Baby shower gift ideas

leandygandy

Morning chaps and chappettes!

I have five friends due to give birth in the next six months :eek:

And have already received two baby shower invites. Money is tight so I'm looking for ideas for inexpensive gifts please. I'd quite like them to be generous/imPressie looking though, as I don't want anyone thinking I'm tight

Shower 1. Is for a second time mum in her late twenties, she is a work colleague but I'd say also a friend as well.

I was thinking maybe some kind of medical hamper for her - so products she will use as she probably already has most things kept from her first baby. Calpol, teething gel, infacol etc. or is this a carp gift?

Shower 2. Is for a first time mum in her mid twenties, who is a long term friend.

Not really sure what to get her tbh, open to all avenues

BitterAndTwisted

"Baby showers" are an unwanted foreign import. Don't take part in them, I say. They're only a tiny step away from begging letters.

Claree__x

I think the medical hamper is a lovely idea. I only just realised that it's about a fiver for a tub of sudocream - what's that about?! :rotfl:

Hollypop_2

A few of my friends have had babies recently. The last time a few weeks ago that I went to a baby shower I went to my local poundland and bought loads of baby items, lotions, wipes, rubber ducks and a teddy bear. (they do johnsons and other common baby brands really cheap) Then bought 60 nappies (sizes 2, 3 & 4) and then used the nappies to make a 'cake' with 3 layers, size 4 on the bottom, 3 in the middle and 2 on top. put the items i had bought round the edges and the teddy on top. All in all it cost no more than £15 in total and looked really good.

Another option is to buy a basket and put all the items from the pound shop in there to make a baby hamper.

I'm sure your friends will really appriciate the thought and effort too.

Heres a couple of pics from before and after it was wrapped.




Good Luck :-)

OrkneyStar

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

"Baby showers" are an unwanted foreign import. Don't take part in them, I say. They're only a tiny step away from begging letters.

I agree.
If I was invited to one I would decline unless it was a close friend, and of course I would likely buy them something small or knit a baby hat or something.

Peanut2013

The medical gift would be brilliant for both

We got given a box full of 'goodies' from a friend including infacol, sudocreme, calpol, teething gel and a few johnson products for baby.

Within the first 24 hours of being home we needed the infacol and the sudocreme and I'd just not thought about buying those products! Since then we've needed the calpol and will need the teething gel in the next month I imagine

Person_one

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

"Baby showers" are an unwanted foreign import. Don't take part in them, I say. They're only a tiny step away from begging letters.

Agreed.

A party where the whole purpose is 'buy me stuff'? No thanks.

In this country, we celebrate the baby after it has safely arrived, which is not something that should be taken for granted.

Claree__x

Person_one wrote: »

Agreed.

A party where the whole purpose is 'buy me stuff'? No thanks.

In this country, we celebrate the baby after it has safely arrived, which is not something that should be taken for granted.

Or maybe an excuse for a night in with your friends before your baby arrives and you have less time to do so?

On the same note, is a birthday party a step away from a begging letter too? You're expected (more so) to bring a present to those too.

Kildare

Person_one wrote: »

Agreed.

A party where the whole purpose is 'buy me stuff'? No thanks.

In this country, we celebrate the baby after it has safely arrived, which is not something that should be taken for granted.

Absolutely agree with this and would only go if it was a very close friend. Gifts are for after the baby has arrived.

Also, if you get them a gift at the baby shower do you not then get them another gift when the baby is born :eek:

notanewuser

Hollypop wrote: »

A few of my friends have had babies recently. The last time a few weeks ago that I went to a baby shower I went to my local poundland and bought loads of baby items, lotions, wipes, rubber ducks and a teddy bear. (they do johnsons and other common baby brands really cheap) Then bought 60 nappies (sizes 2, 3 & 4) and then used the nappies to make a 'cake' with 3 layers, size 4 on the bottom, 3 in the middle and 2 on top. put the items i had bought round the edges and the teddy on top. All in all it cost no more than £15 in total and looked really good.

Another option is to buy a basket and put all the items from the pound shop in there to make a baby hamper.

I'm sure your friends will really appriciate the thought and effort too.

Heres a couple of pics from before and after it was wrapped.




Good Luck :-)

It may not be the best idea to buy mainstream toiletries and nappies for unborn babies. You have no idea what will suit baby. Had I received this, pretty as it is, very little of that would have been used. It would be donated to a women's refuge. I would rather you not spent the money on things that may not get used.

notanewuser

Peanut2013 wrote: »

The medical gift would be brilliant for both

We got given a box full of 'goodies' from a friend including infacol, sudocreme, calpol, teething gel and a few johnson products for baby.

Within the first 24 hours of being home we needed the infacol and the sudocreme and I'd just not thought about buying those products! Since then we've needed the calpol and will need the teething gel in the next month I imagine

Don't bother with teething gel - it slides off the gums. Use anbesol liquid. It's magic.