^{Before we jump in: this post has affiliate links in it, because if you buy something on my recommendation, I think it’s fair that I get a cut of Amazon’s profits for helping them make the sale. We all know Jeff has plenty of money to spare. But please know that I would never, ever recommend something I thought was trash. Not even for money. I really think these are the best baby shower gifts you can buy.}

I’m going to confess something: I hate baby showers. I don’t like attending them and I don’t like being the guest of honor. I think it’s because my love language is gifts, so I don’t like the whole opening-all-the-presents-in-front-of-people part. Gifts are a concrete way to tell someone that you love them and/or are thinking of them. It feels weird to me that everyone’s expression of care for the parent and their baby is on display. It also makes guests compare their gifts to other people’s, which I hate for so many reasons. Not everyone is made of money, y’all. I’m surely not.

I digress. If it hasn’t happened already, one of your friends is inevitably going to have a baby. Someone will probably throw a baby shower in their honor. Then you’ll probably want to pony up a gift to help them survive parenting the new human being they just made (seriously, it’s freaking crazy/amazing how we can just make new people – with sex!). You should always check their registry first. But they might not have a registry. Or maybe they have one but you’re not sure which gift to buy. If you’re as confused about what to get them as I used to be, I’ve got the guide for you. 

Baby wipes

The best baby shower gifts are practical, and baby wipes are peak practicality. They don’t go bad. Kids can’t grow out of them. And your friends are going to need approximately one million of these things before their kids are reliably pooping on the toilet by themselves. Not to mention the fact that parents can use them, too. Seriously- unless your pregnant friend lives in a tiny house with zero storage, ship a case of these bad boys, stat.

Huggies Special Delivery baby wipes are hands down the best wipes we’ve ever used. Do they cost more? Yes. About $.04/wipe on Amazon. But it’s worth every cent when you discover that Peanut had another middle-of-the-night blowout. That’s when parents need wipes that will actually come out one at a time and be thick enough to get poop off without tearing. There is going to be so much poop, y’all. Get the good wipes.

Footprint and handprint kit

I’m gonna take it dark for a second, but then bring it back. This is one of those gifts I buy other people because one of my kids died. Sorry to be a downer, but sometimes, even the most-loved babies don’t make it. A print kit is a gift that will be appreciated by the parents of a living child, but will be absolutely cherished if the worst happens. Obviously don’t tell people “I bought you this so you’d have a way to touch your child’s hand even if they die.” That’s grim as hell. But this could be a particularly meaningful gift for a friend who knows their baby will face medical challenges after birth.

I give this Pearhead handprint and footprint kit with a photo frame to every new parent I know. It even comes with a no-mess inkpad and the card stock you’ll use for the prints. For $20, it’s an inexpensive gift, and one that makes the recipient say, “You know, I would never have thought of this. Thank you!”

Gender-neutral footie pajamas with ankle-to-chin zipper

I asked my husband what he’d add to this list, and this is the very first thing he said, adding, “If all of our kids could only wear those things, they would.” Pants are hard to remove in the dark, when you’re exhausted and your child is screaming for a 2 AM bottle. Having to unsnap and then re-do fifteen tiny snaps is even worse. So do the new parent a favor. Buy them a three pack of these bad mamma-jammies (worst pun ever, I’m sorry).

Having to unzip pajamas up from the foot means you can change a baby’s diaper without having to open up the entire one-piece. Just the legs come off, which literally halves the work. And why gender-neutral? Parents can use the same items for future children, without feeling the need to replace any aggressively gendered gear. Again, I’ve got four kids and I’m not made of money.

Carter’s sells multi-packs of footed sleeper pajamas, in all kinds of patterns, to match pretty much any parent’s vision for their newborn’s fashion sense. This sleeper set has adorable, colorful gender-neutral patterns (they’re usually hard to find in anything other than gray) and that coveted ankle-to-chin zipper I talked about. I also have to shout out The Preemie Store, which sells adorable NICU-friendly clothing that accommodates wires and tubes. That’s not even an affiliate link, just a dope ass store.

Leg warmers

Speaking of just the legs, eschew pants entirely and go with leg warmers (or knee high socks). Your friend won’t have to remove these for diaper changes at all, unless, of course, they find themselves in one of those unfortunate blow out situations. They can go onesie and legwarmers, or shirt, diaper and leg warmers. We like to layer them under footie pajamas on especially cold days. And as someone who would dress exactly like Kimmy Schmidt if she could, I think little baby legwarmers are also fly AF. P.S. If you knit, you can make a handmade pair. I’ve done it! 

Bowbear makes super cute three-packs, like this gender-neutral cable knit set. We own these and I love them. Both my sons and my daughters have worn them; it’s pretty easy to match gray, white and black legwarmers with pretty much anything.

GrubHub or meal delivery service gift cards

Bringing hot, homemade meals to new parents is a good and generous gift. GrubHub gift cards are even better. Seriously one of the best baby shower gifts there is. We are so grateful for all of the friends who made us their favorite meals after we brought new babies home, but the fact of the matter is that some of y’all’s favorite meals are weird. Sending meal delivery gift cards means that new parents get to choose food they know they’ll like, without having to worry about heating up or expiration dates. It also gives them one tiny thing that they can be in control of, at a time when so much of their life is dependent on the whims of the tiny dictator they just brought home.

The big three: crib, car seat, stroller

These are the best baby shower gifts that every parent absolutely needs, for the obvious reasons. If you can afford to buy one of these items on your own, you should do it. If you can’t, consider splitting the cost with a group of friends (or don’t, because it’s your life). Try to get the model listed on the new parents’ registry, but if they didn’t specify one, research car seats that click into coordinating stroller bases in order to cut down on bulky gear. Also look for cribs with enough clearance for under bed storage. 

Just make sure that you buy these items new. Changing safety regulations mean that the gorgeous old crib from Great-Grandma might not be the safest thing for babies now. Plus, did you know that car seats have expiration dates?

I really like the Graco SnugRide line. Everything in it revolves around a baby carrier that you can click into both a car seat base and a stroller. This means you don’t have to keep buckling and unbuckling the baby; parents just pop the carrier into the base when they get to their vehicle, then pop it out and drop it into the stroller when they reach their location. There are different models of carrier, base and stroller, at varying price points, but all of the SnugRide products work together. It’s genius. We have a base for both of our vehicles and my parents’ cars, a single stroller and a double stroller. We’re clearly all in on this brand (and have too many damn kids).

These might not work for everyone

Does none of this sound right for your new-parent friend? Their baby must not have a butthole (see: baby wipes). I kid, I kid. 

Maybe your friend is adopting a baby or an older child, and they aren’t sure exactly what they need. Or maybe they know their baby will be born with a condition that requires surgery or a NICU stay. Maybe their baby was already born, way earlier than their due date. In these cases, if you live in an area with Uber, I’d buy them an Uber gift card. These can be spent on meals or transportation: the same card can get them back and forth to the airport or hospital and meal delivery wherever they find themselves.

When all else fails, ask the shower’s host if the parent-to-be has a registry and just buy something off that. Because the best baby shower gifts are the ones that parents need. Sometimes, I’ll hold off on buying a gift until I get to the shower. Then I see what other guests bought, and while I’m still there, fill in the gaps by logging into Amazon to send a gift no one else did. This has the added benefit of the gift arriving directly at the recipients’ home, i.e. one less thing to load into the car at the end of the shower and tote home.

Veteran parents: what are the best baby shower gifts you got when your gremlins first arrived? Put it in the comments below.