NWR -Baby shower gift

OurWildKingdom

One of my favorite coworkers is due at the beginning of May, and we're planning a baby shower for her. I want to put together a basket of things that she'll use frequently. Besides diapers and baby wipes, what are some good ideas for the basket? Also, brand/product recommendations are welcome.

MesmrEwe

Dishwasher rack container for bottle/sippy cup tops (Walmart)...  Bibs...  Nuk/Pacifier HOLDERS (they work great for baby toys!)...  Sophie...  Kid Spoons... Kid Forks... Coated spoons...  Kid plates/bowls...  Small diaper bag for quick trips/as child ages doesn't need as much "stuff" ...  Waterproof pads (these are great for diaper changes and washable)..  Gift Cards to a local food delivery place she likes!  ...  Towels (dish towel size - for easy to wash burp cloths)... Wash cloths!!(there are times we'd go through 10/day between all the wipe-ups - and cheap is fine for this because they ARE going to get stained)...  Socks...  Pouring pitcher for the tub (Walmart has them - they're soft on one side so you can snug it up to their head while pouring)...  Ear Thermometer...  Tub squirty toys...  Potty seat...  Thing is - everyone thinks newborn, when it's nice to have some of the things for when they're 2-3 and in the toddler phase..

Diapers and baby wipes are one of those things that - I ended up with two kids who would break out to specific brands of diapers/wipes so I honestly advocate NOT purchasing these ahead of time! 

tigerlily6

A few ideas off the top of my head: binkies, a baby thermometer, baby washcloth, burp cloths, a bib.

holyguacamole79

Avoid buying too many NB sized clothes (if any).  Not all babies even wear NB sizes,so you don't want a mom to have to return things. 

Also, check these out. ....http://www.wubbanub.com/  My sister has like 5 of them for my nephew. 

marsupalami

The best gifts I got were
thermometer 
Gerber cloth diaper tri folds these are amazing burn cloths
aiden Anais (something like that) blankets
bibs 
baby wash cloths 
baby socks
Gift card

i didn't use disposables so I can't say if they are a good gift but I know some kids work better with others from working in daycare so i don't buy them same with pacis not all are equal and some babies have a preference to nipple shape 

labro

TBH my sister didn't have to buy diapers at all until recently and I don't think she's had to buy wipes yet because she received SO MANY diapers and wipes as gifts. Luckily, my niece hasn't been very fussy about a particular brand or anything so that worked out well for her. MOST stores allow the parents to return opened  unopened packages of diapers and exchange them for another brand though so I wouldn't hesitate about buying diapers as long as you're keeping them in their packaging so they can return them in case the brand doesn't work out for whatever reason.

Every baby is different....some of them don't fit in NB clothing from the start, others like my niece wear their NB clothes for the first two months or more! Has your co-worker registered anywhere? I would try to focus on putting together a basket of small related things from her registry like bottles, bottle cleaners, bottle drying rack, etc.

One of the most useful gifts lately as been her Sophie the Giraffe teething toy!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Vulli-Sophie-the-Giraffe-Natural-Rubber-Teether/39191216

KatWAG

MesmrEwe said:

Dishwasher rack container for bottle/sippy cup tops (Walmart)...  Bibs...  Nuk/Pacifier HOLDERS (they work great for baby toys!)...  Sophie...  Kid Spoons... Kid Forks... Coated spoons...  Kid plates/bowls...  Small diaper bag for quick trips/as child ages doesn't need as much "stuff" ...  Waterproof pads (these are great for diaper changes and washable)..  Gift Cards to a local food delivery place she likes!  ...  Towels (dish towel size - for easy to wash burp cloths)... Wash cloths!!(there are times we'd go through 10/day between all the wipe-ups - and cheap is fine for this because they ARE going to get stained)...  Socks...  Pouring pitcher for the tub (Walmart has them - they're soft on one side so you can snug it up to their head while pouring)...  Ear Thermometer...  Tub squirty toys...  Potty seat...  Thing is - everyone thinks newborn, when it's nice to have some of the things for when they're 2-3 and in the toddler phase..

Diapers and baby wipes are one of those things that - I ended up with two kids who would break out to specific brands of diapers/wipes so I honestly advocate NOT purchasing these ahead of time! 

I am going to disagree with this.

Yes, at some point you will need most of these things. But all that stuff takes up a ton of space. And some you just don't need at all (a pouring pitcher???? what's wrong with a cup?) Towels, bibs and wash clothes are all basically the same thing and will not need that many. And new moms have no idea which brands they will like. Why would you want to storage a potty seat for 3 years, especially when some moms don't use them.

So I would stick to things that a baby would use in the coming months. My recommendations are a nose frida, boogie wipes, onesies, and some kind of cute drying rack for bottles. I personally love the "grass"

banana468

I'm going to say that the stuff they will need when kiddo is 3 as equipment is probably not necessary.   But other things that they'll need soon like a high chair could be great.   Stick to a registry though.   I found that I received a TON of  cheaper receiving blankets and wash cloths and towels.   I still use the towels but I haven't used the receiving blankets in 5 years.   

Aden and Anais blankets are the best thing since sliced bread.   DH loves them and they wash so well.    

If mom registered for a crib sheet set but no extras, buy some extras that match.    Cloth diapers make great burp cloths but as PPs said, some babies have such sensitive skin that it doesn't make sense to stock up.  Sheet protectors can be fantastic too.   They go on top of the crip sheet and tie to the crib rails.   Then a mess can be cleaned up easily if it's just on the protector.   

Clothing in larger sizes (6 mo and 12 mo) are great.   But be smart about it and think practical.   My kids progressed on a normal scale.   My brother was born at 10 lbs and was in 12 mo by the time he was about 4 mo.    Don't get seasonal specific things that the kiddo can't wear when you go at smaller sizes. Ex: MIL gave me a size 6mo Halloween costume.   DS was 8 WEEKS at Halloween.   There was no fucking way he was going to wear it.   It was money wasted. 

If mom hasn't registered for a baby carrier, they're expensive but well worth it.   I'm a fan of the Ergo and other moms love the Tula and Becco Gemini among others.   The key is lumbar support.   A gift card for one could be fabulous.   They're over $100 but well worth it when you want to be hands free and your kiddo needs to be as close to you as possible. 

A white noise machine can be great.   They do make ones that only last 45 minutes or so and that are cute and cuddly.   Throw them to the side and get one that plays a constant stream of white noise for as long as it's on.  

KatWAG

OP, are you trying to put together a gift basket or deciding what to item to buy off a registry?

holyguacamole79

Clothing in larger sizes (6 mo and 12 mo) are great.   But be smart about it and think practical.   My kids progressed on a normal scale.   My brother was born at 10 lbs and was in 12 mo by the time he was about 4 mo.    Don't get seasonal specific things that the kiddo can't wear when you go at smaller sizes. Ex: MIL gave me a size 6mo Halloween costume.   DS was 8 WEEKS at Halloween.   There was no fucking way he was going to wear it.   It was money wasted. 

from my experience, hold off on seasonal things until you know their size at birth.  My nephew was born in late May, so I thought about getting something Halloween-ish in 6 months.   Around Halloween , he was still in 3 months, so I'm glad I didn't get it.  Also keep in mind that the Halloween, Christmas, etc stuff will only be used once or twice for photo ops.

Heffalump

marsupalami said:

The best gifts I got were
thermometer 
Gerber cloth diaper tri folds these are amazing burn cloths
aiden Anais (something like that) blankets
bibs 
baby wash cloths 
baby socks
Gift card

i didn't use disposables so I can't say if they are a good gift but I know some kids work better with others from working in daycare so i don't buy them same with pacis not all are equal and some babies have a preference to nipple shape 

So much this re: the trifolds as burp cloths.  I still use them, and my youngest is 2-1/2.  Works wonders for wiping up spills, cleaning messy faces, you name it.

If she is registered for any bottles, those are good, because you can almost never have too many, especially if the baby will be in daycare.  (I still remember hauling empties home from DC and running them through the dishwasher while I prepped the next day's batch.  We went through a ton of bottles.)  You can also get a bunch of nipples for them in different levels (they have level 1 for newborns, 2 for older babies, etc.).  I feel like we were always losing nipples somehow, or the kid suddenly needed bigger ones.

Diaper cream:  I like Boudreaux's Butt Paste, but there are lots of different kinds.

Boogie Wipes are awesome on stuffy little noses.  They're moistened with saline, so they're really good at degunking. 

If you buy baby lotion/shampoo/etc., I would stick with unscented and dye-free.  Both of my kids had sensitive skin and eczema, and I ended up chucking my otherwise-wonderful Johnson's bedtime bath.  (I still use the lotion on my own hands.) 

Not a fan of baby washcloths, just because they were so tiny.  Cute, but tiny.  I ended up using standard size and they worked well, but maybe it's just because my kids are giant.

And s/o giant, I think it was mentioned above, but be cautious with NB (newborn size) diapers.   Our hospital gave us tons, and because both kids are tall, they wore them for a week or two and then moved up to 3-month.

Oh, and if they are using Dr. Brown's or similar bottles with lots of little parts, those brushes for cleaning teeny-tiny parts.  They're easy to lose track of so it's good to have spares.

JaxInBlue

Ditto socks, especially 3 months plus.  A spare changing table pad. We love the Trend Lab swaddle blankets - they're huge plus so soft.  A wet/dry bag to go with her diaper bag.  Early months toys - for us, that's been some easy to grab balls (they're mesh like), soft cloth blocks, and an all ages Jellycat bunny. 

Our baby Bjorn bouncer is DS's favorite thing.  He loves to sit and play in it.

On the baby pharma side, one thing we didn't pre-stock that we've needed a lot of during cold a flu season: baby saline nose spray (we're using Little Remedies).  The stuff is magic at helping clean out little noses.

Agree with Banana about the registry though.  We spent a lot of time making decisions about what we felt was right for us/DS.  It was great to get anything, but after the fifteenth receiving blanket, it would have been awesome to get some bibs or larger clothes.

FWIW, we got tons of clothing to get us through to about 9 months.   If you can get a few sensible, seasonably appropriate larger sizes, it would probably be appreciated so that the new mom doesn't get to the end of one size and realize she's got nothing for the next transition.

ohmrs2014

Having just recently having a baby, here is what I found to be most helpful and useful.  Onesies (in all sizes and tons of them); bibs and burp clothes, socks, pajamas, safety kit (comes with thermometer, comb, brush, etc), diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, lotion, bath items.

In terms of brands, it can take awhile to figure that out.  Some babies can be sensitive to items.  DH and I both have sensitive skin, so we decided to register for sensitive items.  We love Babyganics, Mustela, and Honest Company for lotions and bath time.  Diapers, in this order:  Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive, Babyganics, and Honest Company.  Wipes, in this order:  Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive, Seventh Generation, and Honest Company.

scrunchythief

Definitely onsies, in a bunch of sizes.  Also, I loved pants with feet on them, since DD loves to kick her socks off.  And someone got us a combo forehead/ear thermometer which was awesome.  

And please, if you're doing anything with names or dates on them, please, please spell them right.  I feel awful about one present we got that my grandma's friend made.  DD's name and birthday were both wrong on it:(

TrixieJess

OurWildKingdom said:

One of my favorite coworkers is due at the beginning of May, and we're planning a baby shower for her. I want to put together a basket of things that she'll use frequently. Besides diapers and baby wipes, what are some good ideas for the basket? Also, brand/product recommendations are welcome.

Wine, or alcohol. I always make sure that with the blankets and onesies that there is at least one bottle of booze for mommy. 

Mind you, our group of friends always have showers after the baby is born. 

hellohkb

The last baby shower I went to, I purchased a baby sling off of the registry and made her a diaper cake with size 1 diapers (not NB). I decorated it with ribbons, wash cloths, some baby soap and oils she registered for, plus a Dreft stain remover pen, Babyganics hand sanitzer, and a few other small things like that. I put a teething toy on the front and then a soft toy on the top that went with the theme of the shower. 

ETA: I can't type 

OurWildKingdom

KatWAG said:

OP, are you trying to put together a gift basket or deciding what to item to buy off a registry?

I'm trying to put together a gift basket: a laundry basket filled with items you can never have enough of as a new mom.

ETA: These are all fantastic ideas! Thanks everyone!

KatWAG

OurWildKingdom said:

KatWAG said:

OP, are you trying to put together a gift basket or deciding what to item to buy off a registry?

I'm trying to put together a gift basket: a laundry basket filled with items you can never have enough of as a new mom.

ETA: These are all fantastic ideas! Thanks everyone!

Then I would definitely stick with items like onesies, baby Tylenol, breast pads, bibs, nose frida, saline spray, bottles, nipples, dry rack, pacifers, etc.

short+sassy

Not a baby shower, but at a company I previously worked at one of my coworkers had a baby.  He returned from maternity leave to find his office COVERED in diapers.  They were lined up all across his window sill.  On all his shelves.  Whole packs of diapers on all the chairs and covering the floor.

But the best.  The coworkers who pulled this together were all men...so may not have known what a diaper cake is.  But they were also all civil engineers.  They built, using individual diapers, some kind of structure on his desk.  Sort of like a house of cards.

ernursej

For my group of friends that are having kids, we all go in together to get several at home prepared meals for the new parents. I'm not sure if this would be out of budget, but for 6-7 of us, we can usually get 4-5 meals. A lady comes over at the dates and times the receiver chooses and cooks a healthy meal (and all the clean up) for the parents. My friends have raved about this and I think that is why we've continued the gift with each new baby. I think most of the parents booked the first one within a week or two of the shower and then used the other meals when they needed a break and something yummy without the hassle of going out.

monkeysip

This may sound unusual, but I can never get enough books.  I've always loved reading to my daughter.

But I agree with others on things like diapers, wipes, onesies, etc.  I know some people cloth diaper or have specific preferences, but we loved when people brought us diapers!  It was so nice not having to buy them for a while!  

I'm also not really a drinker, but I always appreciated food.  Quick snacks (especially if she plans to breastfeed--breastfeeding made me WAY hungrier than pregnancy) or even restaurant gift cards so that they can get quick food to go.

short+sassy

monkeysip said:

This may sound unusual, but I can never get enough books.  I've always loved reading to my daughter.

But I agree with others on things like diapers, wipes, onesies, etc.  I know some people cloth diaper or have specific preferences, but we loved when people brought us diapers!  It was so nice not having to buy them for a while!  

I'm also not really a drinker, but I always appreciated food.  Quick snacks (especially if she plans to breastfeed--breastfeeding made me WAY hungrier than pregnancy) or even restaurant gift cards so that they can get quick food to go.

I was invited to a neighbor's daughter's 1st birthday party.  When asked, she requested I bring my favorite childhood book.  Sure enough, most of the guests brought at least one book (plus other toys/clothes/things).  I know she was excited to have a stocked children's library by the end of the party.

I think there are also books that are soft like stuffed animals and made to be around infants.

I love the idea of books for infants/small children.  Well, everyone really, lol.  But it just seems like a great bonding experience and setting the stage for them to become readers later in life. 

redwoodoriginal

Why don't you just buy stuff off her registry? Like, if I want to get a handful of gifts, I check out what's left according to price and then buy all the things that are less than $10 and fill up a basket with those things. That way unknown these are all things they want and I don't worry about it bc they put it on their registry...

OurWildKingdom

redwoodoriginal said:

Why don't you just buy stuff off her registry? Like, if I want to get a handful of gifts, I check out what's left according to price and then buy all the things that are less than $10 and fill up a basket with those things. That way unknown these are all things they want and I don't worry about it bc they put it on their registry...

Good idea . . . I don't know yet where she's registered, so I'll have to ask.

STARMOON44

OurWildKingdom said:

redwoodoriginal said:

Why don't you just buy stuff off her registry? Like, if I want to get a handful of gifts, I check out what's left according to price and then buy all the things that are less than $10 and fill up a basket with those things. That way unknown these are all things they want and I don't worry about it bc they put it on their registry...

Good idea . . . I don't know yet where she's registered, so I'll have to ask.

You can check Babies r Us, Buy buy baby, and target online. 

ILoveBeachMusic

monkeysip said:

This may sound unusual, but I can never get enough books.  I've always loved reading to my daughter.

But I agree with others on things like diapers, wipes, onesies, etc.  I know some people cloth diaper or have specific preferences, but we loved when people brought us diapers!  It was so nice not having to buy them for a while!  

I'm also not really a drinker, but I always appreciated food.  Quick snacks (especially if she plans to breastfeed--breastfeeding made me WAY hungrier than pregnancy) or even restaurant gift cards so that they can get quick food to go.

I always give a book as part of a baby gift. I have stand by titles that my kids loved when they were little. You can never have enough books in my opinion!

ernursej

I've seen books used like cards ... people will write in them and ditch the paper card. I like this idea, but think I would always write my message on a piece of paper and slide it into the book in case of duplicates.

ElcaB

IDK if I'm too late, but I'd highly recommend adding a small mesh lingerie/delicates bag. These are amazing for baby socks so they don't get lost! 

You could also add some baby laundry detergent. 

OurWildKingdom

ElcaB said:

IDK if I'm too late, but I'd highly recommend adding a small mesh lingerie/delicates bag. These are amazing for baby socks so they don't get lost! 

You could also add some baby laundry detergent. 

Great idea!