Even before I had a child of my own I would sometimes look at people’s baby registry’s and think “Do these people even know what they need for a baby?”  The truth is before you have a child of your own it really can be hard to wade through all the hundreds of baby items that are supposed to simplify your life and figure out what it is you will really need.  When I make up gift baskets for baby showers I try to give the parents to be things I feel like they will actually use.  I also like to try to add a personal touch.

Some of the staples I like to include in a basket of baby goodies are as follows:

Diapers–  You can never have enough diapers and the good thing about diapers is you can give a box of a larger size so the baby can grow into the, babies grow fast and aren’t always in the newborn/1 size for very long so even size 2 or 3 can be appreciated by the parents.  (If you know the parent’s are going to be cloth diapering I would ask them what brand they are looking at using and maybe get them one or two of these or just skip the diapers altogether).

Wipes–  Dirty bottoms, spit up, sticky hands… Wipes are just convenient to have around, everywhere in the house.  My child is almost 2 and I probably have a package in almost every room of the house.  I always go with a natural type of wipe because some babies are super sensitive and I also personally can’t stand the smell of some of the scented wipes.

Bottle/Sippy Cups– Bottles are always good.  Even for a breast feeding mom, bottles are good to have around in case Mom needs a break.  And I promise almost every child at some point will use a sippy cup (even if only in the car).  Everyone has their own opinions of what bottles/Sippy’s are best.  I loved our Advent bottles/Sippy’s, but they are a little pricey compared to some brands. My main recommendation is the less parts the better, it’s easy to forget parts when there are a bunch or lose them and when there are less parts the cups/bottles are easier to keep clean.

Bottle Brush–  I can’t tell you how many bottle brushes we went through with our own babe.  They are inexpensive, but appreciated.  Throw a couple in the package.

Clothes–  Hand me downs are okay to give and are usually greatly appreciated, just make sure they are free from stains and tears and in good condition.  I usually give these in a separate box and don’t include in the basket of goodies.  If you want to buy something new for the babe I recommend buying larger sizes of clothes, anywhere from 12 months-2T.  I promise someone will give the expectant parents really cute newborn size onesies.  What they might not get is larger sizes that they will need in the near future because overnight it seems like your baby grows out of one size and into another.

Blanket– If you are super crafty you can make a blanket.  I haven’t yet attempted this, but instead give light muslin swaddle blankets.  I like the Aden + Anais blankets.  And if you’re anything like me you find that babies come in bunches so you could buy one pack of blankets and split them between goodie baskets.

Books–  You can never have enough books for your child.  Get them one of your childhood favorites, or your child’s favorites.  For children under two I really recommend board books as babies find tearing and eating pages amusing.

Butt Balm–  This is one of my personalized items.  I tried making my own butt balm and found that it works so much better than commercial products I have vowed to never use or promote the commercial products again.  I will warn you if you aren’t into essential oils the butt balm can be a little pricey to make, but it lasts for a long time, so I think it’s worth the investment.  I use a recipe from The Hippy Homemaker, but I also add tea tree oil to mine.  You can find the recipe on her blog at http://www.thehippyhomemaker.com/the-best-homemade-first-time-moms-kit-or-any-new-mother-for-that-matter/ (Also her blog is awesome!)

Homemade Anti-Bacterial Spray–  Another personalized item.  Because really, who wants to use chemicals on or around their tiny newborn?  This can be used on hands or on surfaces and is great to keep tucked in a diaper bag.  I will again refer you to The Hippy Homemaker for the recipe http://www.thehippyhomemaker.com/the-best-homemade-first-time-moms-kit-or-any-new-mother-for-that-matter/

Name Flag– I like being crafty and adding a personal touch so I usually add a little name flag in the basket of goodies.  It isn’t hard or super expensive and it’s something I can hand sew in about half an hour (If the babies name isn’t terribly long).  You can use Felt, Ribbon and pre-cut felt letter that stick on, and I promise everyone likes something with their babies name on it.

Container– When you have a child you can NEVER have enough storage containers.  Give the gift in something that can be used for storage!  A basket, a plastic container with a lid, a sturdy cardboard box with a lid (like photo boxes) anything that can be re-used as storage.

I promise with these few items you can’t go wrong and the gifts will be used and appreciated.

FTC disclosure: I may receive monetary compensation for my endorsement/recommendation/testimonial and or link to retail products in this article to support my blogging habit.  I will never link to a retail provider I have not used.  I will only link to providers I would personally recommend.