The Essential Guide to Baby Shower Gifts – What She Really Needs

I love baby showers.

Mothers and grandmothers come together over a buffet of food to share their tips of parenthood with the new mum, and she is showered in lots of beautiful and practical gifts for the baby.

A baby shower is more than just a gathering of women sharing cucumber sandwiches and cups of tea while telling birth stories though.

These days a baby shower is an extravagant party, usually a high tea with colour themed bunting, tissue paper pom poms and candy buffet, a cake that looks more like a wedding cake than a baby shower cake, and gone are the days of playing “what flavoured baby food poo is in the nappy”, now they have insta and photo booths with fancy drink stations and olde world lawn games.

Although the traditions of a baby shower may have changed, the gifts haven’t changed at all.

Every new mum would agree they never used the 54 baby oil bottles, 42 talcum powder cannisters and 15 tubes of lanolin nipple cream they received (ok they may have used 1 tube of lanolin…)

So to avoid being the giver of useless gifts that will never be used, here’s my essential guide for baby shower gifts every new mum should receive;

[mc_block_title custom_title=”1. Maternity pads”]

Post baby lady bits aftermath is horrendous no matter how a baby is born. She doesn’t know it yet but the new mum will be thankful for those terrific thunderpads.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”2. Notebook and pen”]

Suffering extreme forgetfulness from sleep deprivation, mummy will find some sanity in keeping track of wet and pooey nappies, times baby was fed and if breastfeeding, which boob baby fed from.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”3. Lip balm”]

Mummy will get extremely dry lips in hospital. If you’ve ever suffered from dry and cracked lips you’ll know that little dream in a tube will be the savior of her hospital bag.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”4. Good quality water bottle”]

Following on from the dry lips and forgetfulness, having a water bottle on hand will be just what mummy needs. Breastfeeding is thirsty work and it’s recommended that mothers should be sufficiently hydrated to establish a good milk supply. Also, apart from marveling at her little miracle, having a “job” to do when sitting for 30 minutes every two hours while the baby feeds is a healthy way for mum to pass the time.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”5. Spit cloths, LOTS of spit cloths”]

Babies spew, A LOT. Having a good stash of spit cloths in every corner of the house is essential for quick clean ups. Buy her a 10 pack of face washers, she might not be excited when you give it to her but she’ll love it when the baby pukes on her for the 234th time in a day.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”6. 100% Cotton or cotton bamboo blend cot sheets”]

Babies can’t regulate their body temperature as well as adults and need more sheets than we do to sleep comfortably. Following sids guidelines when making up the cot, 4-8 sheets is ideal for creating a perfect sleeping environment but make sure the sheets are cotton or bamboo/cotton blend as these fabric types breath well so bubs won’t overheat or sweat.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”7. Love to dream swaddle – summer & winter weight”]

These sleeping bags are awesome as they’re designed to allow bubs legs to naturally flop in the froggy position for healthy hip development, and have arms up for comfort and self soothing without startling themselves awake or scratching their face with their little sharp baby nails.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”8. Tula or Ergo baby carrier with infant insert or Hug A Bub stretchy wrap”]

Think baby wearing is for tree hugging hippies? dangerous? baby will get hot? baby won’t be comfortable? Nope, nope, nope’y, nope.

A good friend let me borrow her stretchy wrap to “give it a go” and it seriously changed my life. Whoever gives a new mum a quality baby carrier will be put to the top of her Christmas card list.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”9. Zippy onesies”]

When defending against the attack of a poonami parents are forever grateful to the person who gifted zip onesies in all their zippy glory. No parent wants to fiddle with 153,000 buttons at 3am, especially when covered in shit belonging to an adorable but stinky mini poo machine.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”10. Fragrance and alcohol free baby wipes”]

Not only are they great for cleaning up baby poop they also make great table cleaners, windows washers and waterless baths when visitors drop by and mum hasn’t showered in three days.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”11. Curash zinc cream”]

I specifically suggest Curash as it has the highest zinc content for help protect baby’s bum against nappy rash, it was the best cream i ever used.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”12. Do not knock sign for the front door”]

This is more for the safety of the people knocking on the the door than the new parents because in the early days when baby sleeps, mum sleeps, and so help whoever wakes a sleep deprived mother and her newborn baby.

[mc_block_title custom_title=”13. Bottle of good wine or bubbles”]

Mummy hasn’t had a drink for 9 whole months. She’s suffered morning sickness, probably put on weight, has achey boobs, a sore back, cankles and pushed a watermelon out of a hole the size of a strawberry, someone get that mum some wine, stat!

[mc_block_title custom_title=”14. Vouchers for a cleaner”]

Mummy just doesn’t have time for that! Pitch in around the house or get her a cleaner for the first few weeks, she’ll totes love you long time.

Mums, have I missed anything?