If you're heading to a baby shower and want to bring something a little more thoughtful than another pack of onesies, here are a few gift ideas worth considering. Including one or two you might not have thought of yet.
1. A framed print or piece of nursery art
Something soft and decorative that isn't another stuffed toy. Look for something simple and well made rather than novelty themed, so it suits the nursery for longer. This Seaweed print from The Poster Club (available at Paper Plane) is a gentle option that would sit nicely in almost any nursery.
2. A keepsake card set
A set of keepsake cards gives new parents an easy, low pressure way to hold onto their baby's first year. No big blank baby book to feel behind on, just simple prompts they can fill in as moments happen. It's a gift that's still being used months, even years, after the shower.
3. A meal train, or a box of pre made meals
Not a physical gift, but genuinely one of the most useful things you can give. A roster of meals for the first few weeks after birth takes real pressure off, right when they need it most. Feeding the Fourth makes this easy if you'd rather order something ready made than organise a roster yourself.
4. A really good baby carrier
Practical, a little special, and something many new parents put off buying for themselves. A lovely option if you're going in on a group gift. Mumma Etc's Daily Carrier is a beautiful one to look at.
5. Something for her, postpartum
New mums are often forgotten in the flurry of gifts for the baby. A small basket with things just for her, a good moisturiser, tea, a book she'll never quite have time to read but will love having, goes a long way. Mama & Bell's gift boxes are designed with exactly this in mind.
6. Something made for a second time mum
If it's a second, or third, baby, skip anything aimed at first timers. A second time mum doesn't need the muslin cloth explainer again. She needs things that make life a little easier, like a simple keepsake card set she can fill in during nap time, without the guilt of an unfinished baby book from round one.
Whatever you choose, the gifts that get used and remembered are usually the ones that solve a real problem, not just the ones that look good unwrapped.