Top 10 baby shower gifts

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1. Gifts from the heart

Specially made by hand blankets, hats, booties and cardigans for baby topped the list of favourite baby shower presents. Mums really appreciate the love and care that goes into them.

Presents with memories attached to them are also popular, such as clothes mums wore themselves as babies, or toys they once played with. So is anything their own mums had held on to from their childhood.

The fact that someone takes the time to collect mementos with a bit of history makes them even more special. For most mums, these are gifts from the heart.

Heirlooms, such as crocheted baby clothes made by grans and great-grandmothers, are also highly prized, especially if they’ve been passed down from other relatives.

For some mums, these long-lost baby treasures are a way of connecting with relatives they’ve never actually known.

2. Gift vouchers

Gift vouchers are much appreciated practical presents, especially by parents who already have children. A lump sum to spend on nappies, wipes and other essentials is high on the list of top presents.

Another favourite present is a gift voucher from the local photographer’s studio. Photos taken during baby’s first month aren’t just a lasting memento of your baby. They’re also a reminder of the person who gave the gift.

3. Treats for mum

A babymoon or a paid-for evening out after baby is born are particularly appreciated by new parents who don’t get much time for themselves.

Throw in a restaurant meal and paid-for babysitter, and some mums even claim this present saved their relationship!

For others, a little bit of pampering, such as a prepaid massage or pedicure, goes a long way.

Pregnancy pillows can make the last few weeks of pregnancy far more comfortable and double up as feeding pillows once the baby has arrived. So it’s not surprising they’re on lots of mums-to-be’s wish-lists.

Some mums were so thrilled with their baby shower pillows that they went out and bought them for pregnant friends!

Practical presents such as a professional house clean before the baby arrives are also popular. For mums-to-be who already have children and all the baby equipment they need, it can be a life-saver.

Mums who find the last stages of pregnancy exhausting also appreciate the extra help. Many say a house-cleaning gift gave them a real boost.

4. Bedding and baby blankets

Baby blankets and other bedding also score highly with mums. For some, a hand-knitted baby blanket from a close relative is special, particularly if it carries on a family tradition of baby blanket-making.

One mum’s most precious shower gift was a fleece blanket with silk ribbons and tags around the edges. As a child she’d loved her satin-trimmed blanket, and her five-year-old daughter has adored silky things since she was a baby.

If blankets and bedding are on the mum-to-be’s nursery wish-list, it’s a great opportunity for friends and family to give a personalised present.

They can choose a blanket and get it monogrammed or, if they know it, have the baby’s name embroidered on it.

5. Nappy shower

A month’s worth of a cloth nappy laundry service rates highly as a baby shower present. Plastic tubs full of clothes and nappies are also useful and come in handy later to store baby kit or memorabilia.

Nappy-themed showers are popular too. A nappy cake - a supply of nappies built into a cake shape, often three-tiered, and decorated with ribbons and soft toys - is practical and pretty, and a great centrepiece.

6. Books for mum and baby

Mums-to-be and shower guests love the idea of a book-themed baby shower. Books offer endless possibilities: for learning, sparking the imagination and introducing a cast of unforgettable characters to your child.

One idea is to register at your local bookshop and let guests choose baby-related books. Instead of outfits your baby will outgrow, you’ll have a library of books, from Winnie the Pooh to parenting books.

You could ask guests to bring their favourite books for babies or children. One mum was given more than 100 books before her baby was born. Her little girl now loves reading. Duplicate copies are handy for the changing bag and the car.

Books to lift a mum-to-be’s spirits make good presents too. There’s nothing like smiling your way through pregnancy niggles such as backache and swollen feet.

7. Back-up nappy changing bag

A well-stocked emergency changing bag to keep in the car or pushchair is a hit with many mums. A back-up bag means never forgetting something vital and really helps to keep stress levels down.

Contents usually include nappies, nappy cream, muslins and a cloth bib. If you’re lucky, you may also find spare baby clothes, a teething ring and a thermometer in there too.

Some mums find smaller is better and prefer a pared-down changing bag with just five nappy-changing essentials they’d never be without. One mum was so happy with her mini changing bag that she buys one for any friend having a shower.

8. Home-cooked meals for a month

An original and thoughtful gift is a home-cooked meal for the new mum and dad soon after their baby is born.

At the baby shower, guests write their names in a calendar after the baby’s due. It’s a good idea to play safe and start a few weeks after the due date.

During their week, each person brings a meal or two they’ve prepared for the parents to eat or freeze. It spares the parents the chore of cooking for a few weeks, while still being able to eat freshly made, nutritious meals.

It’s also a good way for close friends and family to visit quietly after your baby is born.

9. Things you couldn’t do without

Gifts that first-time mums couldn’t do without are also high up on the list of top baby shower presents.

These include emergency baby toiletries and medical supplies. The most useful contents are infant pain relief, a thermometer, baby nail clippers, nail files, bath emollient, and nappy rash cream.

10. Baby clothes in larger sizes

Baby clothes in bigger sizes, for example, up to 12 months, are also a hit with mums.

One mother-in-law used baby clothes in ascending sizes as decorations at the shower she arranged for her daughter-in-law. That was the baby’s wardrobe sorted out for the first year!

Your baby shower shopping list

• gift vouchersOpens a new window
• pregnancy pillowsOpens a new window
• baby blanketsOpens a new window
• books for babiesOpens a new window
• muslinsOpens a new window
• baby clothesOpens a new window

See something you like? Don't forget to add it to your Amazon baby wishlistOpens a new window.

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