7 Essential Baby Shower Gift Ideas
Best Baby Shower Gift Ideas
I’ll admit all of these suggestions are not exactly “outside the box” Baby Shower Gift Ideas. These are pretty classic, standard, accepted gift ideas for new parents. Maybe with a couple of exceptions.
But the reasons I’ve selected these specific brands and products is that I wanted recommendations to be accessible, affordable, and quite “safe” presents. When you are choosing a baby shower gift, and you don’t know what to buy them (which is why you’d be reading a list of Baby Shower Gift Ideas on the internet) you want to be sure that what you’re buying is going to be useful and valuable to that new parent’s journey into parenthood.
So I’ve tried to choose gift ideas that are either newborn essentials or at the very least “newborn nice-to-haves.”
Moby Classic Wrap RRP $99.95
The reason I love the Moby Classic Wrap as a gift for a new parent is it’s perfect for the parents who absolutely know that they’re planning to use a stretchy wrap and also for parents who maybe aren’t sure if they’re going to “Babywear” at all. Because it’s simple, convenient, compact and at a very affordable price point.
The convenience of a stretchy wrap is they’re compact enough to squish into a nappy bag or throw under the pram just in case, or perfect for using at home when baby is fussy and won’t let you put them down. Especially because you can comfortable sit down while wearing a baby in a Moby Classic Wrap, meaning new parents can have something to eat, watch TV, relax a bit, while holding baby hands free.
The Moby Classic Wrap also comes in a range of colours, from the usual black, grey and blue, as well as some more interesting colours like the Leopard Print (That I absolutely adore and I am super jealous that this wasn’t around when I had my babies!) as well as some nice soft neutral colours like Almond and Pear.
Alternatively the Moby Evolution Wrap is made of a lighter viscose fabric than the 100% cotton Moby Classic, and it is super soft while also still being supportive. Both fabric types are great options, it just comes down to which fabric you prefer the feeling of.
Click here for the full review (including a video review showing how to use the Moby Classic Wrap)
Moby Move – RRP $199
Where the Moby Classic wrap is a great gift idea because it’s very affordable, I think the Moby Move is more universally appealing. Structured buckle carriers are definitely more popular than stretchy wraps.
The Moby Move is very easy to use, easy to put on, very adjustable, so it’ll be comfortable on a variety of body shapes and heights. It also adapts and grows with your baby so it will accommodate newborns through toddlers at every age and stage of their development.
The Moby Move is suitable for newborns without the need for an infant insert and it has a weight capacity of 20.4kgs. It is also an all position carrier, meaning it does inward facing for a newborn, then forward facing, hip and a back carry for your older baby and toddler.
And when I say toddler I really do mean the Moby Move has a very large expandable panel so it really will accommodate a long and leggy toddler, even all the way up to a petite preschooler.
So the Moby Move is the gift that keeps on giving.
While most parents probably only use a baby carrier for approximately the first 12 months, having the option of a structured carrier for later on is great for parents who love to travel, or are very active, because the Moby Move will go places your pram cannot.
Click here for the full review (Including a full review of how to use the Moby Move.)
Love to Dream – Swaddle Up RRP $39.95 – 59.95
What better to give a new parent than the gift of sleep? Of course every baby is different, some babies love being swaddled with their arms down, but if you’ve ever had a baby who wants to sleep with their arms up (like I did) there’s no amount of tightly wrapping that will keep them from getting their hands up and out, and even if you do successfully pin their arms down, they probably won’t be happy about it. (I know my baby girl hated being swaddled with her arms in.)
Which is why I think the Love the Dream Swaddle Up is a great gift idea for new parents, because I wish I had had this product for my baby.
Another great feature of the Love to Dream Swaddle Up is the two way zipper, meaning you can do sneaky middle-of-the-night nappy changes without having to fully undress them. Because their arms are completely covered by the Love to Dream Swaddle Up you can choose a TOG rating that is going to suit the overnight temperature of the baby’s room, then dress them lightly so all you have to do is unzip the bottom and you have direct access to baby’s nappy.
No need to try to do up a dozen press studs in the dark! Who wouldn’t love easier night nappy changes?!
Click here for the full review.
Little Turtle Baby
When I worked for a baby retailer and people would come in looking for a baby shower gift, but had no idea what they wanted, I would always direct them to Little Turtle Baby. Because you can find something really lovely and genuinely useful in the Little Turtle Baby range.
The two products I would direct people to the most were the absolutely gorgeous double layered Hooded Towel and the Organic Cotton Blanket.
Little Turtle Baby Hooded Towel RRP $34.95
The Little Turtle Baby Hooded Towel is double layered, so it has super soft absorbent toweling material on the inside and then a luxurious jersey knit on the outside. So it’s perfect for being able to wrap up a precious newborn, covering their head, before and after a bath, so new parents can feel confident their little one won’t get cold during that transition in and out of the bath.
The other reason I love it as a gift because it feels like a luxury product, it’s not necessarily something a parent would buy for themselves, it’s a safe choice because even if someone else buys them a hooded towel you can’t have too many towels with a new baby and the price is great. $35 for a baby shower gift is very affordable.
Little Turtle Baby Organic Cotton Blanket RRP $64.95
Sometimes when I suggested the Hooded Towel as a baby shower gift people would say they were looking to spend a little bit more – and that is where the Little Turtle Baby Organic Cotton Blanket comes in.
I love to knit and crochet, so I often give friends and family handmade blankets for their new baby, either in pure wool or cotton depending on the season. So I can tell you that this is a great price for a pure organic cotton blanket, because it’s about what I would pay for the materials to make a blanket of the same size comparable quality of yarn.
Obviously not everyone has the ability or time to hand knit a baby blanket, so the Little Turtle Baby Organic Cotton Blanket is a perfect alternative to that classic baby shower gift.
It looks and feels just as lovely as a handmade baby blanket.
Click here for the full Little Turtle Baby range guide and review.
Haakaa Breast Pump and Milk Storage Bags – Valued $62
The Haakaa Breast Pump is such a clever and innovative breast pump. It’s a hand free “manual” pump that is simply made from one piece of silicone, so there is no assembly required and very very easy to clean.
Not every parent breastfeeds and not every parent who breastfeeds needs a breast pump, but given the simplicity, ease of use, price and compactness of this handy little breast pump, it would be a great parenting tool to have if and when it’s needed.
The Haakaa Breast Pump is perfect for catching the let down from the other breast when Baby latches. The Haakaa Breast Pump can collect the milk rather than just letting it soak into a bra or breast pad. Also because the Haakaa Breast Pump has no mechanical or moving parts it’s completely silent, easy to wash and there’s no small parts that can get lost or broken.
So the Haakaa Breast Pump is a lovely present because it’s a great thing to have if and when it’s needed!
Click here for the full review of the Haakaa Breast Pump.
Mater Mothers Products RRP $9.99 – $17.99
The reason I love Mater Mothers products and why I think they are a great gift is they are Australian Made and Australian Owned, the products are used in their hospitals so you know they’re going to be safe and gentle for Baby, and also the proceeds go to Mater Little Miracles.
They have a great range of newborn essential products. These are the products most parents will use for their baby. Baby wash, baby moisturiser, nappy cream and also a Pregnancy Balm for parents, because it’s important to take care of ourselves as well. So it’s a thoughtful and useful gift to put together with all, or some, of these essential baby products.
I also love that their nappies start not just at “Newborn” sized, but literally “First Few Weeks Newborn” sized. I know for myself even my average sized newborns seemed too small for their newborn nappies for the first week or so until they started to put on some weight. This is something most new parents probably aren’t aware of and so it’s a lovely gift to get them through that first week or so.
You can order their products online, but they are also available in limited supermarkets and pharmacies. ;
Itti Bitti Nappies – RRP $24.95
Most parents I know who used cloth nappies, myself included, didn’t plan to use cloth nappies from the start. I also think a lot of parents don’t understand how convenient having cloth nappies can be.
Which is why I think giving just a couple of great quality, absolutely adorable, one-size-fits-most style cloth nappies is a great gift for a new parent who might be curious or open to the idea of using cloth, but isn’t sure if it’s for them.
The reasons I’d recommend Itti Bitti as a Baby Shower gift over all the dozens of great brands of cloth nappies out there is they’re easy to use, absolutely adorable, they’re great value and also of all the cloth nappies we tried Itti Bitti were the ones that fit most like a disposable nappy under clothes.
So if you’re giving them to a new parent who isn’t sure if they’re going to use cloth nappies, I think that Itti Bitti is a perfect place to start. They have super cute patterns, they’re easy to clean and dry, and will work with their baby’s wardrobe, which is extremely important.
Click here for the full itti bitti review.
Giveaway Ended 24/11/2020
Firstly, I just need to start this off by saying this is without the absolute most exciting thing I’ve done on Parenting Central and I’m blown away by the generosity of the brands involved in this giveaway!
I am so excited to be giving away this amazing hamper to one lucky winner!
Each and every product in this Baby Shower Hamper Giveaway, is there because I contacted the brand and asked for it. So all of these products are ones that I am enthusiastically endorsing. ( And I am absolutely thrilled that they all said yes!)
The overall idea behind this Baby Shower Hamper Giveaway is to celebrate Parenting Central’s 8th Birthday, so these products I’ve chosen aren’t just amazing products to have and own, I think they are all beautiful gifts to give a new parent. (Which is why I’m so excited that I get to give them to someone!)
They are all products that I think can make new parents lives easier, or are nice products to have with a new baby.
That’s not to say that each and every product in this hamper will suit all parents, but I would confidently say there is definitely something in here for everyone and that most of these products will suit most parents.
