Before I had my son, I was super clueless on what to buy friends for baby showers. I would wander the baby aisle in the store for longer than I care to admit and eventually end up randomly choosing a few items and calling it good.
Sometimes the mom-to-be will have a registry, but if this is her first kid she might not have a clue of what to register for, and has left it up to you. Or maybe you got to the registry late, and only the really expensive items are left. You have to figure out what to get all on your own!
Then you have to decide on your budget. The current state of your bank account, your closeness to the mother-to-be, and any number of other factors affect how much you are willing to spend.
Guess what? Since you are reading this post, all you have to decide is how much you are willing to spend! Lucky you! I’ve broken down price points into 5 different categories, with multiple choices under each price point. All the items under each section are a similar price point, in increments of $10.
If you order on Amazon, you don’t even have to leave the house. And if you use the affiliate links below, I get a small commission at no cost to you. Everyone wins! Thanks for supporting my blog and allowing me to continue to provide free content. Each picture below will take you to a link to purchase the item.
Tiny Budget
If you are on a tight budget, one way to stretch your dollar is to buy a handful of inexpensive and practical gifts. Remmber, just because you are on a budget doesn’t mean your gift won’t be helpful.
Those small things add up in cost quickly for new parents, and the mom-to-be will be grateful for whatever you can give her!
Here are some of my picks for a small budget friendly baby shower gift. Diaper cream, binky, binky straps, socks and mittens, and baby wash.
Low Budget
Here are some baby shower gift ideas if you have a little more to spend. If you have a little more to spend, here are some ideas! Changing pad, portable changing pad, multi purpose nursing cover, bandana drool bibs, and a hooded towel.
Medium Budget
Baby bathtub, milestone chalkboard, jumbo teddy bear, car mirror (You can look back and see your little one, and it entertains them as well to look at their own cute face in the car), keepsake hand print kit, sound machine.
High(ish) budget
The person who buys her friend a diaper genie will be her hero. What a wonderful little gadget! The bath kneeler, a diaper bag back pack (especially handy for moms with more than one kiddo) bottle warmer, and a play mat for the early days of their kiddos life.
High Budget
If you are close to the mom-to-be, and can afford to spend this much on a baby shower gift, here are some ideas of things that the mom to be will love and get lots of use out of! I love the baby k’tan wrap because it’s super easy to use (even for someone like myself who is folding and tying impaired). A measuring stick growth chart, a video baby monitor (below is the one that we have and we love it). Also a gift set of various baby essentials!
BONUS: A great add-on or stand alone gift:
Diapers/Wipes
Even if the mother is cloth diapering, there may come a time when they are all dirty and she needs a back up. Some mothers choose to cloth diaper during the day, and use disposables at night. It’s helpful to buy diapers and wipes so she has extras (because holy cow do those diapers go fast!) and it’s also not a bad idea to buy some size ones and twos so that when her kid is busting out of their newborn diapers, she has the next size up!
I hope this list of baby shower gift ideas was helpful. What are your favorite gifts to buy new moms?
Be sure to stop by my advice column here and leave me a question!