12 Great (And Useful) Baby Gift Ideas

I recently attended a baby shower and it got me thinking about how amazing it is to receive gifts as an expecting or new parent.  If you need to give a baby gift, these are some of my favorites:

1. Anything off a baby registry.

There is a reason someone put that list together. Anything from it will be used and the parents will be very grateful for it.

2. Gift cards.

They may seem impersonal, but I think I sent my husband out to Buy Buy Baby every day for the first 2 weeks of our twins’ life (and countless times since). New parents always need more of something, and your gift card will be used and much appreciated.

3. Books.

I love reading to my kids, and I especially love opening up the cover and seeing that the gifter signed and dated it. My favorite books to read to the twins’ right now are anything by Eric Carle or Sandra Boynton.

4. Anything from Janie and Jack.

Receiving clothes is awesome, and the outfits from Janie and Jack are beyond adorable. Since they can be pricier than clothes from places like Baby Gap or Gymboree, I try to avoid shopping there, so they make an extra special gift.

5. A locket.

Two of my good friends gave me a locket when my twins were born and I wear it every day (obviously with my friends’ pictures in it. Kidding!). I know they purchased at a boutique in Brooklyn so it was not super expensive, but I love having something that meaningful to wear all the time.

6. Something handmade.

A friend gave me handmade baby blankets. I love my Pottery Barn Kids one’s too, but the handmade one’s are so special. I brought the twins home from the hospital in them, had their newborn pictures taken with them, and took their picture on them on each month of their first year.

7. Anything monogrammed or personalized.

This one you have to wait until after you know the baby’s name to give, but I am obsessed with anything with my kids’ names on it. Pottery Barn Kids has a great selection, and you can’t go wrong with their Anywhere Chair. Other things I love personalized: Sun hats, lunch bags, step stools, beach or bath towels, baby blankets, books and picture frames.

8. The Honest Company Products or gift card.

Honest is an organic baby company (with Jessica Alba as its spokesperson) that sells diapers, wipes, cleaning supplies and more. The diapers are pricier than normal, but are very cute. They have patterns on them ranging from anchors to strawberries. Check out their gift guide here.

9. Newborn photographer gift certificate.

I did not even think about having these done until after my twins’ arrived. I found out that you are supposed to have them done within the first 2 weeks of baby’s life, so I scrambled to find a photographer and get ourselves together for her visit. You can take the research out of it for the parents and gift the session fee (usually around $150).

10. Essentials.

There is nothing better than someone arriving at your door with diapers, wipes, laundry detergent, coffee or food.

11. Night nurse gift certificate.

There are such amazing things as “night nurse” companies. These are trained professionals that will come to the new parents home and allow them to sleep through the night while their baby is expertly cared for. It is pricey (around $300 per night) so it is a good group gift. I was lucky enough to have a night nurse come to my house once and the gift of a full nights sleep in those early was life changing. 1

12. Pampering for mom.

I’ll never forget when someone came to my house to meet my newborns with a bottle of wine, a gift certificate for a mani/pedi, a hug and these words: “You’re doing a great job.” I was so surprised to receive something for myself instead of the babies that I nearly leapt into their arms and wept with appreciation.