16 Best Baby Shower Gifts for Mom

Baby shower gifts are the best, especially when you get what you need. But how do you know what to register for? Talking with friends and family will give you a clue as to what’s REALLY necessary, what’s NICE to have, and what’s just FUN.

A lot has changed since our mothers figured out what to do with a newborn. We are so lucky to have amazing products to streamline this crazy motherhood journey! We all know how fun baby clothes are to buy, I mean come on, they are DAAAARLING!! Momma does need clothing, but lots of people will buy clothes.

Shower gifts that make the most impact are the ones that fill an important need! I polled 100 moms with babies under two, to vote on the must have baby gear that totally saved their bacon. Anything on this list would make the very best baby shower gifts imaginable.

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And the Winners by Category Are…

The Gift of Sleep:

{This is the MOST important thing for Mom after bringing baby home! }

On Becoming Baby Wise:

On Becoming Baby Wise is the baby scheduling bible. I swear by this thing personally and give it to all the new moms at every baby shower. It's as close to a manual as you can get with a baby! ALL three of my kids were sleeping through the night at 6 weeks because of this book. It was the top piece of advice given to me for my baby shower, and I'm paying it forward!

 

A Great Rocking Chair:

Once home, you are exhausted, healing, and will be holding the baby A LOT. Mostly for feedings but also for soothing baby and a rocking chair or glider is an absolute must have. I really like the look of this Delta Children's Nursery Rocker. It's traditional but nice enough looking that it would fit in just about any space so you can still use it once baby is grown. You can find more contemporary pieces but at double and triple the price. For the money…this is a GREAT option! But it's still a big ticket item so this makes a great group gift!

Cloud B Sleep Sheep:

A white noise machine is another must and this soothing lamb is an amazing tool to help baby calm down and distract from the noises of family life. It was pretty noisy on the inside so let's give baby some comfortable noise on the outside. Some of the white noise machines are loud which can damage baby's hearing long term, I like that the Cloud B animals {we have the giraffe} have 4 different sounds and a volume control. We also use the bathroom fan as white noise so the rest of the house doesn't wake with the baby.

Halo Sleep Sack:

They have a few different styles of the Halo Sleep sacks and I've owned all of them at some point. The heavy fleece is great for winter and traveling to a cabin or the coast. The lighter weight option is perfect for everyday use. I use these for nap time and bedtime. You can keep baby's arms tucked in tight if they like to be swaddled so they don't wake themselves up by flailing or scratching their face. If your baby likes to move, you can wrap it below his arms and keep it tight around his torso. I love that it keeps baby warm enough without any dangerous blankets, and it velcros closed so baby can't wiggle out of his wrap and get tangled.

Wubbanub Pacifiers:

A pacifier is not a surprise on a list of must haves for baby, but you don't want just any pacifier. These Wubbanub plush paci's are balanced by the animal so they don't fall off baby's chest when she spits it out. That gives her another chance to find it again when she's ready. And THAT means Mom isn't running over and replacing the binkie every 5 minutes. If you have a pacifier dependent baby this is a requirement, and it's a pretty darn good idea for everyone else. They have 45 different plush options, so you can find something that will coordinate with any nursery theme or colors.

Mealtimes:

Baby Bandana Unisex Bibs:

These bandana bibs are great for wearing all day! From feeding time to playtime drool, it'll keep baby clean and dry. I like that they are larger than the newborn bibs which are totally worthless and they have a built in pacifier strap to keep that binkie close. I like the stylish graphics and that the unisex patterns come in a pack of 4, making them also affordable.

 

 

 

 

 

Baby Bottles:

Dr. Brown's Bottles: (Newborn Set) Whether you are bottle feeding formula or breastmilk, a good bottle is critical if you ever want to be away from your baby for more than 4 hours. I don't know about you, but I definitely needed a break now and then! Plus this lets Daddy or Grandma feed the baby so you can get some sleep! {remember how sleep is the number one most important thing?!} The Dr. Brown's bottle system is amazing for any baby but especially those that spit up, are gassy, or colicky. They are made with medical grade plastics that are safe for baby.

Joovy Boob Bottle: (3 pack) This is a great cross over during breastfeeding to avoid nipple confusion. It's also made of glass so there's no concern with chemical leeching plastics from the lesser expensive bottles. It is heavy so baby will not be able to use this alone until a toddler, even then, I do recommend the sleeve to protect it. You never know how clumsy you'll be in the middle of the night!

 

Boppy Pillow: 

The curved pillow is great for baby to hang out on the floor and get in a little bit of {hated} tummy time. But it is invaluable as a shelf to hold baby up close to you and save your elbows, shoulders, and back from extreme discomfort feeding after feeding. {after feeding} You can get the “naked” boppy and purchase covers in a variety of styles or talk someone into sewing you a custom one to match your nursery decor.

Bath Time:

Baby Bathtub: 

Marketers are going to make you feel like you need the expensive jacuzzi infant tubs. Don't fall for it! All you need is a safe place to bathe your baby without slipping into the water. You DO want a tub with a temperature guide for safety but other than that choose an affordable option like this one from Skip Hop that does the job and keeps baby safe. It has 3 levels so it works for a newborn up to a toddler.

Burts Baby Bee:

Babies have such sensitive skin so I love the natural ingredients used in the Burt's Baby Bees products. Their Baby Bee Tear Free Shampoo & Body Wash is great, doesn't dry out skin or have any chemicals like other leading “baby” brands. I also love their Diaper Cream {not the cream to powder}, the Dusting Powder, and the Nourishing Baby Lotion.

 

Keekaroo Changing Pad:

This is one product that is worth the splurge. This Changing Pad from Keekaroo is made of closed cell foam that is always warm and wipes down clean. No middle of the night poopy changing covers, and NO extra laundry. That's enough for me!

 

 

Play Time:

Baby Swing: 

This Graco baby swing gets great reviews and is a pretty decent price. It only goes in one direction but you can plug it in OR use batteries, which is way better than the battery only versions. There is a vibrating seat function and several programmed classical music and nature sound options. A great swing is invaluable for nap time and keeping baby entertained while you try to do anything you need two hands for!

Baby Bouncer:

Why do you need both a baby swing AND a bouncer? Well, that depends, are you going to be spending time in more than one room at any portion of the day? Will you eventually want to take a shower? This Fisher-Price Comfort Curve Bouncer is small enough to move around and great for following you around the house. It also helps keep baby entertained by moving him to different “stations” throughout the day.

 

Travel:

Pea Pod Infant Travel Bed:

This Pea Pod baby tent is so cool. Literally. It shades baby, has UV mesh to protect from sun and insects, and gives you a nice place for baby to nap anywhere you go. It folds up really small and easily fits in a carry-on, paying for itself when traveling by saving on baggage fees typically applied to pack-n-plays.

Baby Carrier:

Ergo Carrier 360: A great baby carrier is important if you leave the house and want to use your hands. The Ergo is awesome for back support and is adjustable for newborns up to toddlers for comfortable wearing of baby on your front or back. If you've ever used a cheap carrier you know how much it can hurt your shoulders, back, and hips. It's seriously not worth saving a few bucks to ruin your body. This is another one I'd recommend the splurge. One that I wish I had gotten instead…

 

Moby Wrap Bamboo Carrier : A wrap carrier is something people either love or hate. BUT if you love it, it's a life saver. This is just a personal preference, you don't need both types of carriers. The wrap doesn't take much space but there's a little bit of learning curve to figure out how to “install” it properly. But once you've got it down, it doesn't take any longer to put on than a standard carrier. Plus it's made with bamboo so it's softer AND better for the environment!

White noise for travel:

We've already talked about how important white noise is for getting baby to fall asleep and STAY asleep. This myBaby Sound Spa is perfect for the stroller or pack-n-play or Pea Pod tent. It fits easily in a diaper bag and can even soothe baby in a restaurant or doctor's office.

 

 

 

This list of the 16 best baby shower gifts are things that Mom shouldn't have to live without. Throw in some onesies, diapers, and wipes in a {stylish} diaper bag and momma will be all set! Is there anything on my list that I missed? Let me know in the comments what your must have baby item was. There were so many great ideas from so many wonderful ladies, I just couldn't list them all. If you want to see more, I'll do another post! Happy baby and enjoy the shower! You baby shower guests are armed with the perfect gifts, and all you momma's are armed with the must have items to register for.

For more baby shower inspiration see:

• Practical Baby Shower Gifts for Breastfeeding
• The Best Backpack Diaper Bags
• Vintage Coral and Gold Baby Shower
• Mommy to BEE Baby Shower
• Glam Safari Baby Shower

Until next time,