Baby Gift Giving Guide

Things to consider when choosing a baby gift:

Do you know the baby’s gender? If the baby is already born, or the parents learned the gender during an ultrasound, you are safe getting a gender specific gift. If the gender is still in doubt, choose something gender neutral. You could get baby clothing or accessories in a neutral color such as green, yellow, white or orange. Or you might want to go with a gift of books, CD’s or DVD’s that would appeal to girls and boys alike.

Do you know the baby’s name? If the baby is already born and named, or the parents have definitely decided on a name, they would surely appreciate a personalized or monogrammed baby gift. If the baby isn’t born and the parents aren’t sure of the baby’s name, you’ll have to forgo the personalized baby gift for now.

Do you know how the baby’s nursery will be decorated? If so, try to pick baby clothing, nursery accessories or a keepsake baby gift that fits the theme, like bunnies, bears, Noah’s ark, Disney, etc. If you don’t know, don’t worry. As long as the gift shows some thought and caring on your part, they’re still sure to appreciate it.

Is this the first baby? Or is there already an older sibling or two (or more) already in the picture? If so, is this likely to be the last baby for the parents? If this is the first baby, the parents will need lots of everything. You may want to choose a gift basket or layette set with a variety of items. If the parents plan to expand their brood in the future, you may want to choose gender neutral items that can be used by the future younger siblings, whether they are boys or girls. If the baby already has one or more older siblings, you may want to consider a gift that could be used by the older sibling(s) now. This could include storybooks, DVD’s or toys that are aimed at toddlers or young children. The new baby could then enjoy those things when he or she grows older. You may also want to get a special sibling gift, like a Big Brother or Big Sister T-shirt, so the older sibling doesn’t feel left out of all the attention being showered on the new baby. If this is likely to be the last baby of the bunch, the parents may already be well stocked with baby basics from previous births. You might consider getting one luxury item for this last baby. Feel free to get something pink and frilly or boyishly blue if there are no concerns about passing the item down.

How big of an extended family do the parents have? Are they likely to get hand-me-downs from their own siblings, cousins, or will they need to stock up from scratch? Will they be getting lots of gifts from far and wide or is their circle of family and friends more intimate? This will help determine if you should address the basics, or perhaps get a more unique gift.

How well do you know the new parents or parents-to-be? The responses to the questions above should help you answer this question. If you know the couple well, then you can tailor the gift to their tastes, with personalization, monograms, colors and themes to match the nursery and the parents’ interests. What if you’re a distant relative, a business associate, a friend of the family or otherwise less intimately acquainted with the parents? You can’t go wrong with a congratulatory bouquet of flowers or a gift basket of edible goodies.

Are the parents adopting? If so, what age will the child be? Often children are several months old or even toddlers when adopted, so this needs to be considered when choosing a gift. Also, you might want to wait until the paperwork has been completed. Adoption proceedings, whether domestic or international, don’t always go as planned, and it might be best to wait until the child is at home with his or her newly adopted parents to give a gift.

Will there be more than one baby? There are baby gift baskets designed just for twins and multiples. Or you could select matching or coordinating outfits for the little bundles of joy. There are T-shirts and onesies with sayings that are designed with multiples in mind.