Nothing is more fun than buying a gift for a newborn. Since the baby is too young to be thankful for the gift, you want the parents to be happy with your gift choice. Myra McElheney, RN, OB Prenatal Educator, reached out to some of the mom’s that have delivered babies at the Family Birth Place at St. Elizabeth Edgewood to ask what they felt were the most cherished baby gifts—from the essentials to the splurge items.
Essential Items New Parents Want Most
When you are shopping for a new baby, you don’t want to just buy diapers but the majority of the parents we asked, said diapers and wipes are one of the most essential gifts. McElheney said, “Most parents are shocked by how many diapers and wipes they use. They can’t keep enough stocked in the house.”
Other essential items parents felt would make good gifts:
- Muslin blankets
- Swaddle blankets
- Zip up pajamas
- Sleep sacks
- Hooded towels/washcloths
- Baby soap/shampoo/Vaseline
Essentials that you don’t need to buy:
- Frozen meals – as new parents, it is hard to cook a healthy meal every night for the family. A frozen meal is a great gift that the whole family appreciates.
- Babysitting – a new baby changes your social life, so having a “coupon” for a night out is always appreciated.
Splurge Items New Parents Won’t Buy, but Would Love You to Buy
New parents are usually nervous on spending too much money on items that would make the first few months easier. So although they may not want to splurge on something that will be used for less than a year, they would love it if you want to splurge.
Splurge items:
- Bassinest – keeps the baby close by before they move to a nursery as the safest place for baby to sleep is in the same room as their parents but NOT the same bed.
- Automatic swing – parents feel splurging for the automatic option is a must-have.
- Sound machine – having your baby adjust to sound and allowing the house to function normally is important to new parents.
For more gift ideas you can check gift ideas from Baby Center, Christmas gift ideas from thebump.com, and Parenting magazine gift ideas.
