Totally Random - For the Moms and Dads

terrappyn
terrappyn Posts: 324 Member
I have a baby shower this weekends and my questions What is the one things that you wish you had received at your baby shower? Or the one thing that you received that you never would have thought of but glad someone else did?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • Coupons for free babysitting!!! I had a shower and got some of those along with my gift from a my sister-in-law. BEST present ever. I actually used them!!! :)
  • laural007
    laural007 Posts: 251 Member
    One of the shopping cart covers for the baby
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    I got tons of diapers *loved*
    Way too much baby bath and lotion. The little guys are tiny, it doesn't take much!
    Nice, big, soft receiving blankets (not the small cheap ones) are great!
    The rest is kind of a blur as I was admitted to the hospital with pre-eclampsia the next day :p
  • hg5159
    hg5159 Posts: 76 Member
    Don't get blankets. I got a TON of blankets and it was such a waste.

    My biggest advice is to buy stuff from the registry. So many people wanted to get or make cute things like blankets for the baby, that I didn't get the essentials that we truly needed. Barely anything on my registry was purchased. While I appreciated each and every gift. I couldn't return 10 homemade blankets to get the things I needed, KWIM? So I will always and forever buy off the registry - the things on there are the things the parent NEEDS and put on the list for a reason. :)
  • terrappyn
    terrappyn Posts: 324 Member
    Thanks!! I usually do a couple of boxes of larger sized diapers but I feel like that so boring. Or I do a laundry basket of outfits hung on a clothes line so its a one shot deal when you pull it out but I wait much too long to do that!
  • whitneyas
    whitneyas Posts: 95 Member
    While I am not a mother we have started discussing starting a family in the next year... so I am always reading about baby stuff :) This blog I read has a great list of registry things that she considers a must have :) Have fun! http://littlebabygarvin.blogspot.com/2012/10/baby-registry-must-haves_25.html
  • rachelmorgan77
    rachelmorgan77 Posts: 131 Member
    Unfortunately, every person is different. I could have done without the shopping cart cover, but I LOVED the swaddle blankets I got - and the nurses loved them too. Diapers are a good idea, but you'll have to know if they're doing cloth or disposable. There's a big trend to go back to cloth diapers now. I agree with the bath products - you way too many - and with my kids they had sensitive skin so we had to use Burts Bees so the Johnson & Johnsons were useless! The best bet is to go off a registry or ask the mommy to be if you can.

    If you can get a few of you to go in together, big items are nice to recieve like a high chair, exersaucer, etc. Mom might not use it til later, but you already have it when they're ready for it.
  • All I know is, the "Diaper Genie" sucked. That was 11 years ago, so they may be better now. But, it was useless back then.
  • terrappyn
    terrappyn Posts: 324 Member
    Unfortunately, every person is different. I could have done without the shopping cart cover, but I LOVED the swaddle blankets I got - and the nurses loved them too. Diapers are a good idea, but you'll have to know if they're doing cloth or disposable. There's a big trend to go back to cloth diapers now. I agree with the bath products - you way too many - and with my kids they had sensitive skin so we had to use Burts Bees so the Johnson & Johnsons were useless! The best bet is to go off a registry or ask the mommy to be if you can.

    If you can get a few of you to go in together, big items are nice to recieve like a high chair, exersaucer, etc. Mom might not use it til later, but you already have it when they're ready for it.


    She's 21 so Im thinking cloth diapers are out. lol The Burts Bees is a good idea. :) Thanks!
  • gadenni34
    gadenni34 Posts: 294 Member
    when in doubt buy off the registry, give a gift card or make sure you have a gift receipt. Diapers are not boring, but as was pointed out many are using cloth again. I know I used swaddlers when they were still pooping meconium and then switched over to cloth.

    I agree that lotions/soaps, blankets and cute, but possibly useless outfits are highly over rated and over given. which sounds selfish or rude but if it is not something they can use then why give it? small diaper bag type toys are something you can buy and use to either *cute * up your package or even card.

    so many things are so subjective to the parent that it is just best to keep it simple.
  • Worst things we received were tons of disposable diapers/wet wipes (I was 21 myself and know tons of young mums using cloth?), bottles when we intended to breastfeed, and millions of chemical-laden bath products.
    Soooo many people said to us "I know you'll probably get loads of newborn clothes, so we bought some bigger stuff" - so many people that we actually didn't get any little clothes at all, and only had stuff she couldn't wear for at least six months.

    Best things were vouchers/cash, cot sheets and sleeping bags, and some really fab stuffed toys that she still loves 2 years later. My work put their cash together and bought us a baby monitor.
    I would've loved some gentle and/or eco-friendly bath products, and funky cloth nappies or accessories as everyone knew we were going to use it.

    My daughter wasn't particularly sicky, but muslin sick clothes are always useful and you can get them in great colours.
  • Ivey05131980
    Ivey05131980 Posts: 1,118 Member
    Gift cards, diapers and wipes are ALWAYS great...also diapers in the bigger sizes are nice, like 3-4 for later on...I LOVE doing gift baskets and filling it up with goodies!
  • SeaChele77
    SeaChele77 Posts: 1,103 Member
    *More diapers in sz 2 or 3 (newborn and 1's go to waste)
    *Medicine (baby tylenol, gas relief, etc)
    * Teething tablets (NOT orajel)
    * Lavender bath wash
    * Gift cards
  • Tannedtiffers
    Tannedtiffers Posts: 558 Member
    Wipe Warmer....best invention ever.
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
    A live in nanny.
  • Melissajo44
    Melissajo44 Posts: 24 Member
    GIFT CARDS!!!!
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
    All I know is, the "Diaper Genie" sucked. That was 11 years ago, so they may be better now. But, it was useless back then.

    It worked great for us.
  • All I know is, the "Diaper Genie" sucked. That was 11 years ago, so they may be better now. But, it was useless back then.

    It worked great for us.

    Great to hear. It just made my house smell like *kitten*.
  • Gift cards are awesome. When my son was born, everyone we knew bought us little hooded towels. I still use them to wash my truck 15 years later. WE had enough to stock a baby bed-nn-bath store. Give gift certificates. Preferably to Home Depot.
  • JBott84
    JBott84 Posts: 268 Member
    I say gift cards also, to get what you don't get at the shower. Also at my shower one person got ME a gift - Mommy Gift! Made me feel special.
  • daisiemae123
    daisiemae123 Posts: 277 Member
    Best thing I got was clothes that were for when he was bigger. My son was born in April and one friend got me a snow suit that fit him in December. Another got me an assortment of sizes of shirts and outfits. Loved when he was going into 9 month clothes and I knew I had something already in the closet for him. Biggest thing is get something that isn't season specific (for example onesies that can be worn under clothes in the winter or alone in the summer) My little guy outgrew a lot of things before he had a chance to wear them because he grew so fast.
  • Never used the Diaper Genie, ever. Or the changing table pad very often. Could have done without both. Got way too much Desitin.

    Returned the bottle warmer. A cup of hot water works fine.

    Best thing I got that I never would have thought of -- you can buy these round soft mat things that lay on the floor for the baby to lay on. Ours had a bear head, hands and feet and then looked like a baseball. I got a pink giraffe one for my niece. We loved them. Just a nice alternative for a place for the baby to hang out. We used them constantly.

    Not having to buy diapers for a couple months, with twins, was also amazing!

    Edited to say...you can actually see they're laying on it in my pic.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
    a big bottle of Jack Daniels.

    man, oh man, i wish someone gave me that.

    i wish someone would give me that right now, actually.
  • Tambookie
    Tambookie Posts: 20 Member
    YES
    Gift cards for a baby store or general retailer like Wal-mart
    Triple Paste and Aquaphor - two of the best diaper rash treatments available
    Rattles/newborn toys
    A cute and comfortable outfit
    Anything on the registry

    NO
    Diapers/wipes - found out my baby was allergic to certain brands
    Blankets - I think we were given about 40 receiving blankets and 10 fluffy or handmade blankets
    Bottles - not useful for breastfeeding moms, even bottle-feeding moms need to decide which is best. We went through 4 types before finding the ones that worked for us.
    Frilly dresses or anything impractical. Our daughter never even wore half the dresses because they were so impractical. She lived in sleepers though.
  • zephtalah
    zephtalah Posts: 327 Member
    Diapers/ Wipes ( we use cloth but when we are traveling we use disposable so even cloth users still need dispoable now and then)
    GIFT CARDS!!!
    Registry List Items

    There are so many personal prefrences when it comes to babies and baby care. So sometimes more generic items are better.
    Also I like to include some sort of treat for the mommy (i.e. a favorite candy bar or drink or a lotion she really likes.)
  • sempertracy
    sempertracy Posts: 50 Member
    I love taking pictures but only had a film camera until my mother in law bought me a wonderful digital SLR camera which was top of the line 7 years ago. She lives out of state and it makes (I still use it) taking and sending pictures much more fun! Best gift ever and it was pricey!
  • Cameron_1969
    Cameron_1969 Posts: 2,855 Member
    Gas Mask
  • angee1126
    angee1126 Posts: 185 Member
    Wish I would have got more diapers & Onesies! I had an over abundance of lotions, oils and beanies! lol
  • lovelyrose11
    lovelyrose11 Posts: 609 Member
    an activity mat- wouldnt have purchased it myself but came in really handy!
  • Lunarokra
    Lunarokra Posts: 855 Member
    Swaddle blankets are awesome! Diapers are never a bad gift, at my shower the table decor were diapers, and till this day i have only had to buy a box of size 2.