Been invited to celebrate the imminent arrival of a bundle of joy, but are short on baby shower gift ideas? Never fear, because Spoil Me is here! We are experts when it comes to finding the perfect gifts. So, we thought it was time for us to share some of the etiquette involved around choosing a baby shower gift, as well as tips on picking one that both Mum and bubs will love.
Your Baby Shower Gift Etiquette Guide
The days of hand-knitted baby layettes, those cute little crocheted booties and homemade patchwork quilts are gone. While this is great news for modern parents, it’s not so good for baby shower guests.
We are spoilt for choice nowadays, with stores overflowing with thousands of potential baby shower gift ideas. But before you start shopping, take a read of the etiquette around choosing a baby shower present:
- Gift budget –there is no set amount when it comes to how much you should spend on a gift. Rather it is that you choose a gift which suits your budget and reflects upon how close you are to the new parents.
- Gift functionality – gifts which can be used are highly appreciated by new parents. Items such as baby blankets, clothing, lactation biscuits and chocolate (for Mum, of course) are always welcome.
- Gifts for the new parents – they may have gotten a new member of the family, but it is still nice to give the new parents a gift. A gorgeous culinary-themed gift basket works quite nicely here, as life is rather hectic in the days leading up to and after the baby's arrival.
- Second or third baby shower gifts – every new baby should be celebrated, making a baby shower gift a must even for second and third babies! When choosing one though, it pays to move away from items they’ll already have from previous arrivals.
- Check for a baby shower registry – some parents set up a gift registry. It is perfectly fine to follow the recommendations on a registry, but also fine to choose your own gift by using their recommendations as ideas.
- Group gifts – pitching in together for a baby gift basket for the new bubs works well for work colleagues, sports teams and extended families.
- Gift delivery – you can give a baby shower gift at the actual shower but can also have it delivered to the home or hospital instead.
Next, we’ll give you some of our ideas about choosing the perfect baby shower present.
Tips on Choosing a Baby Shower Gift Both Mum & Bubs Will Love
There are a few things to consider when beginning your search for the perfect present for an imminent arrival:
- Is it a boy, a girl or a surprise? – you can choose the types and colours of gifts depending on the baby’s sex. Pink for girls, blue for boys and yellow or white for unisex baby gifts is still common today.
- Time of the year – a winter baby will require different clothing than one born in summer. But you can also give larger sizes of clothing for the seasons to come, which is so helpful for parents.
- Gift-giving etiquette – you’ll already be an expert on this, having read our tips from above!
- Personalised gifts – we’re not just talking gifts with names here, but rather gifts which are specifically chosen for a person based upon their likes, hobbies and needs.
Hopefully, all of this information has kick-started your compilation of baby shower gift ideas. To keep things moving, we’ve put together a list of gift suggestions you may want to consider too.
10 Baby Shower Gift Ideas for New Mums & Bubs
The arrival of a new baby is exciting and hosting a baby shower only builds up the level of anticipation. Traditionally gifts were given to help provide the new parents with the equipment they’ll need, such as clothing, baby bottles and nappies. Nowadays though, guests give gifts which are both functional and thoughtful, for both the newborn and the new parents! We’ve put together a collection of our favourite 10 ideas for you:
- Baby gift basket – our carefully curated baby gift baskets make the perfect present for a new arrival. Many contain everything a new baby will need in the first few weeks and months, including tiny moccasins, a snuggly blanket, face washers and a bedtime story.
- New parent gift basket – don’t forget the new parents too! Help them to celebrate with a special gift hamper for Mum and a gift box for Dad!
- Cuddly toys – both Freddie Fox and Ellie the Stripy Giraffe are the perfect size for little hands and would make a lovely newborn gift.
- Teethers – those pesky teeth are sure to arrive at some stage, so help both bubs and Mum out by giving baby their very own wooden teether.
- Baby rattles – as baby grows, they’ll soon discover what their arms and hands can do. A rattle is ideal for shaking by the new arrival.
- Blankets and swaddles – babies love to snuggle and being well wrapped in a soft blanket is pure heaven. Our gorgeously soft muslin wrap which will come in very handy.
- Baby clothing – hats, booties, moccasins, all-in-ones; all types of baby clothing are highly appreciated by the new parents! If possible, purchase clothing which is a size or two larger than required, as babies grow super fast!
- White noise machines – in the womb, babies were constantly surrounded by noise. In their nursery though, it can get too quiet and they can find it difficult to settle and sleep. A white noise machine can provide enough background noise that bubs can begin to learn how to self soothe.
- Journal – babies grow so fast and it’s hard to look back and remember how small they used to be. A gift of a journal or memory book lets the new parents record all of those important details such as first smile and first word, as well as space for photos.
- Books – reading aloud to a baby is just a lovely experience for both the reader and bubs! As well as helping with language development, it also helps develop a passion for learning.
Need some help? Contact the Spoil Me team
We’d love you to take a look through our range of baby gift boxes; we’re certain you’ll love them just as much as we do! Our Creative Director Jess is happy to create unique baby gifts too, just send her a message.
