Baby showers are a wonderful tradition that give friends and family an opportunity to share in the excitement and anticipation of a newborn baby's arrival. Buying a gift, however, often means choosing between items that are fun, cute or practical. Select a shower gift that will be meaningful, not only to the new parents and baby, but also to you, the giver.
Baby Calendar
Life with a newborn is so busy that there's seldom time to sit down and record special moments in baby books or scrapbooks. A baby calendar comes with stickers for special occasions, such as "Baby's First Smile," "One Month Old" or "Baby's First Visitor is …". The convenience and ease of a baby calendar allows the mother or father to simply peel off the appropriate sticker and place it on the appropriate date. This way, special moments are recorded, rather than tucked away in memory, risking the chance of being forgotten. Baby calendars are easily found at card and gift wrap stores and come in many styles and designs.
Infant massage
Infant massage is a way for a parent to soothe an upset baby or bond through physical touch. The new parent can learn the technique through a gift of an infant massage DVD, book or paid class. When you give a new mother the gift of learning infant massage, you're providing her with a very personal experience to share with her newborn. Infant massage is not only soothing to the baby, it's also soothing to the parent who gives the massage. The techniques are simple to learn from DVDs or books, but for a more complete and hands-on learning experience, give a certificate to an infant massage class.
Practical needs
While toys, clothing and baby gear are popular gifts for baby showers, the first few weeks of an infant's life require many essential items the parents may overlook. Put together a gift basket of receiving blankets, burp clothes, diaper wipes and disposable diapers. Add some medical basics such as a nasal aspirator, nail clippers, diaper rash ointment and a baby thermometer. While some of these items may not seem very exciting as gifts, they will be much appreciated by new parents who don't have the time or energy to run to the store for these kinds of necessary supplies.
