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Shower Solutions
Baby Shower Gift Ideas and Tips
By Jessica Williams
The baby shower is a great time to give a pregnant woman gifts. In fact, baby shower gifts are very special to the mom-to-be, and many keep a list of what they received at their shower in their baby book. There are numerous items to choose from, and many guests like to give gifts they found useful with their own babies. If you aren't sure what to give, do some investigating before you begin your shopping.
If possible, find out what other guests will be giving so the guest of honor won't receive duplicates. And more important, find out what mom needs and wants. The parenting methods she wishes to practice are also important to know before buying gifts.
If she plans to breastfeed, bottles, pacifiers, formula and other accessories that help with bottle feeding would not be appropriate and probably won't be used. Instead, you could buy her nursing pads, nursing shirts or a breastfeeding book. Similarly, if she plans to return to work a few weeks after Baby is born, a breast pump or storage containers for expressed breastmilk would be a great gift.
Some parents wish to use a specific parenting style once Baby is born. This can also affect the items they need. If a mom expresses her desire to practice Attachment Parenting (a parenting method coined by Dr. William Sears where parents carry Baby frequently and respond to Baby's needs by providing closeness rather than using "gadgets"), a baby swing, play pen or other solitary items may not be great gifts. Instead, you might consider giving a sling, backpack carrier or nursing pillow.
Let your guests know what you really need. When birthdays or Christmas roll around, most people are humble when asked, "What do you want?" But you will need things for the new baby, and this is no time to get shy. Be especially clear about how you want to parent your baby (if you plan to breastfeed, use cloth diapers, etc.) and don't give the same gift ideas to everyone.
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