When I had my first child I was overwhelmed with all of the baby registries, baby shower gifts and questions from loved ones about what I wanted/needed. I honestly had no clue! All I knew was what I was seeing in advertisements and what I thought looked cute. Like most parents, I thought I needed it all and made sure I had every single thing I saw on every list of “must haves”. Reality is, I used less than half of it. It was great I was not out of pocket and most were gifts, but I still felt like it was a waste. There is no surprise here that almost half of gift givers (forty-two per cent) are unaware that they may actually be gifting something completely impractical to new parents.
Fast forward to my fourth child and my wants and needs for the new baby were pretty basic. She was eight years younger than the rest so we literally had to start over. But our experience helped us determine what we really needed. One big item we delayed buying for our youngest was a crib. She slept in a bassinet for the first few months so it was not needed right away. This helped us budget for the stuff that was more pressing, like diapers and formula. Having nursed my other children, formula was a big surprise and a huge expense. I had no idea what exactly was needed and it took a bit for us to find the products that fit our lives well. At first glance many new parents think all bottles and accessories are the same, they are so wrong!
Having had four children I am often asked by new parents what I think a young family starting out may need. Obviously a car seat is a must! Blankets and clothing that is easy to put on and take off of a sleeping baby, diapers and bottles are all on the need list, even if breastfeeding you should have some bottles just in case. Change tables, fancy diaper bags and other items are dependent on your preferences, individual needs and budget. As great as a highchair is and a potty seat, these items are not going to be used for quite some time. Unless you have lots of room and can afford to buy them early, I would hold off and buy them closer to the dates you will be using them.
Giving diapers, bottles and other useful items does not need to be boring. I created a diaper cake for my sister’s shower full of everything she could need for her new little guy. I added in wash clothes and teddy bears to the cake to make it pretty and more personalized.
Playtex Bottles work great for gifts. They clean up easy, are super cute and can transition with your child’s needs.
One-third of Canadian moms cited bottles as a beneficial baby gift (34%)
The bottles we chose when our youngest was a baby was the
Playtex Nurser with Drop-Ins Liners, you can buy them as a newborn gift set. This is a great starter kit for mom-to-be. This #1 selling disposable bottle system and pediatrician-recommended bottle brand collapse like the breast to help prevent air from mixing with the milk and entering babies tummy to help reduce gas, colic and spit-up.
What should one do when looking for a gift fro new parents and babies?
The best thing to do is ask the parents what they still need for the baby. Just like any gift, if you see something you just love, it does not mean it will work for them. When in doubt, many moms still appreciate gift cards.
PlaytexBaby™ and Babies “R” Us want to help you Give a Gift Mom and Baby Really Need
From September 30 to October 31, 2016 spend $40 or more before tax on PlaytexBaby™ products (excluding all Playtex® Diaper Genie® products) at Babies “R” Us and you will receive a bonus $10 gift card to use on your next purchase. You can throw the gift card into the gift bag as an extra or buy yourself something fun.
Best of all this offer is available both online and in-store.
What do you think new parents and baby need most? Was there a product you could not live without?
Disclosure- This post has been brought to you by EPC as part of the PlaytexBaby™ What Moms Really Need Influencer Program. Even though payment has been received, all opinions are my own.
You can never had too many receiving blankets. They are so many things they can be used for. Also, diapers and wipes are a must.
Bottles were definitely something that we never got as gifts between both of our children, even though they were on our registry. If you’re planning to bottle feed then it’s definitely something that’s a must-have. If nothing else, I’d say buy me all the diapers you can! If it comes down to it, if I have too many of one size I can always exchange them out for the right size.
A diaper cake is a fantastic idea. I like to make gift baskets for baby showers. I will have to try a diaper cake for the next shower I go to.
I loved getting diapers in different sizes other than newborn or 1’s. It’s so nice to have some bigger sizes ready to go and not have to worry about it.
Bottles are always a great gift. I love this deal that Babies R Us has going on!
Ahhh… back when my kids were babies there really wasn’t a disposable diaper that worked. There wasn’t any elastic on the legs so everything (ewww) simply fell out of the diaper. I used cloth diapers with big ducky safety/diaper pins. I could never have enough diapers.
I too nursed my babies however the only bottle they would take were the Playtex Nursers. They were great for when we left the baby with Grandma for a few hours.
I am a gift card mama! I feel like I can never have enough. I am always needing something- big or small- and it helps to know that I have it covered with gift cards!
It was interesting to see my “wish-list” get smaller with each child. With my first I wanted it all, but by my third I almost only wanted the big necessary baby gear (like car seat/stroller) and diapers! lol
I nursed all my babies, and didn’t use bottles but these are great even for breastfeeding moms – always great to have a back up.
Bottles and diapers are great gifts!