1. Meal Delivery Service or Prepaid Grubhub/Doordash/Postmates account
This is first on our list because it’s an option that isn’t immediately obvious but can make all the difference to a new parent. This baby shower is probably the last time you’re going to see the happy couple well rested for a while. Even for those without newborns, preparing dinner can be overwhelming, so you can imagine how helpful it will be to have food almost magically appear at their front door – a true gift!
There are two ways to go for this gift option; You can find a prepared meal delivery service through Yelp or you can set up food delivery service apps like Grubhub, Postmates, or Doordash with a prepaid credit card. Visa has several options so you can bestow your generous gift with a preset limit that you’re comfortable with.
2. Laundry subscription or prepaid gift card
Another daunting chore that you can help new parents avoid is laundry. The average person spends 2+ hours per week washing, folding and putting away their clothes. With a new baby in the house, your new parents will need that time for other important things, like sleep!
Rinse picks up, professionally cleans, folds, and delivers laundry to the new parent’s door. Rinse offers Rinse Repeat - a subscription laundry service with plans starting at just $50 per month as well as gift cards if you want to give the new family a flat amount that they can use on Wash & Fold, Hang Dry, and Dry Cleaning services. Give the soon-to-be parents the gift of never needing to fold a baby blanket or finding and pairing those tiny little socks!
Rinse is currently available in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, and Boston. If the new parents live elsewhere, often local cleaners also offer laundry pickup and delivery services, which will make a huge difference for the expecting family.
3. Date night gift certificates
Another non-baby baby shower gift that will make your loved one’s lives easier are gift certificates for a date night. This means you arrange the sitter (if you’re comfortable taking care of the baby, it’s great to offer your own services) and an activity – it can be a gift basket for a date night in, or an activity out of the house like a dinner and a movie. The important part is to give the new parents space to be together as a couple and recharge during this new and exciting chapter of their lives!
4. Gifts just for Mom
Speaking of recharging, another great gift option is to make sure that the mom-to-be is taken care after the baby comes. Her life is going to all-baby, all-day so making sure she has something fun that’s just for her may mean more than you know in the coming months. Gift boxes like FitFabFun or beauty boxes like Ipsy will be a great reminder that she is a valuable and beautiful adult between naps, diaper changes, and feedings.
You may be thinking, these suggestions don’t seem very baby-related. Well, that’s because these gifts are meant to take care of the parents so they can take care of their new bundle of joy. But, if you are looking for baby-focused gifts, (we can’t blame you, they are the cutest) then the next six ideas on this list may be just the thing!
5. Handcrafted gifts
If you are at all creative, now is your time to shine! There is no cuter project than baby-related crafts and here are a handful of our favorites.
If you’re no Martha Steward, that’s fine. Meet Etsy, a magical marketplace of artists where you can pick out the sweetest handmade gifts without having to bust out your own hot glue gun.
6. Helpful baby gifts (with a gift receipt)
Maybe you just want some classic baby gifts for the new little angel. If so, here are the favorites from parents and friends in our office.
- Wubbanubs - the cutest pacifiers out there. Once the baby is past the age of a pacifier, you just cut the little creature from the binky and you have a little stuffed animal that they can hang onto.
- DockATots - the well-named DocATot is basically a docking station for a baby. It’s a portable cozy place for the baby to rest, play, and bond with loved ones.
- Blooming Bath Lotus - This baby bath makes sink baths easy, safe and comfortable for little one. Plus it’s almost impossibly adorable.
- Sleepsack Swaddle - This wearable blanket allows babies to feel contained like when they are swaddled but have a bit more mobility
- Baby Shusher - A nearly magical product to help babies fall asleep and stay asleep
7. Diaper subscription
This may be the most helpful baby gift of them all. You can give the gift of disposable or reusable diapers so it’s worth asking your mom-to-be if she has a preference before you pull the trigger. A baby will go through 6-10 diapers in a day, so helping parents with their diaper needs will be a highly appreciated gift.
8. Cute diaper bag
9. Gifts to create memories
10. Newborn photography session
