When a new life comes into the world, it is traditional to hold a celebration to welcome them, and a big part of that celebration is the giving of gifts. However, over recent years the number of types of celebrations that are thrown has grown. No longer is there just a baby shower or christening to consider, but naming ceremonies, gender reveals, and gifts given directly after the baby is born. The good news is that below you can find the best baby-related gifts for every occasion.
Gender reveal
As you will probably guess from the title, the point of a gender-reveal party or event is to reveal whether the baby is a boy or a girl. That means you won’t know the sex of the baby beforehand and so you will need to consider this when buying gifts.
The good news is that not everyone chooses to know the sex of the child before they give birth so you will find plenty of gender-neutral items to choose from. In particular, clothing in neutral colors such as white, grey, green, and yellow can be a good choice here. Babygrows or rompers are always partial and you can often get them in sets with matching hats and soft shoes, which is not only adorable but also very practical for keeping baby’s body temperature stable in the cold when they are young.
Other great gifts for gender-reveal parties are toys and books that would appeal to all babies. For example, traditional wooden toys like building blocks would be an excellent choice, as would board books with bold illustrations, or even more complex books which the parents will be able to read to the child, some parents even like to read to the baby while in utero to help build a strong bond.
Baby shower
Like a gender reveal it is often held while mom is pregnant and before the child is born. However, unlike a gender reveal some parents choose not to let friends and family in on the biological sex of their child. Of course, this once again means that gender-neutral items are a good choice.
Traditionally baby showers are thrown to help make sure the parents have all the gifts they need for when the little one arrives. The idea is that you ‘shower’ them with gifts! With that in mind, a focus on larger practical items such as a car seat, stroller, baby bath, and changing mat is often the norm. Although, hampers of smaller sundries like diapers, wipes, and bibs will also usually be received with joy!
Some baby showers even have registries like weddings, so guests can choose an item from the list and have it delivered straight to the expectant parent’s home. Indeed, registries are a particularly good idea because it means parents are likely to get more of what they truly want and need, and that no repeat items are bought. After all, the last thing that a heavily pregnant mom needs is the hassle of trying to return and change things!
Newborn
It may seem as if buying a gift for a newborn would be just the same as if you were getting a gift for a baby shower. However, this is not actually the case. In fact, several factors will impact your buying decision such as the weight of the baby. For example, it’s not much good buying newborn-size clothes, if the baby in question is born weighing 10 pounds!
Indeed, it is worth noting that buying newborn clothes isn’t always the best approach anyway. This is for the simple reason that everyone else in the parent’s friendship circle will be doing this as well, something that can result in the new family having tonnes of clothes that fit the baby for the first weeks of their lives, but very little after that time. After all, babies grow incredibly fast and will leave newborn-size clothes behind pretty quickly. With that in mind, choosing garments that are for 3 months and up and even 6 months and up is a much better choice.
Although if you do decide to buy ahead, remember to consider what the weather will be like at that time in the place they live. For example, if a baby is born in summer and you want to get them clothes to wear when they are 6 months old, items such as snowsuits, hats, long-sleeved tops, and cozy baby socks will be the most practical.
Christening
Another popular celebration that surrounds the birth of a baby is christening. This is when parents of the Christian faith celebrate the birth of their baby, officially name them and ask trusted friends and family members to be Godparents and look out for the spiritual well-being of their child.
Of course, once the religious service is over many people throw a party with food, and guests give gifts for the baby. Now, once again the type of gifts that are given here will differ slightly from the other celebrations mentioned. In particular, the focus will be on two things: gifts with a religious theme, and keepsake items.
Unfortunately, coming up with religious gift ideas can be tricky, especially if you do not have your own faith. Although you can find some beautifully simple and decorative items like glass blocks which would look beautiful displayed in any nursery. Those with a more developed faith may choose to buy gifts such as a special bible, or cross pendant for the child to wear when they get older too.
However, if you would prefer to go down the non-religious keepsake route there are still plenty of items to consider. One such item a commemorative plate or personalized item? Non-religious jewelry items are also popular, especially if they can be put away for the child when they get older.
Naming ceremony
The last celebration surrounding the birth of a new baby you may come across is a naming ceremony. This is a fairly modern invention and while similar in tone to a christening, does not have any religious aspect. In essence, a naming ceremony is a party thrown to celebrate the birth of the child, and formally name them in front of friends and family.
Of course, that means that religious gifts won’t be appropriate here, yet you will still want to find something that will work as a keepsake. In particular, a baby book can be a great gift for a naming ceremony. This is a high-end blank scrapbook where the parents can log the milestones of the baby’s development from birth onwards. They are books especially made for this purpose too with adorable designs, and even keepsake boxes to choose from.
Another wonderful gift for a naming ceremony is to choose something personalized with the baby’s name. Traditionally, these used to be items such as clothing or towels with the name embroidered on them. Although, these days there are many platforms where you can order handmade gifts from toys to artworks that display a baby’s name. The good thing about this being that no matter what your budget or the type of item you are looking for you can usually find it pretty easily online.
