Best Baby Shower gift??

[Alloy]

Hi Girls,

I have a girlfriends baby shower in 2 weeks time, and I want to get her something that is really handy, but something that they probably wouldn't have purchased themselves.
What was the best gift you received when you had bub/had a baby shower?

Thanks,
Alloy

[Nai]

I got all the girls to put in and give me a gift voucher for my MCN's - they have been awesome and it was the best present.

[Antheia]

I think a belly casting kit would be a great gift.

[krysalyss]

The best baby shower pressie that I got was a Tomy night light lullaby projector. It plays a lullaby (like jewellery box music) for 5 or 10 mins and projects a light show onto the roof. I wouldnt have thought of it myself but it is so awesome for a sleep routine and we still use it as 14 months.

[Indadhanu]

Hmmmm..... my baby shower is tomorrow so some thing I reckon no one will get, but I would LOVE is:

ABA membership. I would LOVE that. Though it is pretty personal, and if someone had had trouble with bfing before, or isn't keen to bf, it could seem really pushy.

MCN, or a voucher or some cash to go towards them. Again, pretty personal, you'd have to know if they wanted to go cloth or not.

A voucher for some sexy underwear. Yes i know that seems really silly but I would just love to buy ONE nice bra set (like the hotmilk ones) to make myself feel nice (instead of opening my drawer and thinking "hmm.... should i wear the white, cream or beige bra today ... decisions decisions" but I just can't justify spending that much money on myself. If someone else gave me a voucher though I'd probably burst into tears and hug them to death lol!

Or you could go really practical ans think about the things you know they'll need to buy regularly and get a few. Like baby bath/oil, nappy rash cream, nappy wipes etc. or find out what washing powder they are going to use and buy some for them. I know I don't have any of thast stuff yet and to get some from someone who is a mum and can say "this stuff actually works" would be great as I am lost at all the different creams and wipes and powders etc. and not really sure what works!!!

A great idea would be to ask though... no one has asked whether there is anything particular that we want/need, and I don't want to seem like I am expecting anything so I won't just go and tell people what I want, which makes me really scared as to what they have bought.... I just hope I don't get 6 million cute toys and nothing practical lol.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I just hope I don't get 6 million cute toys and nothing practical lol.

That's all I got!
I love the underwear voucher idea - especially if they're a first time mum, it would be wonderful to go and splurge on something like that after the birth.

[visitor1]

I like the frames you can get with the hand and foot prints in them (once bub is born)
Sounds weird...but baby coathangers.....i never had enuf of them...

Mind you i never had a baby shower either cos i HATE excepting gifts off people!

[neuri]

The gift I found most useful was a 'goodies basket' by one of my friends. She said someone gave something similar to her.

SHe added a few items she found to be useful from her own experience.

Basket had: bepanthen, infant's friend, brauers sample size remedies, organic baby moisturiser and baby massage oil, lanosil nipple cream (FANTASTIC stuff!!), nipple shields, wipes, face wipes, portable sanitiser cream, lip balm, 2 scrunchies, some fizzing bath bombs, packet of tim tams and even a pack of maternity pads.

Three weeks after my baby was born, I could have kissed this friend! It was awesome.


neuri

[Ezz]

I really appreciated the Lamaze books & toys - because I didn't really have anything like this (it wasn't something that I had thought to buy). I think some board/cloth books make a great gift.

Terry nappies are also great - I only used them as nappies when he was quite little (I use MCNs now) - but I still use them to catch breastmilk when I'm feeding, wipe up spew, etc.

I got waaaaaaaaaaay too many soft toys (teddy bears etc) & more sposie nappies than I needed (I ended up taking some back to Coles to swap them for a larger size). As others have said, I am still using the lotion & wash that I was given & DS is 6 months old.

[seenabeena]

A Vicks Vaposteam (I think that's what they are called) they are brilliant and so good to have on hand when bub's get's their first cold. A digital thermometer, a snot sucker, a teething dummy thingo, just the kinds of things that you wouldn't think of unless you had been a mum already and had to run out to the chemist to get such things when your little one came down ill. My fave present though was my tommetippy nappy dispoal bin.

[{sarah}]

I aways make up a basket with lots of bits n pieces that are sometimes overlooked.

* nail clippers
* dummy chain thing
* face washers
* bibs
* muslin wrap
* baby on board sign for the car
* lanolin cream (if BF) or formula divider container (if FF)
* travel wipes
* travel sized aquim gel
* small shower gel & lotion for mum for the hospital

If I end up buying clothes I get a size 00 or bigger because everyone buys the teeny tiny cute clothes & most of the time you don't get to use all of them cos there's too many! I also don't go for the powder blue / baby pink, I try to get something a bit different - navy blues, reds, purples....

I do however really like the idea of a voucher for some nice underwear.

[Alloy]

Sarah, we must have posted at the same time.
I love the baby on board sign, I might have to get one of those as well. I hadn't thought of that at all, so hopefully noone else has.
A lot of our other friends are doing baskets with lots of stuff in, and everyone I've spoken to has got clothes, so I wanted to steer away from that!

[Ezz]

I like the vaporiser idea - I would not have thought of that!

[Alloy]

Thanks for all the great ideas! Maybe once I get pg, I'll steer my sister towards this thread

I like the photographer idea, I might have a look at something like that. I asked my friends DP, and he said she had seen some of the dress up/costume things you can buy (I've seen a bumble bee one online) and thought they were really cute, so I thought maybe a photographer that does the cute pics of bubs dressed up.

Thanks again

[luey]

I didn't have a baby shower but these are some things that would have been very welcomed (if I didn't already have them)

The gifts are not really 'babyish' but are practical and may help the parents out and allow them to spend more time with their baby. Which is a priceless gift really.

You could give your friend some 'vouchers' eg 2 hours babysitting, meals delivered at their choosing or deliver 1-2 a week for the first 6 weeks, cleaning. I was offered help but I didn't want to ask people to do my washing etc - too proud, but if it had been given as a voucher/as a gift I probably would have taken them up on it. You could include a 'pamper pack' too, nice soaps, bubble bath, champagne, chocky etc.

Dust buster/stick vac - makes a huge difference if you haven't had time to pull out hte big vaccuum cleaner

Slow cooker

The sexy underwear would be awesome. I bought a hotmilk set at 38weeks and it was such a mood lifter. By that stage I was sick of being hot, pregnant, sick of maternity underwear, missing my hubby etc (I had go to city to deliver 3ish weeks before).

Wool breast pads - If planning to breast feed. They are soooooooo soft. All my girlfriends will be getting some, plus lansinoh and/or calendula cream


Of course you can buy a growsuit or something babyish once bub is born.
Good luck