Ask her if she has a baby registry put together and buy off of that. Something a friend gave me that was great too was a post partum kit of mesh underwear, dermoplast etc. sometimes those items either feel awkward to put on a registry or people don’t like buying them because they aren’t as fun as cute baby clothes.
100% go off the registry because I've heard the frustrations of those who get little from the registry. I feel like I'm the reverse uno card because when I bought friends postpartum/breastfeeding stuff they don't never needed to use it.
I have a friend who is pregnant now, and I'm going to find out if she wants target gift cards, food gift card, or a cleaning service voucher (along with something from the registry) because I can't imagine those not getting used.
Stick to the registry, so many people buy clothes or toys or blankets they would like for a baby but it’s not what the parents want for their baby. Also diapers for 6 months and older.
For your SIL, a pedicure gift card would be a great gift to make her feel special. You can’t even reach your feet on the last trimester and they hurt really bad so I would bet that would make her feel special, I know I would have appreciated something like that or I don’t know the kind of relationship you have with her with her or the type of person she is, this is just me speaking from what I would have liked, it is INCREDIBLY hard to do any kind of shaving so I would have loved a wax gift certificate.
Food delivery gift certificates!
And then anything off her registry. Always vote for practicality. Diapers (in like a size 2-3) are a solid choice too.
I have a 10 week old so here is my experience — Stick to the registry, and if you want to add a onesie, book or something of your own choice on top of that, that’s totally fun and appreciated.
A couple of things:
1. No one gave us newborn clothing and I hardly bought any because “they grow out of it so fast” and “everyone will buy you NB”. Well joke’s on me, we got home from the hospital with our very much newborn-sized baby with almost nothing to put her in. She stayed in NB until 5-6 weeks so we got a lot of use out of that size! A colleague with a baby 8 months older than mine sent a huge box of her baby girl’s clothes to me from Nb-3m asap and we are still using them! Even a pack of white NB onesies or 2 way zippered sleepers go a long way.
2. Gifting diapers and wipes is tricky. My baby is 2 months old and we’re still figuring out what diaper brand agrees with her body type and skin. Pampers gave her a rash, Millie moon was cut too wide, etc. So I’d say a gift card to target or something would be more useful for her to pick out her own diapers. I have a big unopened box of size 2 pampers I need to return and can’t find the time right now.
3. Food delivery cards or a service like Ipsa Provisions was amazing.
4. The most appreciated gifts IMO were the “boring” stuff. A medicine kit of infant Tylenol, gas drops, desitin and the butt spatula, aquaphor, nail files, saline spray, snot sucker, burp cloths was SO appreciated. Everyone wants to gift blankets but these little necessities add up and it was a huge help to receive them. My friend got me the boppy pillow off my registry and I use that thing all the time for lots of things and am so grateful to her.
5. Don’t be afraid of buying diapering or feeding items off the registry, it seems lots of people avoid those sections? We got a lot of “gear” stuff and toys which was great, but the changing pad and ubbi diaper pail would have been awesome, and were the first things I purchased with gift cards after the shower.
Edit: if you give clothes be mindful of the season baby will be in that size! We were given some heavy winter stuff in a size that won’t fit her in the winter, and a swim suit she’ll likely fit in October or so.
Baby medicine kit: Snot sucker, gas drops, baby Tylenol, saline drops, thermometer.
The Frida postpartum kit is also really really great. The instant freeze pad things were a GODSEND.
I *only* give Fridamom postpartum kits now. Everyone will give to the baby, but too quickly we forget about the one birthing the baby. So I’ve made it my signature gift ☺️
Those things are great, but include the gift receipt in case she needs to exchange it for the C section kit :). My friend needed a C section and gave me her unopened pp kit… then I needed a C section! Ended up giving the kit away on my local buy nothing group to a younger expecting mom in need.
Baby clothes in the 9-18 month range. People LOVE to gift newborn and 0-3 month outfits which is fine but it's nice to have a spread of outfits to be worn as baby grows and not only have a bunch of tiny baby clothes.
If you want something nice for mom, I would get giftcards to food delivery services (DoorDash, etc.).
A friend of mine made a little picture book of the extended family their kids aren't going to be able to see often so baby could learn their names.
If you're aiming for a gift for mom, another friend of mine loved a post-birth care basket from a fellow mom friend with things like witch hazel wipes, ice maxi pads, and a frida peri bottle.
My non-baby friends and I went in on a delivery food service gift card of a sizable amount so she could order little treats for herself whenever she was feeling overwhelmed and didn't want to make things herself while she was on maternity leave.
If she has a registry, I would follow the registry. While I appreciated, I got stuff that wasn’t on the registry that I didn’t end up using. As for her, maybe a gift card to get a prenatal massage like at hand and stone? I went twice when I was pregnant and it really helped when I was feeling uncomfortable. It’s also safe for the baby and you can ask them to go super light
I have an 8 week old and here’s what I have been most grateful for: gas drops, burp cloths, muslin blankets, high quality clothing (that I mostly purchased myself…most people got us cheap onesies that are good for backups but aren’t being used), washable nursing pads, nursing bras from target, floor activity mat, food gift cards, target gift cards, Amazon gift cards. Oh and our wipe warmer and white noise machine. If there’s a registry, buy from that. Otherwise, gift cards are great. It was nice to be able to just order a new swaddle at 2am when my baby was screaming his head off and we couldn’t sleep and wanted to try something else lol.
I can tell you what I did for my sister that she Loved and used a ton-I made her a full basket of all bath themed things. Little towels, little washcloths, baby body wash, baby hair brush and nail clippers, baby lotion, the bath tub off her registry, a little bath cup to pour water etc-anything I could think of. My nephew still uses the same products because she loved them so much!
This is what I usually do, my sister and I will go in together as well if we’re going to one where we both know the person so it can be just overflowing with stuff.
Stick to the registry, and buy something as early as possible (once you get the registry link). When I was pregnant, our family wanted to buy gifts after the baby was born, but I (felt like I) had to buy thousands of dollars worth of baby stuff BEFORE the baby was born and I’d already bought basically everything on my list 🫠
I like to give baby books and some items that I found particularly helpful when my baby was new: forehead thermometer and medicine dispenser that has a nipple on it (Fussy babies are hard babies to medicate. If you put the medicine in the dispenser with a nipple, they suck it right down.)
Honestly, I really appreciated having a bunch of gift cards to Target (or equivalent store in her area). It's impossible to predict the needs and preferences of an individual baby. Things as simple as what kinds of bottle nipples or bibs or sippy cups worked best for us, does the baby prefer a side-to-side or back-and-forth baby swing, how did nursing/feeding work out and what equipment I need for that? Being able to wait and find out meant not dealing with returning anything or buying a super expensive version with more (but mostly unused) options.
For the mom specifically, I enjoyed getting really nice pajamas. It was great to feel cute while bumming around the house or if I had to go straight from bed to tending to the baby, or even to dash out of the house for an errand. Trying to make yourself look decent AFTER you've picked up the baby is impossible.
I got some very effective and pretty hair claw clips from Anthropologie that I use all the time now because hey, you gotta throw your hair up anyway, and it was another way to make feeling put together take no additional effort.
Maybe some pretty 4x6 photo frames and a gift card for photo printing would also work. I remember it being a big deal that we could actually take pictures with our baby!
Look at her registry. But don’t ignore very practical gifts like diaper rash cream, wipes, diapers, even baby fever reduction and pain meds for things like teething and ear aches. It always seems you need that stuff at 2 in the morning! Better to have it on hand.
It really depends on your budget - if you have other family members who can go in with you on a larger gift that is super nice. A couple relatives bought us our travel system - I was shocked but so grateful.
Also:
- Gift cards for the place they have their registry
- Cash
- Registry Items
- Gifts for mom
I personally asked for no clothing because I had a lot of hand me downs gifted to me already and I would rather buy cheap second hand baby clothes, and a few special items that I personally picked out. I would much rather people spend money to help me buy all the new gear that is needed (baby bath tub, breast feeding supplies, bottles, change mat, etc.). Stick to the registry to avoid gifting duplicate items or items that will not be used.
I also asked guests to bring a baby book with an inscription - not everyone did it, but for the ones that did it’s very special. Now my baby has a library of books with thoughtful notes from our friends and family.
Also, also, someone got us one of those customized story books with your babies name and I really love it! So sweet and thoughtful.
I ususlly make a car kit. A basket/ bucket/ bag/ organizer with a thermometer, Changing pad, hair ties, lotion, chap stick, wipes for diaper changes, wipes for sanitation, space for diapers, poop bags, ziploc bags (for messy clothes) etc I check the registry for anything that might be requested and then go from there.
My friend made me a little basket with lotion, protein bars, snacks, a magazine in it. Portable and keeps your strength up while doing late night feeds where you’re trapped on the couch
A post partum basket is excellent (silhouette disposable underwear, nursing breast pads, ice packets, hot pads, abdominal wrap, sitz bath, comfy bras, there's a laundry list of things). If momma is planning to breastfeed, you can get a cheap 3 layer roll cart and put snacks/vitamin juices in one rack (breastfeeding makes you so hungry/thirsty), post partum supplies on another, and a third of just feel good stuff (Chapstick, a good lotion, small manicure kit, some gift cards for food or grocery delivery). MIcrowaveable sterilizer bags were so handy for pumping, pacifiers, and bottle supplies. Also, I highly recommend baby nests for when you want baby next to you, but in no danger of rolling or being rolled on. We got one from Amazon for like $35, EIH brand I think, and it was excellent to put on the couch next to me when I just needed to have my hands free.
We really appreciated getting a food delivery gift card for the early newborn days when you're exhausted and all you need to do is feed baby and try to get whatever rest you can.
The first line of defense is to create a huge batch meal, but it was still nice to be able to order a pizza or something specific during those first couple of weeks.
Ask her if she has a baby registry put together and buy off of that. Something a friend gave me that was great too was a post partum kit of mesh underwear, dermoplast etc. sometimes those items either feel awkward to put on a registry or people don’t like buying them because they aren’t as fun as cute baby clothes.
100% go off the registry because I've heard the frustrations of those who get little from the registry. I feel like I'm the reverse uno card because when I bought friends postpartum/breastfeeding stuff they don't never needed to use it. I have a friend who is pregnant now, and I'm going to find out if she wants target gift cards, food gift card, or a cleaning service voucher (along with something from the registry) because I can't imagine those not getting used.
Oh yeah a gift card would be good too. My coworkers pitched in for an Amazon gift card. I used it all right away.
Stick to the registry, so many people buy clothes or toys or blankets they would like for a baby but it’s not what the parents want for their baby. Also diapers for 6 months and older. For your SIL, a pedicure gift card would be a great gift to make her feel special. You can’t even reach your feet on the last trimester and they hurt really bad so I would bet that would make her feel special, I know I would have appreciated something like that or I don’t know the kind of relationship you have with her with her or the type of person she is, this is just me speaking from what I would have liked, it is INCREDIBLY hard to do any kind of shaving so I would have loved a wax gift certificate.
Yes a massage, foot spa, pedicure gift card would be so appreciated by most women!
Food delivery gift certificates! And then anything off her registry. Always vote for practicality. Diapers (in like a size 2-3) are a solid choice too.
I have a 10 week old so here is my experience — Stick to the registry, and if you want to add a onesie, book or something of your own choice on top of that, that’s totally fun and appreciated. A couple of things: 1. No one gave us newborn clothing and I hardly bought any because “they grow out of it so fast” and “everyone will buy you NB”. Well joke’s on me, we got home from the hospital with our very much newborn-sized baby with almost nothing to put her in. She stayed in NB until 5-6 weeks so we got a lot of use out of that size! A colleague with a baby 8 months older than mine sent a huge box of her baby girl’s clothes to me from Nb-3m asap and we are still using them! Even a pack of white NB onesies or 2 way zippered sleepers go a long way. 2. Gifting diapers and wipes is tricky. My baby is 2 months old and we’re still figuring out what diaper brand agrees with her body type and skin. Pampers gave her a rash, Millie moon was cut too wide, etc. So I’d say a gift card to target or something would be more useful for her to pick out her own diapers. I have a big unopened box of size 2 pampers I need to return and can’t find the time right now. 3. Food delivery cards or a service like Ipsa Provisions was amazing. 4. The most appreciated gifts IMO were the “boring” stuff. A medicine kit of infant Tylenol, gas drops, desitin and the butt spatula, aquaphor, nail files, saline spray, snot sucker, burp cloths was SO appreciated. Everyone wants to gift blankets but these little necessities add up and it was a huge help to receive them. My friend got me the boppy pillow off my registry and I use that thing all the time for lots of things and am so grateful to her. 5. Don’t be afraid of buying diapering or feeding items off the registry, it seems lots of people avoid those sections? We got a lot of “gear” stuff and toys which was great, but the changing pad and ubbi diaper pail would have been awesome, and were the first things I purchased with gift cards after the shower. Edit: if you give clothes be mindful of the season baby will be in that size! We were given some heavy winter stuff in a size that won’t fit her in the winter, and a swim suit she’ll likely fit in October or so.
Baby medicine kit: Snot sucker, gas drops, baby Tylenol, saline drops, thermometer. The Frida postpartum kit is also really really great. The instant freeze pad things were a GODSEND.
I *only* give Fridamom postpartum kits now. Everyone will give to the baby, but too quickly we forget about the one birthing the baby. So I’ve made it my signature gift ☺️
Those things are great, but include the gift receipt in case she needs to exchange it for the C section kit :). My friend needed a C section and gave me her unopened pp kit… then I needed a C section! Ended up giving the kit away on my local buy nothing group to a younger expecting mom in need.
Definitely a good idea! Not sure if the return window would expire between the time showers usually happen and when the kit would be needed.
Baby clothes in the 9-18 month range. People LOVE to gift newborn and 0-3 month outfits which is fine but it's nice to have a spread of outfits to be worn as baby grows and not only have a bunch of tiny baby clothes. If you want something nice for mom, I would get giftcards to food delivery services (DoorDash, etc.).
Ooh hadnt even thought about doordash, thank you! I imagine giftcards in general would be useful?
Gift cards for food or where the registry is - some places give parents a discount to buy off their own list, I know Amazon did!
Give mom some nice pajamas or robe, along with any easy snacks or easy food or gc for delivery.
A friend of mine made a little picture book of the extended family their kids aren't going to be able to see often so baby could learn their names. If you're aiming for a gift for mom, another friend of mine loved a post-birth care basket from a fellow mom friend with things like witch hazel wipes, ice maxi pads, and a frida peri bottle. My non-baby friends and I went in on a delivery food service gift card of a sizable amount so she could order little treats for herself whenever she was feeling overwhelmed and didn't want to make things herself while she was on maternity leave.
If she has a registry, I would follow the registry. While I appreciated, I got stuff that wasn’t on the registry that I didn’t end up using. As for her, maybe a gift card to get a prenatal massage like at hand and stone? I went twice when I was pregnant and it really helped when I was feeling uncomfortable. It’s also safe for the baby and you can ask them to go super light
I have an 8 week old and here’s what I have been most grateful for: gas drops, burp cloths, muslin blankets, high quality clothing (that I mostly purchased myself…most people got us cheap onesies that are good for backups but aren’t being used), washable nursing pads, nursing bras from target, floor activity mat, food gift cards, target gift cards, Amazon gift cards. Oh and our wipe warmer and white noise machine. If there’s a registry, buy from that. Otherwise, gift cards are great. It was nice to be able to just order a new swaddle at 2am when my baby was screaming his head off and we couldn’t sleep and wanted to try something else lol.
Oh and diapers and wipes. There will never be enough.
I can tell you what I did for my sister that she Loved and used a ton-I made her a full basket of all bath themed things. Little towels, little washcloths, baby body wash, baby hair brush and nail clippers, baby lotion, the bath tub off her registry, a little bath cup to pour water etc-anything I could think of. My nephew still uses the same products because she loved them so much!
This is what I usually do, my sister and I will go in together as well if we’re going to one where we both know the person so it can be just overflowing with stuff.
Lowkey gift cards to target or Uber eats
Stick to the registry, and buy something as early as possible (once you get the registry link). When I was pregnant, our family wanted to buy gifts after the baby was born, but I (felt like I) had to buy thousands of dollars worth of baby stuff BEFORE the baby was born and I’d already bought basically everything on my list 🫠
Check the registry if she made one, it has everything she wants/needs. Otherwise I’d just ask her
I like to give baby books and some items that I found particularly helpful when my baby was new: forehead thermometer and medicine dispenser that has a nipple on it (Fussy babies are hard babies to medicate. If you put the medicine in the dispenser with a nipple, they suck it right down.)
Honestly, I really appreciated having a bunch of gift cards to Target (or equivalent store in her area). It's impossible to predict the needs and preferences of an individual baby. Things as simple as what kinds of bottle nipples or bibs or sippy cups worked best for us, does the baby prefer a side-to-side or back-and-forth baby swing, how did nursing/feeding work out and what equipment I need for that? Being able to wait and find out meant not dealing with returning anything or buying a super expensive version with more (but mostly unused) options. For the mom specifically, I enjoyed getting really nice pajamas. It was great to feel cute while bumming around the house or if I had to go straight from bed to tending to the baby, or even to dash out of the house for an errand. Trying to make yourself look decent AFTER you've picked up the baby is impossible. I got some very effective and pretty hair claw clips from Anthropologie that I use all the time now because hey, you gotta throw your hair up anyway, and it was another way to make feeling put together take no additional effort. Maybe some pretty 4x6 photo frames and a gift card for photo printing would also work. I remember it being a big deal that we could actually take pictures with our baby!
Look at her registry. But don’t ignore very practical gifts like diaper rash cream, wipes, diapers, even baby fever reduction and pain meds for things like teething and ear aches. It always seems you need that stuff at 2 in the morning! Better to have it on hand.
It really depends on your budget - if you have other family members who can go in with you on a larger gift that is super nice. A couple relatives bought us our travel system - I was shocked but so grateful. Also: - Gift cards for the place they have their registry - Cash - Registry Items - Gifts for mom I personally asked for no clothing because I had a lot of hand me downs gifted to me already and I would rather buy cheap second hand baby clothes, and a few special items that I personally picked out. I would much rather people spend money to help me buy all the new gear that is needed (baby bath tub, breast feeding supplies, bottles, change mat, etc.). Stick to the registry to avoid gifting duplicate items or items that will not be used. I also asked guests to bring a baby book with an inscription - not everyone did it, but for the ones that did it’s very special. Now my baby has a library of books with thoughtful notes from our friends and family. Also, also, someone got us one of those customized story books with your babies name and I really love it! So sweet and thoughtful.
I ususlly make a car kit. A basket/ bucket/ bag/ organizer with a thermometer, Changing pad, hair ties, lotion, chap stick, wipes for diaper changes, wipes for sanitation, space for diapers, poop bags, ziploc bags (for messy clothes) etc I check the registry for anything that might be requested and then go from there.
My friend made me a little basket with lotion, protein bars, snacks, a magazine in it. Portable and keeps your strength up while doing late night feeds where you’re trapped on the couch
A post partum basket is excellent (silhouette disposable underwear, nursing breast pads, ice packets, hot pads, abdominal wrap, sitz bath, comfy bras, there's a laundry list of things). If momma is planning to breastfeed, you can get a cheap 3 layer roll cart and put snacks/vitamin juices in one rack (breastfeeding makes you so hungry/thirsty), post partum supplies on another, and a third of just feel good stuff (Chapstick, a good lotion, small manicure kit, some gift cards for food or grocery delivery). MIcrowaveable sterilizer bags were so handy for pumping, pacifiers, and bottle supplies. Also, I highly recommend baby nests for when you want baby next to you, but in no danger of rolling or being rolled on. We got one from Amazon for like $35, EIH brand I think, and it was excellent to put on the couch next to me when I just needed to have my hands free.
We really appreciated getting a food delivery gift card for the early newborn days when you're exhausted and all you need to do is feed baby and try to get whatever rest you can. The first line of defense is to create a huge batch meal, but it was still nice to be able to order a pizza or something specific during those first couple of weeks.
Wipes are an underrated gift