What Was Your Best Baby Shower Gift?

Updated on April 20, 2013
D.F. asks from New York, NY
36 answers

I have a shower to go to for a very good friend who is having her first girl! My daughter is 12 so I have no idea about any of the new stuff that is out. I'm not the diaper genie type of gift giver. I usually try to go outside the box. She is registered so I have a fall back plan... But, what was your most favorite, useful, creative, thoughtful, etc... gift you recieved...

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

Gotta say, one thing I have recd and bought for others are those diaper cakes.. they arrange diapers so that they look like colorful cakes.. they do this by adding a ribbon (like say pink that might look like a strip of frosting) and then some flowers like you might see on a cake. they are so cute..

Also, Zutano makes really cute colorful cotton printed pants and shirts.. I love those because they wear well and stand up in many washing... they also come in fleece for colder weather..

I also like that french foam shampoo (comes in a blue/white bottle) that stuff was great because it rinsed out easily..

oh and have you see the socks they make nowadays, some look like ballet slippers and others mini cowboy boots... many diff styles to choose from.. they are so cute!!!

I did buy a friend some baby padden leather lime green loafers.. they were a hit.. so DARN CUTE!!!!!! you can imagine the mini fashion statement..

good luck

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.H.

answers from Chicago on

My mom made my kids a quilt. We used this quitl to put on the floor for them to lay/crawl on and we used it to cover the carrier in the winter. We still use them in the car to cover up when it is cold etc.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.M.

answers from Chicago on

I wish I had received this as a baby shower gift. I didn't find out about this book until my youngest was 2. Now I give it for all my baby shower gifts. Instilling good sleep habits early is not only good for the child but a priceless gift for the parents to be.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth

Another baby shower gift favorite is Robeez shoes in size 12 -18 months. They have the most adorable designs and they actually stay on!

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

C.V.

answers from Columbia on

It's been a long time for me too. My boys are 10 and almost 12.

BUT, I consistently give the best, newest thermometer on the market. Right now, it's the Exergen temporal scanner. It's a hit every time. Having a non-invasive, accurate thermometer really brings new parents peace of mind.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

My friend asked me for some of the wall paper border that we were using to decorate the nursery (it matched our bedding set), and then she personalized a wooden step stool with my sons name and the theme of his room!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Green Bay on

My favorite baby product was by far the BOPPY. I could have used five of them! DS is almost 3 and I still use it as a pillow on the couch or he uses it as a pillow in his bed. :-)

But...for something a little more unconventional...
Maybe a GC for a pedicure might be fun - and come up with a cool saying that someday she will get to celebrate life's moments by taking her daughter for a pedicure...or start your daughter's life off by showing off your pretty toes...or something fun like that?

Or a "Night Out" with hubby - GC to favorite restaurant and a movie or other fun event around town. And include you and your daughter's babysitting services for the night!

Then there are also diaper cakes and there are also ways to fold onesies and clothes into little cupcakes (super cute!). One can always use extra diapers!!! :-)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I got some hand made clothing items that were adorable. I had them for years and years hoping I'd have more children. I used them on my grand kids too. I keep things a long time....

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B..

answers from Dallas on

My most useful and favorite gift, were swaddle blankets from Aden and Anais. My son is 4 and we still use them for picnics, capes, tents, you name it. I LOVE those blankets, they are wonderful. I get them for everyone I know having a baby.

http://www.adenandanais.com/

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.B.

answers from Rochester on

A bag of organic dark chocolate. Until then, I only really liked milk chocolate. Now, I only eat dark chocolate. I would "treat" myself to one piece when I would have to get up for the 2am feeding. :) I also love the year photo frame- the one with the newborn photo in the center with each month around it.

E.N.

answers from Knoxville on

A couple pack and plays from my best friend. One was a very fancy used one with all the bells and whistles, the other was brand new from walmart.com. It was a very unusual lime green with african animals and african styled zigzags and such. I loved it because it wasnt all pastel and whinny the pooh or some other fad. Those things went camping, to in-laws, to grandmas, everywhere. She also found a twins double snap and go stroller (it's just a frame that you set your car seats on to make it a stroller- like the 'travel systems' that they have now, except it was just a frame. It fit any car seats)
Smallest most useful things: gas drops, tylenol, ibuprofen, teething tablets. I LOVE the idea of one of those temperal thermometers. I wish I had one!

X.O.

answers from Chicago on

My favorite was a curved Froggy pillow from Angel Dear. My son is now 6 and has slept with it every night since he was born. He loved it so much that I buy 1 for each baby of mine, and of my friends.

There are many different coordinating items you can also get: blankets, napping blankies, bibs. I buy mine from: http://www.americangiftfactory.com/site/1283048/page/2674237

American Gift Factory has tons of cute baby presents.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.F.

answers from Phoenix on

Two of my daycare clients (sisters) bought me splurge items when my daughter was born and I really loved that gift. The fact that they went out of their way to buy a ridiculously expensive Little Giraffe blanket, a Trumpette socks gift set and a Mustella gift set instead of the basics really touched my heart, not because of the cost, but because of the message of "You're worth it to us and so us she. You both deserve the very best."

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.P.

answers from New York on

I didn't receive this, but saw it given once and thought it was a great idea... A gift certificate to a local children's shoe store to get the baby's first pair of shoes. In this case there was a store in the area where everyone goes for baby shoes (my first pair came from there and I'm 41), but would also work to give Stride Rite.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.H.

answers from Chicago on

I probably used the Pack-n-Play the most as we traveled a lot when the kids were young. We also got an awesome Peg Perego high chair. I think my personal favorite was the friends who gave us a box of homemade chocolate chip cookies and a carton of ice cream I ate when I was up at odd hours for late-night feeding. (They brought something baby-related too, but I don't recall that).

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

I didn't have a shower, but I received a Pack-n-Play as a gift with my first son and got a lot of use out of it. With my second son I received a pair of Robeez (6-12 month size) and they were awesome.

L.L.

answers from Rochester on

I got a beautiful ceramic piggy bank...white, with a delicate floral pattern...and I loved it. Sadly enough, hubbie let now toddler play with it too often and it got broken...and I cried. I really though it was a wonderful gift.

I never got anything big at a shower...didn't have one for my first, and just a small one by church ladies for my second...but some things I couldn't live without? Well, a good stroller. That's about it.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

*.*.

answers from New London on

A friend got me a huge case of diapers ! I did not have to buy diapers for a month and a half !

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

The best things I received and USED:

-cradle
-playpen
-jog stroller!!!!!
-regular Graco stroller that fit the baby seat
-baby carrier you strap on
-baby bath tub
-Desitin

Those are the best things I needed & used constantly!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.M.

answers from New York on

Housekeeping services was the most wonderful gift I got. It was helpful, saved me time and energy so I could have a clean house but focus on baby and family. I'll never forget that.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.L.

answers from New York on

I would say the most creative was a blanket that my husbands sister made for our daughter with her name on it. What I liked about it was that it was not the typical, girly/pink theme. Its pale blue and green fleece on one side and the other side is fleece with all different little animals on it. She even made her own fringe, sort of detail around 3 sides of it. I have to admit that so many of the things I received were so "girly" that I found myself very partial to the outfits/toys I got that weren't. As for the most useful theres a few, all the diapers I received were a huge help, but also the big things like the pack and play, stroller, and highchair. I also got tons of use out of my playmat. The most thoughtful gift I received was from a neighbor, a relative of hers knits and she made a white sweater and matching hat for baby, they were beautiful. A friend of mine gave me the book called Go the F*** to Sleep, that was hilarious, not sure if that's quite what you're looking for though.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.O.

answers from New York on

A Baby Bjorn. I don't have an opinion on the Bjorn vs. the Ergo vs. any other brands, but some kind of carrier like that. That's what I'm going to get my brother and SIL, no question, for my baby nice to be.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.P.

answers from Dallas on

favorite gift i got was a small pillow with my daughters name embroidered on it and a bag with my sons name on it. My kids are 3 and 4 now and both of these things are still used.

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Okay, shameless plug for my business, diaper cakes, unique, fun and best of all, totally practical!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BabyCakesbyMamaZita
I can make a custom diaper cake for just about any theme/color you have in mind.
PM me if you want more info :-)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.R.

answers from Kansas City on

i think mine were gift cards!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

F.B.

answers from New York on

Can you get a gift certificate for a photobook, and the onsie stickers which parents use for the monthly photos. A moses basket. Teethers. A mobile.
a stepstool, great for a time out stool, reaching the sink, to rest one's feet on on the toilet. a rocking horse. An old fashioned pull toy (babies love watching them, toddlers love pulling them).

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

When my cousin had her son I put together a couple of my/my kids favorite things with notes on them. I picked our favorite book, the "Sleep Sheep" that came in super handy in getting them to sleep, the "Nosefrida" nasal aspirator that many mom's swear by (including myself!), and a few others.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

My sister got a Boppy and I loved it when she lent it to me. I think when you go to a shower the mom will get all the basics for baby so I've always leaned towards buying something that makes mom feel special. My other sister got a gorgeous baby bag. Not your average baby bag- a really nice one that makes you feel like a million bucks going out with baby. She's since gifted it to my brother's wife and she loves it too.

I can't afford such things so I buy a "suitcase" from Michaels/JoAnn's/Marshalls. You know those paper covered boxes that are meant for hats or general stuff. I put mommy things in there for after birth: heat pad, heavy duty pads for bleeding, sexy undies, wipes, q-tips (lot of mini versions of stuff). I also include a small makeup bag with change and toiletries to take to the hospital and snacks/breathmints and chapstick.

Just stuff I wish I had at the hospital or things we had to run out to get right after coming home.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.W.

answers from Chicago on

I love those floppy seat things for the grocery cart! My daughter is almost 8yo and she still uses her Boppy as pillow when she's laying on the floor watching tv or something. You can get really cute covers for them too. The diaper cakes are really cute too.

My 2 favorite gifts that I received at my shower were a fleece tie blanket my little sister made and a memory box my mom made. The box is a photo box. My mom said she mixed fine glitter with mod podge, stuck on some large stickers of things like butterflies and flowers, coated the box with the mod podge, let it dry and glued a pretty pink ribbon around the lid. I keep small mementos in there such as her first tooth, her favorite rattle, the program from her first school performance, the decorations from her 1st birthday cake, things like that. It's perfect for that and then when she was 3 we used it as a potty box. We kept stickers and Hershey's kisses in it and every time she successfully went potty she got something from the potty box.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.C.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Moby wrap and ring sling.
Also clothes that were not newborn size.

B.S.

answers from Lansing on

The best gift I got...hmm can't really pick one out. I got lots of homemade blankets that were really nice.

I will tell you about this gift I did for a really good friend. I went to a drugstore and picked up a bunch of items that I needed after birth for either me or the baby and filled a gift basket with them. I also stuck a sticky note on them to tell what I used them for. My friend really appreciated it.

V.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

I know that you said you wanted to do something more creative than this but my favorite gift was diapers. My mom invited her whole church to my "meet the baby" party (A baby shower done after the baby is born) and one of the families there gave us an entire pallet of diapers! The dad worked at Wal-mart and his daughter had just had twins so he literally bought a pallet of diapers for her in size 1 diapers and another pallet in size 2 diapers. Well his daughter had got tons of other diapers from different family members so she barely touched the pallets that he had bought her. I got all the left-overs... An entire mixed pallet of size 1 and size 2 diapers... Didn't have to buy a single diaper until my son was in size 3 diapers. It was AWESOME!!!

One other thing that is a little more creative that I really liked was from my aunt. She gave me a memory box. It's just a cute little box with a Winnie The Pooh design on it and I can fill it with 'memories'. I put the foot prints the hospital took in there. My grandfather and father (His great grandpa and grandpa) both wrote poems about him after he was born (This is what they think about while they are out milking cows or driving the tractor... Poetry. Lol) and I put their hand-written poems in the box. I received a couple ornaments with his birth date on them and I put those on the box. I put a copy of his birth announcement in the box. Kinda cheesy but I like it :)

One other thing you could get her would be a gift certificate for newborn portraits.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

My best friend made me a diaper cake. I loved it so much I now make them for all my friends that are having a baby. Everyone loves them!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I would suggest a floppy seat. This is not something that I got as a gift, it was something that I bought myself, I LOVED it and used it all the time. It is not something that she will use right away, but in a few months when the baby can sit up. The Floppy seat covers the kid seat portion of the grocery cart, the public high chair etc. All those place you have to sit your baby at the stage where they put their mouth on EVERYTHING. It folds into it's own little bag for easy portability and covers any area your baby may need to sit, as well as it is machine washable. I was much more comfortable putting my babies in public carts as long as I had my floppy seat, at least if they put their mouth all over it, it was ours with our germs. LOL

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2440415

or deluxe

http://www.amazon.com/Floppy-Seat-Shopping-Messenger-Gira...

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.W.

answers from Detroit on

I got a floppy seat. Honestly, I tried to return it because I thought "Why do I need THIS?" , couldn't figure our where it was purchased from (apparently they use different skus or something at diff stores, because Target had the same one but said it wasn't from there when they scanned it!) and ended up LOVING it.

I have seen patterns for the cart/high chair covers at the fabric store, so you could make one with a theme that you know your friend will love.

I loved the books I got with inscriptions.

I think a shutterfly or local photography session is a great idea. You could get some frames to go with the gift certificate.

For my second my best friend was in town from out of state and left 3 HUGE boxes of diapers, wipes and baby wash at my parents house along with some sleepers. She got one pack of newborn then the rest ones and a 1/2 size. It was so great not to have to go out for diapers for a while! You could make some of them into a diaper cake as some people have suggested. I also have seen some other creative ways to "gift" diapers. With pinterest and google searches I am sure you can find something to fit your friend's personality.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions