Top 35 most thoughtful baby shower gifts for a brand new mom

I remember as a brand new mom reading through probably a hundred lists trying to figure out what I really needed for my Little and what was just a waste of time and money. And of course there's no easy answer. Every mom has different wants and every baby has different needs. For example, for my shower a family member forked out good cash for the top-of-the-line ErgoBaby carrier and my Little refuses to be carried (or swaddled for that matter). Then for my friend's shower I spent an immense amount of time and money creating the perfect gift basket of things I thought a nursing mother needs, from a cover down to nipple balm, only to have her Little refuse to latch and she gave up breastfeeding after a month. Live and learn...

In my experience every mom is showered with books, baby blankets and tons of outfits. That's great! But then she's left trying to buy everything she will actually NEED before the baby arrives. So if you want to break the mold, here is a list of things I think every brand new mom must have:

GIFTS FOR FRIENDS TO BUY:

Gifts just for the pregnant mommy-to-be.
All the focus is on the baby, as it should be! But don't forget about the new mom. Get her a nice pair of slippers and a new robe to wear at the hospital, a gift certificate for a prenatal massage for her aching back, a pedicure to relieve her swollen ankles, a maid service to deep clean the house right before the baby is due, something that celebrates her and all the hard work she is doing!

Cook a dozen freezer meals with her.
I was overdue by two weeks so my mom had a lot of waiting around to do while we watched the clock tick by. We went on Pinterest and found a dozen freezer meals that seemed tasty and we cooked them all together, it was a blast! It was also great to have such easy options while I was exhausted on maternity leave - I could either start a meal in the crockpot in the morning or defrost something in the afternoon and more than half the work was already done for dinner that night.

Set up a meal train for her first few weeks at home.
My friends did this for me and it was amazing! A girlfriend set up a meal train so that our friends were scheduled to drop off hot meals 2-3 times a week after I gave birth. I got to see them for a short visit and my husband and I had healthy food to enjoy without the worry of shopping, cooking and cleaning afterward!
 
File folder.
This is great for the organized mom! Get her a cute file box and pretty folders and label it with everything she'll need to keep track of her Little: birth certificate & social security card, immunization records, hospital records, medical bills, growth charts, receipts & warranties, instruction manuals, milestones, keepsakes, photos, feeding, parenting, pamphlets, etc.

Baby book.
If she doesn't have one already, get her a beautiful baby book to document her Little's first year. Make it a bigger gift by adding some beautiful pens, clear corners for photos, double sided tape, everything she'll need to personalize it like a scrapbook.

Keepsakes.
We received this tiny sterling silver carriage to display that has a holder for Little's first tooth and a holder for her first lock of hair, it is gorgeous and so thoughtful. My sister-in-law got us a gorgeous snowglobe with her name and birth date/time engraved on the front and brought it to us at the hospital when she came to meet our Little (she had it made in just a few hours at Things Remembered at the mall!) If you know the theme of the nursery and/or their holiday decorations then get an engraved Baby's First Christmas or Hanukkah ornament.

Little socks.
Newborns lose most of their heat through their heads and their little toes. I got tons of baby beanies and a few pair of newborn socks, but that newborn period is such a short window. Our Little needed a dozen pair of size "0-6 month" socks which I ended up buying myself and they're way overpriced so it adds up fast when you're doing it all on your own. We went through a new pair of socks every day and lost at least one little sock in every wash. So we needed lots and lots of little socks. If you shop around, you can find good deals on multi-packs like this.

Forehead scanning thermometer.
This is now my go-to gift for every mom. Infants are too wiggly and a sick baby will be too angry to sit still for a traditional thermometer reading under their armpit (note that parents are advised not to take temperatures rectally anymore due to the risk of causing internal damage). My mother-in-law bought us this forehead scanning thermometer and it has been a lifesaver! It is fast and we can scan her temperature several times quickly to make sure we're getting the right reading. Our Little spikes a low grade fever every time she's teething and she spikes a high fever hours before she comes down with the symptoms of being sick. It's such peace of mind to take her temperature and know what we're dealing with at the first sign of her starting to feel warm to the touch.

First Aid Kit.
Littles always seem the sickest in the middle of the night. Of course this is the time when new parents feel the most alone and feel helpless... you can't just call your mom and text all your mommy friends for advice. All you have is a thermometer with a high temperature and a number for an on-call pediatrician who most of the time will tell you to administer Tylenol and wait to see if that helps. So make sure the new parents have those medications at home and ready to go! We were given this Infant First Aid Kit which helped so much the first few months! Now one of my favorites shower gifts is to put together a little gift basket of my own that includes that forehead scanning thermometer along with a bottle of infant Tylenol and a bottle of infant Ibuprofen (because they can be administered interchangeably through the night under a Pediatrician's guidance), nasal saline mist, a nasal aspirator, baby hydrocortisone cream, some gripe water and a bottle of Pedialyte.

Bottle warmer.
Each baby decides what kind of bottles they like and the new mom may have to try several different brands before she finds the perfect one. My cousin's baby refuses to take a bottle at all! So buying a big pack of bottles isn't feasible. Every mom needs a bottle warmer though, make sure she gets one! It's so much faster and results in zero cleanup as opposed to warming a bottle in a pot on the stove (and you're never supposed to microwave milk so that's not an option).

Bottle rack.
Most moms I know love their bottle drying rack. I only had one mom get in my face that she thought it was a waste of space and money because she washes and hand dries and puts away her bottles every single time. God bless you sister, but I ain't got time for that. I love washing my bottles, zapping them in the microwave sanitizer, then setting those hot little suckers on my bottle rack to dry and have at the ready to grab the second I need them. Likewise I have a travel drying rack and bottle brush that I always recommend for travel obviously, but also for washing bottles and pump parts at work.

Microwave sanitizer.
Like I said above, I love zapping all the bottles at the end of every day in this microwave sanitizer. Maybe I'm a germophobe, but the smell of old milk seems to cling to bottles, even after a thorough hand-washing, so I assume the bacteria is lingering there too and I want them as sanitary as possible. Yes, there's the option to steam bottles in the top rack of the dishwasher, but we only run our dishwasher every 2-3 days (CA is in a drought, I Tetris that thing until you can't fit another teaspoon in before I run it). My microwave sanitizer is one of the only items I have used every single day since Little was born. I throw tons of other stuff in there too, like bath toys and pacifiers. When we're traveling (or after pumping at work) I use these microwave steam bags.

Travel Changing Pad.
I feel like I say it every post, but a travel changing pad is honestly my #1 must-have item for every mom. I have never come across a public changing table that wasn't filthy. And it seems more often than not there is NO changing table and I'm diapering our Little on the ground or in our trunk. Our diaper bag came with a changing mat which we use a lot. But when we're traveling I love to just grab this kit and walk with the baby into the restroom where I lay her on the clean pad and the mesh cubbies fall over the side. I have easy access to a couple diapers, travel-size bag of wipes, diaper cream, hand sanitizer and a spare onesie. Now that she's a walking toddler I don't even bother lugging my diaper bag all over the place, we just run our errands with this travel kit thrown at the bottom of the cart or stroller in case she needs a change.

Diaper Pail.
Even though a new mom says she's just going to throw the diapers out ever time, she is going to be so exhausted that sometimes she just doesn't have the energy. Sometimes her hands are covered in Baby Blowout and she doesn't want to touch a ton of door handles to get outside. Sometimes it's too hot or too cold or the baby is just too inconsolable to deal with the trip outside. My husband insisted we didn't need one and now he's seen how helpful it is.

Bath stuff.
She's going to need a big sponge for the sink or a sling for the tub to wash the baby those first few months. Make sure she has that and maybe make it a gift basket but filling the infant tub with a hooded baby towel (or two), some washcloths, that squishy pad to use as she kneels down at the side of the tub for years to come, a bathtub spout cover, a couple cute toys and some hypoallergenic baby shampoo (I recommend Aveeno, it's the only product that hasn't caused a rash on our Little's sensitive skin).

Travel kit.
Most parents will take their little on at least one trip in the first months of their life, often to visit family members. Make the stress of taking Little away from home a little easier with a gift basket of travel items. You can get a cute little travel bag and include travel sizes of shampoo and bubble bath, baby lotion and sunscreen, diaper cream and hand sanitizer, maybe some saline mist and baby Tylenol to be thorough. Make it more fun by throwing in a new book and toy too. If you want to get really fancy you can use a travel high chair as the "basket" to hold all these items! We keep our travel highchair at Grandma's so it gets used everyday while she babysits our Little and then we take it on the road with us for vacation, it's great to have!


Sound machine.
We got an older version of this aquarium as a hand-me-down and it's been great! The songs are classical music so it doesn't get old or annoying and after about 10-15 minutes it slowly fades to mute and by 20-30 minutes it turns off. Sometimes we just use it as an extra night light, sometimes we just play the music, sometimes we choose the bubbling water sounds as white noise, whatever our Little seems to need at the time. Now that she's a bit older, she can hit the button and turn it on herself when she wants light, music and/or entertainment in her crib. You don't have to get this one though, there are lots of sound machines out there, including ones that are little stuffed animals that can be taken everywhere the baby goes (great for frequent travelers!) Tip: If the new mom is a minimalist then consider getting her an iTunes gift card to buy some classical music for her iPod or invest in one of the many baby apps that has white noise and music options she can just play on her phone.

Humidifier.
I have never used a humidifier in my life, and we live in California where it's insanely dry most of the year. I wouldn't even know what to do with a humidifier if I had one. Well then our baby got her first cold. She was so sick and it was so dry (and we had wildfires in our mountains so the air was full of smoke), and one night our Little got a nose bleed. It was terrifying! (By the way, don't Google "baby nose bleed" because you'll see a ton of horrifying things about SIDS. Always call the Pediatrician before you try to self diagnose, it just skyrockets your anxiety). In this case, we called the on call Pediatrician who told us to use some saline nasal mist and run a humidifier in her room and boom, Little was just fine. If the new mom hasn't already registered for one, get her a humidifier that doesn't have a filter, they're far less likely to mildew.

Gender-neutral toys.
I hate pink. There, I said it. I love that our Little is a girly girl and she has lots of pink things, it's adorable. But all of her biggest and most expensive toys, like the kick-n-play piano and her learning walker, are bright pink. Our house is an explosion of pink. What if our next baby is a boy? I would definitely teach our potential son that boys can play with girl toys and vice versa, but all our big stuff is just so very pink. I would rather have everything be gender neutral, as there's no reason to differentiate between boy and girl toys, just make it all the same. And gender neutral toys are easier to sell or hand down to someone else in a couple years too.

Nursery Decor.
Most moms-to-be love nesting, but their bank account often doesn't like the price tag that comes along with decorating a nursery from top to bottom. So buy the items from her registry that will complete the look! Note to self: please don't buy things you think will go in that room unless you've checked with the mom first. People surprised us with wall art that I felt obligated to hang when all I really wanted to feature was my aunt's beautiful watercolor paintings she made specifically for our nursery's theme. But I'll also say that my best friend sent me a text photo of a little chair she saw and it was perfect for our Little's theme and I asked her to snatch it up right away! So just check first. It's her room for her brand new baby, let her have it exactly how she wants by buying decor she has pre-approved. This includes sheets, changing pad covers, anything that will be out on display.

Diapers and wipes.
When in doubt, just show up with diapers and wipes. She's going to need these more than anything else! Some moms use cloth diapers, so in that case check her registry to see what she needs for that. In my experience, most moms use disposable diapers and getting a bag or big box is a very welcome gift! When in doubt, buy Pampers in size 1 or bigger. My Little has sensitive skin that reacts to any other brand (however sensitive baby wipes in any brand have worked just fine.) Make sure to include a gift receipt, as most stores will allow the mom to exchange the box for a different size if needed. For example, I ended up with too many newborn size, so I traded them out for size 2 and thanks to my shower I was stocked up on diapers for the first three months!


GIFTS FOR FAMILY TO BUY (or rich friends lol):

Baby breathing monitor.

This is my #1 gift recommendation for every new parent! There is something terrifying about bringing home a newborn and realizing you are suddenly on your own to keep this adorably squishy and totally dependent brand new human alive. It doesn't help that in this age of information everyone knows someone who has lost a baby to SIDS or other heartbreaking factors. We constantly checked to be sure our Little was breathing and I barely got any sleep because newborns make really weird noises and I was terrified she was choking or something. We received a Snuza Hero as a gift and it was the only way we got even a few minutes of sleep those first several weeks. It just clips to the baby's diaper and rings an alarm if the baby's belly stops moving (indicating breathing has stopped). Better yet, splurge for the more expensive but superior Owlet, which the baby wears like a sock and it monitors the heartbeat and oxygen levels too! Check with your insurance company, as our FSA paid for this for Baby #2!

Newborn photo shoot session.
This was one of my favorite gifts! With all the other expenses, we couldn't afford to pay a photographer to take newborn photos of our Little. I was fine skipping the maternity shoot, but I was really bummed we wouldn't have professional photos of her as a brand new little human. My aunt researched the photographers in our area and even interviewed them on the phone! She found one who seemed to fit us best and paid for the photo session, which included digital copies of our eight favorite shots. We then had them printed afterward (as opposed to paying the photographer for an official print) and they're framed on our mantle. I grin every time I look at those photos!

Start a savings account.
This is easier after the Little is born and you have access to the social security number. Grandparents and great-grandparents love to contribute to college funds, so make that easier by taking the mom to the bank and starting one by giving the first donation yourself.

Car seat and stroller.
The parents can't bring the baby home from the hospital until they have a car seat, so it is the absolute #1 must-have item. I'm sure the new mom has done her research and decided on the one she wants (infant bucket seat vs convertible, specific style and color, etc). So check her registry and make sure she has it. We opted for the matching car seat and stroller system, but some moms want different brands for each, like my sister who chose a Graco car seat and a BOB stroller. If the opposite brands thing is what she wants, make sure she has the separate attachment that allows that specific infant bucket car seat to clip into that separate stroller stroller.

Crib, changing table & dresser.
The baby will outgrow a bassinet in just a couple weeks and need a full size crib. Likewise changing tables are rickety and quickly get outgrown, so she's likely read the research and opted for a dresser with a changing table topper. The good sets are so well made that if you invest in a "forever bed" and matching dresser, the baby will likely take that furniture off to college one day. See what she has chosen on her registry and make sure she gets it. Better yet, be there when it's delivered and help her assemble it all!

Pack-n-Play.

We used this Pack-n-Play with the bassinet and changing table attachments in our bedroom the first eight weeks of our Little's life (Tip: this one with the vibrating function is worth every penny, it was the only thing that soothed our Little when she had colic!) It was just so much easier to have her right there next to our bed for the feeding/changing routine that cycled every three hours. Though she transitioned to her nursery full time once I went back to work, we still use the Pack-n-Play constantly! We take it as a crib when we road trip and use it as a play pen when she needs to be contained (like when I mop the floors or that week we were outside painting the house).

Swing or Rock-n-Play.
With a first born baby, every mom constantly checks to be sure the baby is breathing. So for me that meant I wanted her napping in the living room during the day while I was cooking, cleaning, taking a nap on the couch, whatever. A brand new mom likely doesn't want to be trekking back and forth to the nursery constantly, so make sure she has a place to safely lay the baby in the main living space. Most of my girlfriends swear by their Rock-n-Play, but that only holds the baby until they are 20 pounds. We absolutely love this cradle swing and our one-year-old still uses it for her afternoon nap every day. We had a bouncer for a while but both Little and I hated that thing. Just proves my point, each mom and each Little has very different wants and needs. Try and judge what you think will be best for her if she hasn't already decided on her registry.

Highchair.
The Little won't need this one for several months, but then suddenly they'll use it 3-6 times a day every single day for several years. Get the new mom a nice highchair. Ours folds up nicely which is so great to set out of the way most of the day and then pop up for the feeding frenzy when needed.

Video baby monitor.
We registered for one but never got it. We used a hand-me-down audio-only monitor for a couple months until it died and them my mom bought us the video monitor and that thing made such a difference! With the audio monitor I would run into the nursery each time Little cried, and then second she heard the door open she was wide awake. Now with the video monitor and I can spy on her and see if she is crying from a bad dream, or if it's because she lost her pacifier, or if she is just stirring and will fall back to sleep soon. We all get so much more sleep now that we know exactly what's going on in there.

Rocking chair & nightstand.
I have spent countless hours in our glider. For months I nursed Little several times in the middle of the night and every evening we rock for story time before bed. We have rocked her through tireless fevers and toothaches and belly aches and episodes of who-knows-why-she's-crying. I have slept in that chair, cried in that chair, read hundreds of hours of stories in that chair. Some of my favorite memories of her as a newborn were in that chair when she would gaze up at me lovingly. So make sure the new mom has a fabulous rocking chair! Likewise, if there's a cute nightstand that matches the furniture set she wants, grab it for her. Our nightstand holds a lamp and music box along with several books on top of it at all times. Its cabinet has extra burp clothes and a spare pacifier plus a bottle of water and a protein bar in there for me, so handy!

Baby carrier.
There is plenty of research to show that babies who are carried are healthier and happier. But let's be honest, sometimes it's just really awesome for a brand new mom to have both hands free to get stuff done, or even just take a bit of a break! My Little hated to be swaddled and refuses to be in a carrier longer than about 10 minutes, but we did some babywearing with a Moby wrap when she was a colicky infant and it really did help. A family member bought us a fabulous ErgoBaby carrier that we try to use from time to time for things like hikes and traveling. So even if it ends up that the kid doesn't love it, it's such a great thing to have!

Family heirlooms. 
Is there a cradle that several generations have used? An old christening gown some family members have worn? Think of special family heirlooms that have meaning and wrap them up with a card telling the story for her to enjoy and keep the tradition alive.


DON'T BUY:

Newborn clothes.
I had a 9-pounder, so she was in newborn clothes for approximately two weeks and I was so exhausted we only left the house for doctors appointments where the Pediatrician stripped her down to her diaper anyway, so she didn't need all those fancy very tiny outfits.
   Instead: Buy size "0-3 months" and up.
      Most new moms get a ton of clothes in very little sizes and then they're left buying bigger clothes on their own just a couple months later. My mom always gives one outfit in each size according to the season the Little will be at that age and it's a huge hit! For example, since my Little was born in June, she bought a summer outfit in the 0-3 month size, Fall outfit in 3-6, Winter outfit (including a  coat) in size 6-9 and Spring outfit in 9-12. It's so thoughtful! Add a pair of socks for each outfit and if you're buying for a little girl, don't forget to add cute bows/headbands too. Also, if the mom has registered for clothes, please buy them. She only gets to dress her baby in the style she likes for a very short time before the Little will get big opinions on fashion and then mom's fun is over. 

Wipe warmer.
It's a warm and wet box that grows mold and mildew. That's an awful thing to expose to your baby's bare skin and send into the air they breathe! "Cool" AKA room temperature wipes must feel great on a hot bum that's been trapped in a diaper. I've never heard of a Little complaining about the temperature of their wipes. Just skip it.
   Instead: just buy her a giant box of sensitive baby wipes.
      She'll use them all before the first month is through!

Breast Pump.
Chances are she will likely be able to get one for free through her insurance company or she has the option to rent one from the hospital.
   Instead: buy her some breast pump accessories.
      Once you know she's been successful in nursing her Little (it took my Little and me 10 weeks but I pumped the whole time) then find out what brand her pump is and if she needs any accessories. I'm sure she could use some extra bottles & caps and freezer bags are nice to have on hand. May I suggest a pumping bag for when she goes back to work (any old bag will do but a bag specifically for pumping is very helpful), along with that travel wash rack and bottle brush and the microwave steam sterilizing bags I mentioned above! I used my battery pack a few times while traveling so my husband didn't have to stop the car and find an outlet on a road trip and I liked having a little cooler with the blue ice block that's shaped for a 6-pack. Those are good gifts too!

"Daddy survival kit". 
While a "Daddy survival kit" with a face mask, air freshener, ear plugs and a onesie like this can be kinda funny in the right crowd, you're actually implying that the dad is useless when it comes to caring for his child. He's a parent too! All the burden shouldn't fall on the mom, they're equals in this journey and he's more than capable of changing a diaper and putting on a onesie. Don't insult him.
   Instead: make a "new Dad kit".
      Try and spoil him a bit like we pamper the new mom and get him things like coffee, snacks for the hospital and change for the vending machine, a picture frame for his desk at work, a book to read to the baby, a celebratory cigar, a t-shirt for him with a matching onesie for the baby, etc.

Parenting books.
We have at least 10 parenting books scattered around our house. I read one of them when I was pregnant and the rest we set aside never to be touched again because we quickly learned that we are going to constantly adapt to our Little's needs, so one style of parenting advice isn't going to work for us. In this digital age I prefer to do research online, read blogs, pick the brains of my mommy friends, and of course just listen to the guidance from our pediatrician for our Little's specific health needs. So we don't have one style of parenting we learned in a book because it's a mix of expertise, experience and personal decision making every single day. So just my personal advice, don't pile a bunch of books in their laps.
   Instead: give a gift card for a bookstore or their preferred e-reader app.
      Let the parents pick what they want to buy or download. Maybe they really want to read a book about birth, or understand the "love and logic" or "babywise" methods, or maybe they just want to download some story books for the kid to read someday. Let them choose what they think will work, because it may be something completely different from what you did.

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