Whilst it’s lovely to give and be given physical gifts, such as clothes, swaddles or body care items for your newborn baby, sometimes, you can have too much of a good thing. And if the parents-to-be already have a child it can be even harder as they may have many of the newborn essentials already. Likewise, not everyone can afford to give something new, and that’s perfectly fine, as there are so many other ways to help new parents adjust to life with their newborn. Here are some of our favourite alternative baby shower gifts.
Alternative Baby Shower Gifts
1. Cook a meal or share some baking
Let’s face it - witching hour for new babies is often (but not always) at the business end of the day when dinner needs to be cooked, baths need to be had and there’s a general rush to get everything done before bedtime. Allowing parents the luxury of simply heating up some food can help keep bellies full and the whole family calm so everyone has the energy to take on the last part of the day and settle in for a good nights’ rest.
And if you’re more of a pastry chef, baking is also a lovely gift. A yummy muffin, cookie or slice of cake can give mum (and the whole family) a great pick me up throughout the day and keep energy levels up, particularly important if breastfeeding. Perhaps it’ll even give everyone a good excuse to sit down with a cuppa and have a few minutes rest!
2. Offer to hold the baby while mum take a nap
We all know some babies just don’t like to be put down! Give mumma’s arms a break and offer to simply come over and be there to hold the baby whilst mum takes a nap, has a coffee or a shower in peace, knowing she can spend as long as she wants, whilst the baby is being taken care of.
3. Spend a few hours of your time cleaning / folding washing etc
Sometimes, simply having the house vacuumed or the washing folded or put away, can be enough to ease the burden for new parents, especially when there’s older children running around. You’ll be giving them the gift of time, peace of mind and more time to spend on newborn cuddles or playing with other children, who often need more attention when there’s a newborn about. By giving time for a specific task like cleaning the new parents will have more time to rest or do something for themselves and have the mental break of ‘ticking off’ something on their to do list. This is especially useful for parents to keep up their sleeves for when the baby starts to be more wakeful during the day!
4. Offer to take older kids out to the local playground
Taking older kids for an outing, even if it’s just to the local playground, for a scavenger hunt around the block or a spin on bikes/scooters can benefit everyone. The older kids get to burn off energy, see something different and get some fresh air whilst mum gets more bonding time with bubs and to free up her time (a little).
5. Voucher for a massage/pamper session
Give the new mum a reason to get out of the house and look after herself with a gift voucher for some pampering. After all those sleepless nights and cradling a newborn in her arms, a massage could be just what she needs to relax and restore. Or if she took pride in showing her brightly coloured nails, a manicure voucher could be a good option.
6. Passing on baby clothes / items
Babies don’t need to have brand new items for everything. In fact, they are in some sizes of clothing for such a short amount of time it’s often better to use hand me downs or purchase second hand. Passing on your pre-loved baby items is good, not just for you and the recipient, but also the planet as it saves items, which are often still amazing quality from landfill. It’s even more special if there’s a story behind the item you’re passing on.
What are the best baby shower gifts?
It really depends on the mother-to-be, your relationship with her and your budget. Some guests may choose to give baby clothing which is practical but also gorgeous, whilst others may choose to buy a delivery of high quality frozen meals to make life as a new mum easier. Some guests may group together and choose a gift voucher for a store and some may buy something to treat mum, such as a lush pair of pyjamas or a gorgeously soft robe. There’s plenty of options, for the organised mum, the matchy-matchy mum, the 2nd time mum and more.