!
2. Velcro Swaddle Blankets
You're probably wondering why I listed 2 types of swaddle blankets. Let me tell you! The first one above is perfect for when babies are newborn and don't move around much.
But...I came to love the swaddle blankets with velcro for a few reasons: 1. My babies stayed swaddled better in them and 2. In the middle of the night after a diaper change, these make it so much quicker to get that baby swaddled back up so the mom can get some rest, too!
Swaddle Me was my all-time favorite brand of them and they make really cute patterns!
Mom tip: Get a multi-pack! When your baby spits up or poops out, you'll definitely want to have a few extras around!
3. Rocking Bassinet Sleeper
A rocking bassinet is one item I had for my 4th baby that I WISH I had for my others. The rocking bassinet sleeps a baby up to about 6 months old. Since most babies have some sort of reflux, the slightly-inclined slope of the bassinet helped my babies sleep much calmer. Plus, it's super portable, making it easy to fold up for travel, or to move around this house quickly when you want your baby nearby. You can get one that plugs in and uses battery, so you can use it at home or on the go!
Baby Must-Haves for Hygiene
1. Diapers, diapers, diapers!
Babies, especially newborns, can go through up to 10 diapers a day! It's so nice to have a huge stash of diapers on hand to avoid last-minute trips to the store!
Our favorite brands are Huggies Little Snugglers for babies. You can get them delivered straight from Amazon and even save money when you use the subscription service that can be cancelled or modified at any time.
2. Wipes
A huge stash of wipes is always nice to have. My husband and I wonder what we ever did without wipes in our life! Whether you are changing bums, wiping up spit-ups or bottle spills on the go, having wipes in every car, room, purse and diaper is always a good idea!
We love buying Kirkland brand wipes in bulk at Costco.
3. Diaper Rash Cream
Hopefully you won't have to use diaper rash cream very often, but when you do need, it's nice to have on hand! We've tried a few different brands, but our favorite is this one: >> Bourdeaux's Butt Paste or Aquafor Diaper Rash Cream
4. Burb Cloths
Babies spit up a lot! It's nice to have a big stash of burp cloths handy, especially for the first few months. My favorite burp cloths are actually cloth diapers because they absorb so much! If you don't like the plain white look, you can add a patterned piece of fabric down the middle to make them look cuter.
5. Scented Diaper Sacks
Although newborn poop doesn't smell too bad, it's always nice to have a stash of mini scented diaper sacks in the car or diaper bag or purse. You never know when you're going to need to change a diaper and having mini sacks to put them in comes in handy. The diapers will get stinkier as they get older and it's nice to have these sacks to throw the dirty diaper in to avoid smelling up the entire garbage can.
6. Baby Thermometer
Someone gifted us the Exergen Baby Thermometer with my first baby and now 7 years later, it still works wonderfully! I never would have thought to give someone a thermometer, but it has been used time and time again. Talk about a gift that keeps giving! Not that we want our babies to get sick, but when they do, it's nice to know how bad their fever is.
7. Baby Lotion
They say lavender can calm and soothe babies, so we love using Johnson's Bedtime Lavender lotion. In fact, I still use it on my toddlers!
8. all free clear liquid
Did you know babies' skin can be extra sensitive at first? My baby's skin was sensitive to clothing for the first little while. And I've got seasonal allergies. That's why I've used all free clear liquid detergent to wash those tiny and adorable newborn clothes and blankets in before they are born. all is the #1 detergent recommended by Dermatologists, Allergists, and Pediatricians for Sensitive Skin, which means you and I can feel good about using it for our babies! Follow the directions on the package and you can be assured that those baby clothes will be all clean and ready! And all that baby drool and spit up? Yeah, I'm warning you. You're going to have lots of laundry! I also love that this detergent comes in all free clear mighty pacs , making it convenient to add to the washer when you're in a hurry or you have a baby in your arms. 🙂
Baby Essentials- Feeding
1. Gripe Water
All of my babies have had some acid reflux when they are about 2 weeks old. There are prescriptions that can help with this, but we've also used Gripe Water. It's so nice to have some on hand just in case the baby has an upset tummy and can't get comfortable.
2. Bottle Brush
Whether you are breastfeeding or using formula, it's nice to have a bottle brush to keep all those bottles nice and clean! Our favorite is the Munchkin Sponge Bottle Brush with removable mini brush for the bottle nipples.
3. Pacifiers
When we received a Snuggle Pacifier for my first baby, I thought it was the wierdest thing! In fact, I didn't use it for a few months until one day after pure desperation (all the other pacifiers were lost), I pulled it out. And then I was hooked!! Snuggle pacifiers are the best!
What's so great about them? (For the record, I'm not getting paid to say this-I just really love them). They feature the awesome Soothie pacifier that newborns get in the hospital which they seem to love, but they come attached to a cute, soft stuffed animal.
That means: the pacifiers will be almost impossible to lose or bounce when you drop them. Also, the stuffed animal will help keep the pacifier in the baby's mouth. They come in all sorts of cute animals: monkey, lamb, elephant, puppy, pink bear, and more.
4. All-in-one Car seat Canopy /Nursing Cover/ High Chair Cover
A nursing/car seat cover is a must in my opinion. Whether you plan to breast feed or not, having a car seat cover that doubles as a nursing cover has so many practical purposes. It's nice to have a way to keep the baby sleeping and protected from the cold and germs when they are so tiny. You can use it to nurse with. Or use it as a blanket if you forget yours. Or use for a high chair cover. A carseat canopy is such a practical gift!
Gift for New Moms
1. Baby Journal
Babies change and grow so fast. No matter how much you think you'll remember about the newborn stage, I promise you, you'll forget! Before heading to the hospital with each baby, I like to purchase a new journal that I can keep nearby to jot down the birth story or sweet milestones as they grow.
2. Chocolate
New moms need chocolate. Hormones will be all over the place and a little chocolate can definitely help with that!
There you have it! I hope you find this list helpful as you prepare for your own baby or are shopping for a friend.
Free Printable Baby Gift Tags
No matter what you decide to gift, package it up in a cute basket (that can double as a diaper organizer) and attach these "Welcome to the World" tags.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FreeToBe #CollectiveBias Get more inspiration here.
Let us know what you think!