Baby shower gift ideas in the US

Buy for the first three months

Most shower gifts that fail are bought for the baby parents imagine, not the one they get. Newborns sleep, eat, need changing and need wrapping. Parents spend those months tired and short on hands. The Kyte Baby sleep bag, the Love to Dream swaddle and the Haakaa nail file all help with a job parents do every night.

A CookUnity card is the gift people forget. Nobody cooks in week two.

A gift for the parent counts too. A hooded towel or a camera that lets them check on a nap from the sofa is the kind of thing they would not buy for themselves in the first month.

Check the registry, then the size

If there is a registry, use it. Parents choose bottles and sleep products for reasons you will not know. Bottles especially are personal, since babies refuse some shapes, which is why the Comotomo works best as an add-on. Sleep bags and swaddles are sized by weight or age; when in doubt, buy the next size up.

Budgets

Under $25: the Mushie teether, a Comotomo bottle and a small CookUnity card. Bundle two with a card and it looks like a real gift. From $25 to $75: the sleep bag, swaddles, the Copper Pearl towel, the nail file and the Frida basics kit. Above $75: the big Frida baby kit, which works well as a group gift from coworkers.

What to skip

Newborn clothes in bulk. Parents get piles and babies outgrow them in weeks; if you buy clothing, go for six months and up. Toys for later years. The Bumkins plate and the alphabet blocks are fine because they will be used within a year, but a toddler bike is clutter for now.

Showers usually happen four to eight weeks before the due date, and babies come early. Order at least two weeks before the shower.

Questions people ask

How much should you spend on a baby shower gift?

Most guests spend between $25 and $75. Close family and best friends often spend more or join a group gift. A coworker or acquaintance can give something under $25, such as a set of muslins or a board book, without it looking cheap. If the parents have a registry, buying one item from it at any price is better than an expensive guess.

What do new parents actually need that nobody buys?

Things for the middle of the night. Extra sleep bags in the next size up, muslins for spit-up, newborn scratch mittens, a nail file that works while the baby sleeps, and a portable white noise machine all get used and rarely show up as gifts. Parents also run short on burp cloths and swaddles because they go through several a day.

Is it OK to buy off the registry for a baby shower?

Yes, but stick to categories that are hard to get wrong, like muslins, swaddles, books or a sleep bag in a larger size. Avoid bottles, pacifiers and car gear, since parents often choose those for specific reasons and babies can reject them. Include a gift receipt so they can swap sizes without asking you.

What is a good group baby shower gift?

Pick one bigger item instead of several small ones. A boxed set like The Little Green Sheep Little Luxuries set, Frida's big baby kit or a bottle-feeding kit covers many needs at once. For coworkers, ask the parent which large registry item is still open. One shared card with a note from each person goes over well.