It has become a tradition to give the expectant mom some gifts at the baby shower. Although the host wouldn’t send you away if you fail to bring something, it wouldn’t hurt either if you’d present the mom and her baby some type of baby shower gift.

Baby shower gifts can range from different shapes, sizes and prices. To help you decide on what is the best gift for baby shower, check out the following tips:

• If you are celebrating the arrival of the expectant mom’s first baby, it would be great to bring practical gifts (such as formula, diapers, blanket, pacifiers, etc)

• If it is a second baby or baby shower, it’s okay to be a bit spontaneous with your present. Anything from mittens to baby books will do.

• Ask the expectant mom’s mother or sister in what she might really want.

• You may ask the host if she has an idea what the mom might need. Or if you want, you can ask the mom-to-be herself.

• It’s okay to pitch in money with other guests to purchase something extra special.

• There’s no mandatory price for baby shower gifts. Feel free to shell out any amount as long as it fits your budget. What matters most is your sincerity.

Whenever I go to baby showers, I always wish I was in the receiving end of the gifts because those baby shower gifts are the most thoughtful gifts ever. I don’t think there’s ever a party where the gifts have been given so much thought. It’s nice to know that people really think about the gifts they’re going to give to the mom-to-be and also the newborn. But as much thought that goes into each present, some of us are stumped on what to give. Of course we want to give a great gift, the best gift even, but there are simply times when the gift-thinking part of our brain just ceases to work.

But worry no further because we have several gift suggestions here that are sure to be a hit at that baby shower you are attending.

Diaper Genie
Often the practical gifts are the biggest hits during baby showers because you actually gave something that can be of great use to both mother and baby. A diaper genie assures easy and nearly odorless disposal of those dirty diapers (there’s sure to be many of that in the months to come). Having a system that makes sure your baby’s nursery doesn’t smell like baby poop is a great gift indeed.

Baby Bjorn Carrier
It really doesn’t have to be the Baby Bjorn brand, but why not get the best while you’re at it? The Baby Bjorn infant carrier allows the parents to be with their baby, carrying them safe and close to them, but letting them have their hands free to do other things.

Diaper Cake
It’s a somewhat unusual gift that is really starting to rise in popularity. The diaper cake is literally made out of diapers and arranged so that it will look like a two- or three-tier cake. It can also include some small baby-related stuff like toys and rattles, but the diapers are the main attraction. These could also serve as baby shower centerpieces because these tend to be very big. These are great gifts because for one, you can never have too many diapers, and second with the right packaging it could look really great and be a main attraction in the baby shower.

Baby Care Essentials
Anything from baby bath shampoo, baby wipes, burping cloths, bibs, and baby bottles will definitely be great gifts to give to any expectant parent. These are the stuff that usually run out fast and gets used often, so having a steady supply will truly be appreciated.

Baby Clothes
Though it is most likely that baby clothes will be the most numerous gift in the baby shower, all of them are very much appropriate gifts to give. As a rule, it is better to give clothing gifts in larger sizes so the baby can use them in the future. Weather-appropriate baby clothes are also great. Buy sizes that are approximate to the age the baby will be when the season comes, say, if the baby is born in the summer, he or she will be about 4-6 months in the wintertime. You should buy winter baby clothes in that age range then.

What’s a great baby shower gift to give the expectant parents?

That is the question most guests to a baby shower ask themselves. What makes it difficult to choose a baby shower gift is the sheer amount of things that you have to choose from. Gift givers today are given a ton of options especially when it comes to baby showers. It’s almost stressful, but why turn such a joyful event into a stress-fest?

Many people rely on the power of the gift basket when it comes to occasions such as this. A gift basket is truly a great idea to give, but how do you make yours unique, how do you set it apart from all the rest of the gift baskets that have been given and will be given? A way to do this is to decide on some sort of a theme for your baby shower gift basket.

Speaking of themes, modern baby showers usually have themes. You may want to coordinate the colors of your gift basket to the colors of the baby shower, but what we mean by baby shower gift basket themes has to do with the content rather than what it looks like. However, it wouldn’t hurt if you coordinate the appearance of your gift basket with the rest of the baby shower. The new parents will surely appreciate this attention to detail.

You can put pretty much anything you want in a gift basket, but deciding on some sort of theme would actually make your baby shower gift basket much more appealing. For example, you can give a Sleep Time gift basket. Its contents would be a nice teddy bear and a baby blanket. You can even further personalize this by having the yet-to-be-born baby’s name embroidered, or at least give the parents the option of having it embroidered in the future. If the baby shower has a Noah’s Ark theme, for example, you can choose a blanket that has the same design aesthetic (animals, ark) or decorate your basket accordingly. This is one idea.

Another is a Meal Time theme, and this would contain anything from baby bottles, sippy cups, baby spoons, baby bowls, anything that could be used in baby’s meal time. You could even put in a breast pump in there so the mother can express some milk for storage, as well as some bibs and towels to help clean up any meal time mess.

There are so many possible baby shower gift basket themes that you can conceptualize and make a gift basket from, but do remember that the best baby shower gift baskets are those that come from the heart. It doesn’t have to be extravagant as long as you put your heart into it.