Good gifts for baby?

[fidgiegirl]

Two different couples I know are expecting. One dad is a coworker, but I also went to college with the mom. The other mom is my good friend from college. Yippee!

Not being a mom myself, sometimes I wonder what are the most useful gifts. I hate to just get gift cards, but if that's what people find useful, so be it! I don't even mind spending the money as long as I can feel confident the gift will be used.

What are your good frugal gift ideas for baby?

[redfox]

Contributing to a diaper service, and getting a massage for Mom.

[Tradd]

Gift certificate for a good pizza place that delivers or other good restaurant that delivers (try to find out what they like).

[Mrs-M]

Speaking from experience you cannot go wrong with simple baby basics.

Soothers.
Baby bottle replacement nipples.
Bibs.
Baby care/bath set.
Sleepers.
Pyjamas.
Baby blankets.
A playful/cuddly stuffed animal.
A package of cloth diapers. (Great for burping, wiping, and diapering).

[Mrs-M]

To add, just thought of two more gift ideas.

Tea Tree Oil. (Great for diaper pail odour, freshening laundry, and freshening the air).
A cute cartoon character nightlight.

[Anne Lee]

I usually buy
- set of sleepers
- a package of cloth diapers
- something for the mother.

[Rosemary]

Sleepers and/or or diapers. We had too much of almost everything else, and unless you know the parents well, usually you don't know if they will or won't be using pacifiers, bottles, lotions, etc.

Other ideas: a home-cooked dinner that they can put in the freezer, or say "I'd like to bring you dinner after you come home with the baby... what night can I do that?" Gift certificates for delivery places is a great idea, too, Tradd.

One idea that they might not get from anyone else, and might not have heard of: a sleep sack. We loved these. They kept DD warm when she was tiny and kicked off the covers. We could wrap a blanket around her inside this, and she would stay cozy.
https://www.halosleep.com/
If you like to craft, these are relatively easy to make.

If you know other people who will be giving them gifts, you could all go together on a gift card for a car seat or some other large item.

[muse]

I have given piggybanks in the past...with a little starter fund inside. (Never too early to start saving....)

[mtnlaurel]

If they are into music, these are awesome. Rockabye Baby! cd

http://www.rockabyebabymusic.com/ecom2/index.php/music?limit=all

I have the Pink Floyd one - I think I found it at a yard sale - and used it a TON while up at night with both kids. And still use it with soon to be 3 yo daughter.

I've started giving these as Baby Gifts along with a little something else.

My favorite small nighttime book that I have used the most for both kids:
Ten Little Rabbits by Virginia Grossman & Sylvia Long
http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Little-Rabbits-Virginia-Grossman/dp/0811821323

There's something about the cadence of the writing that is like a lullaby.

Also - don't be hesitant to go to a children's consignment shop - you can find awesome boutique brands for babies at a fraction of the retail cost. I always like getting gifts that I wouldn't normally buy for myself. Of course you have to know the recipient's taste to hit the nail on the head on that one.

And a little something for mom. The first few months with baby are beyond words (depending on temperament of baby, you could be in for very little sleep for months).

We used each and every casserole/ take out gift certificate we got -- and totally appreciated them!

[Bootsie]

My favorite gifts:

If the baby is a newborn: give food. New moms are tired and hungry!

Other than food, my favorite gift is a nice nursery rhyme book.

[Hattie]

Daughter just had a baby and she asked for books. I found a place called Lollipop Books and you can have them mail out one book a month for 3, 6 or 12 months. You can use their selections or choose your own books. Their website is: http://lollipopbookclub.com/ If you don't want to do something this pricey, you can just purchase some books at a local book store. Board books are nice for babies because they are a bit sturdier than regular books.

Another neat and unusual item is those cloth covers for shopping carts. Grocery carts are such filthy things and babies and children tend to lick and touch everything. These covers go into the seat of the shopping cart and then you put the baby in. All the nasty, dirty surfaces are covered to protect baby from germs. I think there are even patterns out there so that you can make them yourself if you are so inclined (which I am not *S*).

[maribeth]

Sleep sacks are a really good idea. We also liked the Kiddopotamus swaddle blankets.

If you buy any clothing items, buy them a couple sizes up. Also, babies can never have enough socks.

[Stella]

To some extent it depends on what number baby you are talking about. Speaking as a fourth-time mom-to-be, gift cards actually are very useful. I do like the meal idea too. It is exhausting those first couple of weeks in particular. If the parents-to-be have other little kids they may have most of the stuff they actually need. I've become kind of a minimalist when it comes to baby stuff at this point.

First babies may need more of the traditional baby items. I like the one piece sleepers, especially in winter in MN. They keep them warm and there aren't a bunch of pieces to match when they come out of the laundry. It's a grab-and-go outfit they can wear day or night.

[rosarugosa]

I always give savings bonds.

[Bastelmutti]

Loved the sleep sacks, so +1 there.

I know sizes are relative, but if you give clothes, consider giving the 1-yr.-old or 18-mos. size (appropriate to what the season will be then!) or something for the next season (swim diaper, fleece coat, etc.) - often people get tons of newborn stuff, but nothing for after that stage. My kids never even fit in the newborn size as newborns! Also think about gender-neutral stuff. I liked not knowing whether I was having a boy or a girl for #2, because we got green, yellow, purple, etc. stuff, not an avalanche of blue or pink.

[heydude]

How come an "a" or a "the" is never put before the word "baby." ???

I think it is so funny. "Baby needs to go for a walk." "Will someone feed baby!"

It reminds me of "the Beaver." At least he got an "a" or a "the" in front of him.

[Mrs-M]

Originally posted by Heydude.
How come an "a" or a "the" is never put before the word "baby." ???

I think it is so funny. "Baby needs to go for a walk." "Will someone feed baby!"It seems natural to me. In fact there's an almost appeal for me to use the word "baby" all on it own when suggesting a title or topic of conversation related too little ones. i.e. "Buying diapers for baby", "choosing formula for baby", etc. IMO it's a pleasant old-fashioned throwback to more simpler times.

Just as Fidgiegirl so did by naming this thread title- "Good gifts for baby", I too would have done the same.

To add, if Fidgiegirl would have named the thread title- "Good gifts for the baby", I would have immediately thought, "who's baby"? If she would have added an "a" before baby I would have thought, "OK, she must be referring to any old baby", which raises an important question/issue. Was/is Fidgiegirl simply asking a generic blanket type question with a subtle emphasis on- (no actual baby to buy for), or is she/was she actually looking for ideas"...

Somehow leaving "the" and "a" out of it helps determine a common question related to all or anyone's baby, while at the same time effectively determining that- "yes, Fidgiegirl is indeed actively searching for ideas as to gift buying for a little one".

[heydude]

why not "good gifts for babies"

hehe

[Kat]

I think a lot of it depends on how well you know the parents and their values. I love the piggy bank idea, actually, and think this one is really cool:

http://www.babyscholars.com/mosapigblsmw.html

But maybe not everyone would like that idea.

My old stand-by is to get a couple of outfits in larger sizes so the baby has something to grow into. I've had people tell me they really appreciated this because they got so many newborn clothes but nothing to use after. I've also done bath baskets with a cute hooded towel, baby wash/lotion, bath toys, and some jammies.

I have a friend who always gives a package of diapers (cloth or dispoable) and a bottle of Dreft. Seems to be well-received.

[Mrs-M]

Originally posted by Heydude.
why not "good gifts for babies" Sure. :)

[mm1970]

What I really needed:
Dinner (a few friends did this)
Newborn sized diapers (my son was small). Pampers are smaller than Huggies, so they didn't leak.
T-shirts for the baby for the few weeks before the belly button falls off. Onesies are cute, but not practical at first
Microwave bottle sterilizer (just bought one for a pregnant friend). I breastfed, but introduced bottles at 6 weeks, and this was a godsend!

[iris lily]

Gift certificate to the closest grocery store, unless you know they don't use that one. They can stumble into the deli to get dinner when they are beat and wearing sweats and clogs.