What is the best baby gift?

[Belle & Ariel]

I would not buy the size 3 diapers.
Many young parents do not have room to store something they will not need for 6-9 months.
I also know many young moms who use cloth, so I would check before giving a ton of disposables.
I like to give an activity blanket when I go to showers. There are many themed varieties and babies enjoy them from a couple months to close to a year.
And having 2 daughters who have had babies recently, I would say, stick to gifts on the registry. It is very time consuming to return things that are not at all what they wanted or that they have already. And remember to have the item you buy checked off the registry. It helps a lot!

 

[scrapquitler]

I 'd like to hear from you - what is the best baby gift?
It's a couple having their first and they are on a budget.
The gift doesn't have to be a budget since several of us can go together.
My immediate thought was diapers ( a years supply? A service?) but I'm sure there are lots of other ideas.
I'd love to hear your opinions! TIA

Diapers or a gift card to purchase all those little things you didn't know you need that really add up $$.

I always make a quilt, too.

 

[judydvc]

Small bowls (e.g. Lock N' Lock) with snap on lids for snacks, etc. or gift cards.

 

[VGL]

Swaddling blankets

 

[Lolsmum]

Meals and a cleaning service.

Seriously, that's what I would have wanted most.

 

[mybestieismickey]

Holding my sleeping six month old as I type one handed.

Diapers were a lifesaver those first few months. I got a box each of 1's and 2's and it was really nice to not have to think about it while I was also paying off the baby bills. Now that she is in 3's I would love for someone to buy me a box!

I will say, the one thing I didn't really get was jammies. Tons of cute outfits and onesies, and TONS of blankets, but only like two pairs of jammies. I didn't think of it at the time, and after she spit up all over herself that first night home, she was sleeping in a onesie. Thank goodness my mom ran out and got her some the next day, cause I wasn't going anywhere. I'm now obsessed with buying them. I feel like she grows out of her jammies every other week!

Do take a look at the registry. We bought most of the stuff on our registry ourselves because Babies R Us does the 10% back on registry purchases, and we needed the things anyway. It would have been nice to have someone else pay for some of the big stuff. We're looking at a regular car seat (she is in her travel system now) and that is going to hurt in a few months. If they do have a travel system on their registry I would get that. Kills two birds with one stone (car seat and stroller). I thought I just wanted a stroller and convertible car seat, but DH talked me into a travel system. I hate hauling the baby carrier around, but not having to wake DD up when I am running errands or wrestle around inside the car to get her buckled have been priceless bonuses. And just locking the seat into the base is so nice!

Good luck with making a choice. Honestly, anything practical will be much appreciated.

 

[SEA333]

I would not buy the size 3 diapers.
Many young parents do not have room to store something they will not need for 6-9 months.
I also know many young moms who use cloth, so I would check before giving a ton of disposables.
I like to give an activity blanket when I go to showers. There are many themed varieties and babies enjoy them from a couple months to close to a year.
And having 2 daughters who have had babies recently, I would say, stick to gifts on the registry. It is very time consuming to return things that are not at all what they wanted or that they have already. And remember to have the item you buy checked off the registry. It helps a lot!

We lived in a 700 sq foot house when first DS was born, and if someone wanted to buy me a case of size 3 diapers, I would have put them in bed with me if there was nowhere else to store them!!

As it was, we did get plenty of items, diapers included, that we stored in that tiny little house. If you live in cramped quarters, you get really good at figuring out logistical issues anf getting creative.

 

[msmama]

I feel like there are deals to be gotten on diapers so if they are on a budge, I'd be more likely to buy a big ticket item for them - stroller or car seat (and maybe they registered for something inexpensive but you could buy a "better" one). That would probably require a discussion though and it's not clear if it's someone that close.

I agree with staying on registry. It was annoying to have to return things. And it was stuff that may have been cute, but I didn't really need dozens of baby towels.

 

[chrissy92972]

A gift certificate or certificates for portraits. I liked having my kids pictures done every three months or so and that can get expensive.

Chrissy

 

[Aliceacc]

My favorite gift was having a pizza, a bottle of soda, and package of my favorite cookies delivered to the house the night we got home from the hospital.

My friend called and said she would stop by, but would NOT be coming in. She didn't want to disrupt things, just treat us to a nice, easy dinner. She called early in the day and left a message on the answering machine, so I knew dinner was taken care of.

 

[branv]

I'm part of a mom's group, over 30 mom's who all had babies between Aug-Oct 2013. We were recently talking about our fave baby products from the past year. The hands down winner was the Rock n Play by Fisher Price. Baby can sleep next to your bed at night or wherever you are in the house. It's the perfect height, unlike other soothers, for you to just reach out and pat/touch them. It's got a perfect incline for refluxers, or when they're congested, you can rock it (can also buy one with a vibrating function). Something about the way it is snug seemed to help all our babies sleep better. Look online, mom's swear by them. We were all so sad when the babies outgrew them

Muslin swaddles were also great (a good matching gift is the video or book, "Happiest Baby On the Block")

 

[travelgirl06]

Lots of great ideas on here. I have a 3-year-old and a 6-month old, so baby stuff is near and dear to my heart

Diapers - always useful, go for larger sizes because they may get tons of small ones. I know the space constraints were mentioned, but we live in a tiny house with 2 kids and 2 dogs and I currently have about 800 diapers stashed (stocked up when they were on sale - I know I will use them and the price was right, so I found the space).

WIPES - someone gave me a jumbo pack of wipes (900 maybe?) and they lasted several months. I think they were Kirklamd Signature and they were good quality, I'm actually longing for them over my current store-brand stash. I would LOVE to get a giant pack of wipes again.

Graco Car seat - my only caveat here would be to understand their car. I have a Civic with 2 car seats in back and wanted the narrowest seats possible so there's more room for a passenger back there, someone with a bigger car wouldn't be concerned about this. Likewise, some car seats are very deep rear-facing (so,you have to move the front seat way forward) while others take up less space. The all-in-one sounds near, but car seats are something people can be very particular on (plus I wouldn't want to miss out on the portable bucket-seat during those first several months)

Rock-and-Play - amazing! Due to the space constraints, YDD slept in one if these until she moved to her crib. Loved the portability, that it could fold up and she slept really well.

Clothes - as others have said, go for larger sizes. ODD had so many clothes in sizes up to 6 months that she couldn't wear them all (we did take some back to swap for the same thing in a larger size) and I didn't get to shop for her until she was nearly 18 months old. Think about seasons, it's such a bummer to get an adorable outfit but that will never fit the baby in the right season.

Something for Mom & Dad - coffee giftcard, bottle of wine, meal delivery, cleaning service, etc. These would all be awesome. During the first few months it's always such a treat to do something for yourself. Depending how close you are, you could offer babysitting. Our family is all out-of-state and it's such a treat when one of our parents is in town and watches the kids for a few hours so we can go take a break.

 

[jamounger]

When we go together as a group at work for a baby gift we usually get the stroller/travel system as this is one of the bigger ticket items. There is usually a pretty good size list of contributors and we set a dollar amount. The amount we collect over the cost of the stroller we either buy another item or put cash in a piggy bank to start savings for the child.

 

[mjkacmom]

I would only purchase a carseat/stroller/system if it was on the registry. I hated stroller systems, and was very picky about carseats and strollers. But, a big ticket item on the registry would be a good idea with a group gift.

My go-to was a first aid basket - thermometer, baby tylenol, benadryl, diaper rash cream, mylicon, teething tablets... Pretty much all the stuff you need to run out for on a rainy Sunday night.

 

[mrp4352]

We've sent Omaha Steaks packages and gotten many thank yous! A little meat, but more the frozen meals and sides. My friends and family loved being able to reach into the freezer and pull out a dinner to just throw in the oven.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I 'd like to hear from you - what is the best baby gift?
It's a couple having their first and they are on a budget.
The gift doesn't have to be a budget since several of us can go together.
My immediate thought was diapers ( a years supply? A service?) but I'm sure there are lots of other ideas.
I'd love to hear your opinions! TIA

#1 - Full time nanny
#2 - Housecleaning service

 

[NinaBella]

One of my sons was very sensitive to diaper brands. Pampers was all we could use. He had some allergies to other brands that broke him out and made him raw.

My #1 baby items was the ultra saucer. I had three of them (my house and at each grandma's house). He is 12 now so they may be called something else, but the cute seat surrounded by toys where they can sit and play. It was a life saver and portable so I could take a shower or cook and have him in there to play. All four of mine also loved the baby swing.


By the way... NO ONE wants a car seat for 10 years! Even if you take the cover off and wash it the car seats get pretty gross with cookie crumbs, spilled milk, etc. I also know people who hate using the bigger (convertible) seats for newborn and infants as it swallows them up and even with the shoulder straps in the lowest position are still too high for preemies, newborns, and some infants. I have four kids and have been through my share of car seats. I love Britax carseats because they are good quality but I still purchased new covers from Britax and had to clean the heck out of every crack in the seat to keep it clean.

 

[Lolsmum]

One of my sons was very sensitive to diaper brands. Pampers was all we could use. He had some allergies to other brands that broke him out and made him raw. My #1 baby items was the ultra saucer. I had three of them (my house and at each grandma's house). He is 12 now so they may be called something else, but the cute seat surrounded by toys where they can sit and play. It was a life saver and portable so I could take a shower or cook and have him in there to play. All four of mine also loved the baby swing. By the way... NO ONE wants a car seat for 10 years! Even if you take the cover off and wash it the car seats get pretty gross with cookie crumbs, spilled milk, etc. I also know people who hate using the bigger (convertible) seats for newborn and infants as it swallows them up and even with the shoulder straps in the lowest position are still too high for preemies, newborns, and some infants. I have four kids and have been through my share of car seats. I love Britax carseats because they are good quality but I still purchased new covers from Britax and had to clean the heck out of every crack in the seat to keep it clean.

I disagree that NO ONE wants a car seat for 10 years.

I used one for nearly 6 years here in the UK, between my two kids, and would happily have used it for longer had I needed it. I still use it with my nephew when he comes to visit. Some people have neither the inclination nor the money to replace things when you can just clean them, as long as they are safe.

 

[barkley]

I always gift a cool mist humidifier-you don't need it until you REALY need it, and then you're out hunting for one (more often than not-in the middle of the night).

I appreciated all I was gifted, but both my kiddos were small babies (6 pounders-full term) so none of the clothes fit, and by the time they did they were out of season (we did lots of returns/exchanges).

best unusual thing I had when the kiddos were babies was a car seat converter rack. it was a simple metal rack that folded flat (fit behind the seat of a small car), that when unfolded, a car seat could click into it to become a stroller. SO much easier to deal with than a full blown stroller (and again-cuz my kiddos were small babies we didn't use a standard stroller for months b/c even strapped in they could slip out the leg holes)>

 

[NinaBella]

I disagree that NO ONE wants a car seat for 10 years.

I used one for nearly 6 years here in the UK, between my two kids, and would happily have used it for longer had I needed it. I still use it with my nephew when he comes to visit. Some people have neither the inclination nor the money to replace things when you can just clean them, as long as they are safe.

You know that means you are using an expired car seat? Car seats expire normally at 5/6 years (depending on the actual seat) because the materials it is made of wears down and the seat becomes unsafe in the event of the accident.

Someone mentioned this new 10 year car seat is made of new materials that last longer but I have not researched it. Living in Florida the car seats are exposed to extreme heats inside the car. I have friends who live in Alaska so their car seats are exposed to the extreme cold. Two extreme examples but I wonder how the new materials hold up in the extreme environments.

I have four kiddos. The youngest two we commuted an hour (1.5 hours in bad traffic in the afternoons) Mon-Fri to their school near my office. When I upgraded my son a larger Britax seat, I did put my daughter in his other Britax seat but I bought a totally new cover. Car seats are a major pain to clean taking off all the straps and cleaning in every small area of the seat.

Some may not be able to afford to buy a new seat, but I have not known anyone use a seat that long. Also, it's like those cribs that convert into full size bed. I know people who buy those thinking they will actually put their kid in it as a full-size bed. Most people I know end up selling the crib (or storing for another child) before the kid is out of the toddler bed. Or they have another baby and put it back as a crib.

I just see these convertibles as a way to charge more for the seat with the marketing that it will last longer, when very few will actually use it for that length of time. Car seats also need to be replaced when it is in an accident (even if the child is not in it). If my child was already two I wouldn't repurchase this seat. Graco's is not a bad brand. I always used the the Graco snugride when rearfacing my infants. I just think this "10 year deal" is more marketing to parents to charge more and in reality there is no need for a 10 year car seat. The advertisement doesn't show a newborn in the seat. I am curious how the newborn fits. The baby it shows looks like a very healthy baby at least 6 months old.