Best baby shower gifts as recommended by real mums

The best baby shower gift ideas for mums-to-be and babies

by Catriona Watson |
Updated on

If you're trying to find the best baby shower gifts and the mum-to-be hasn't already written an extensive gift wish list, we have done all the research for you and compiled our favourite and unique baby shower gift ideas. We have suggestions for both boys and girls, as well as some great unisex options.

Most importantly, we have included gifts for the expecting mother, as well as useful items for when the baby arrives. These present ideas cover every budget, are great for those with zero baby knowledge or even if you simply want some inspiration.

Editor's Choice

Best for practicality -Lekebaby Nappy Changing Bag Backpack, £31.99

Best for something special - Wooden Keepsake Box, £11.75

Best keepsake present - The New Mum's Notebook by Amy Ransom, £15.69

Best sensory gift -Jumbo Sensory Discovery Mat, £39.98

Best for relaxation - Badedas Rich Bubble Bath 750ml, £12.41

We asked our mum readers what they would have loved to receive at their own baby shower, and they delivered with some fantastic gift ideas. Take a look at some of our favourites from their picks down below.

Best baby shower gifts

Best organic baby shower gift

Organic newborn collection
Price: £40.29

Made with calming organic plant extracts and no artificial fragrance or harsh ingredients, this product is for expectant mums who are prone to perfume, as well as babies with ultra-sensitive skin or fragrance allergies. With ingredients like aloe vera, shea butter, cocoa butter and calendula, all key plants actives, it will be the operfect gift.

**This set contains:
**50ml organic nappy cream
50ml baby wash
150ml baby lotion
100ml rescue balm

Mother&Baby writer, Hannah James said: "This is a show-stopping gift. It looks amazing and is practical. It's packed full of great products all made in the UK. I love it."

Pros

  • Designed especially to meet the needs of babies with sensitive skin and who may be prone to eczema
  • Plant-based ingredients that help to protect the delicate skin barrier.

Cons

  • Quite pricey.

Best night soothing baby shower gift

Writer's Choice

What is better than the gift of a good night's sleep? The answer is absolutely nothing.
You will be the new parents' favourite person after gifting the Dreammaker from Tomee Tippee.

It is a scientifically proven sound and light sleep aid that helps a baby to sleep. Developed by a world-leading sleep laboratory and sleep scientists at Northumbria University in the UK, this sleep aid relaxes your baby, encourages them into a deep sleep and prolongs the length of their sleep.

One reviewer said: "Since my baby arrived we've had the pink noise and light on while he sleeps. Us parents enjoy the sound too. He finds it comforting, the device is nice and compact and can be plugged in on your side table. I recommend to anyone looking to get a white noise/ night light."

Pros

  • Helps baby sleep better
  • Scientifically proven

Cons

  • Needs to be plugged in

Best sensory baby shower gift

Best play mat
Jumbo Sensory Discovery Mat - Baby shower gift
Price: £28.35

The Jumbo Sensory Discovery Mat by Infantino is a great practical gift for a baby shower. This play mat has textured shapes, crinkly fabrics, colourful ribbons, and a giant selfie mirror.

This gift will keep little ones will be mesmerised for hours. It is also a great present for parents of multiple children, as it allows the new baby their own space to enjoy tummy time, learn to sit and eventually crawl.

Mother&Baby writer, Hannah James said: "This mat kept my baby entertained for so long. It is designed to be beautiful. It is bright and colourful but can be packed away easily. It was a great eye-catching visual for my younger children to give the baby his space."

Pros

  • Interactive features
  • Adorable design

Cons

  • Not a thick mat

Best for memory baby shower gift

Best keepsake present
The New Mum's Notebook by Amy Ransom - Baby shower gift

Rrp: £24.95

Price: £19.75

The New Mum's Notebook by Amy Ransom is perfect for expectant mothers and new mums. Full of gorgeous colour pages including lots of reassurance, self-care advice, journal pages, affirmations and simple recipes. It is divided into 12 months to take you through every stage of being a new mum as well as baby’s first year. With eight journal pages per month and space to write notes, thoughts, memories and all those to-do list, this will keep parents busy.

One reviewer said: "I so wish I found this book earlier! But I'm glad I've come across it now and can still use it. It's so pretty, and eye-catching, but most of all, it has supportive information and quotes, which a lot of mums need. I definitely would recommend it and glad I didn't let the price of it prevent me from getting it."

Pros

  • Advice given throughout the book
  • Motivational quotes

Cons

  • Price printed on the back

Best waterproof baby shower gift

Best backpack

This spacious and functional Lekebaby Nappy Changing Bag allows mums to go hands-free with its S-shape shoulder straps for comfortable walking. The baby-changing rucksack can be opened wide, making it very easy to fill or take stuff out of. It is waterproof meaning any messes or spills made can easily be cleaned up in a breeze.

For more inspiration, check out our guide to the best baby changing bags.

One reviewer said: "Perfect changing bag, light but durable. bigger inside than expected. Able to carry everything baby needs, plus some!"

Pros

  • Durable
  • A good size

Cons

  • May not be to the taste of the mother

Best for relaxing baby shower gift

Best present for relaxing
Badedas Rich Bubble Bath 750ml - Baby shower gift
Price: £18.50
Alternative retailers
Walmart$24.99View offer
Waitrose$1.76View offer

Every mum will say thank you for this pick once they've had their baby, whether they have a natural birth or a c-section. Simple but incredibly effective and possibly the Badedas Rich Bubble Bath is the MOST practical baby shower gift you can give her at her baby shower.

One reviewer said: "Used for after having a baby as recommended by other new mums. Excellent healing help in the bath in the first weeks after giving birth."

Pros

  • Luxurious self care product
  • Practical

Cons

  • Plastic packaging

Best thoughtful baby shower gift

Best keepsake for mums expecting daughters
Wooden Keepsake Box - Baby shower gift
Price: £27.71

A beautiful keepsake box makes for a wonderful and thoughtful baby shower gift. With this adorable box, they can collect baby's special moments and memories from day on. Made from quality wood, this keepsake box is an ideal way to store those important first keepsakes. It's also available in blue.

For more inspiration, check out our guide to special baby keepsake boxes for storing all your precious memories.

One reviewer said: "I liked this it’s sturdy and all who have received we’re so pleased with it , have bought a few of these as baby gifts."

Pros

  • Perfect for mums expecting a little girl
  • Thoughtful design

Cons

  • Only one colour option

Best newborn baby shower gift

Best bath set

With so many baby washes and creams on the market, you may feel a bit cautious gifting yet another wash set. However, we cannot recommend highly enough Original Sprout. This simple set consists of a Hair & Body wash and cream but it smells absolutely incredible. A little goes a long way with this product. We are confident that it will become a favourite of any mum.

Mother&Baby writer, Hannah James said: "This product is so gentle on my baby's skin but smells divine. I only use a small quantity but I can smell it all day long. It's so luxurious. I really recommend it."

Pros

  • Lovely smell
  • Suitable for vegans
  • Can be used by the whole family

Cons

  • Only two products in the set

Best for jotting baby shower gift

Best record book
Peter Rabbit Baby Record Book - Baby shower gift
Price: £15.98

Fill this cute Peter Rabbit Baby Record Book full of memories, dates, details, and photos for a super keepsake to keep forever. There's plenty of room in this book for notes and jotting down special information, from birth to a year old in this lovely memory book. Who doesn't love Peter Rabbit?

One reviewer said: "This book is perfect, so easy to keep records and special bits and bobs. Bought got my grandaughter who is expecting her first baby. She loves the book."

Pros

  • Great design
  • Beautiful illustrations

Cons

  • Items need to be stuck into the book and cannot be easily removed

Best blanket for a baby shower gift

Best muslin set

Put simply, you can never have too many muslins. Or, some days, enough! Aden + Anais muslins are just gorgeous - both in terms of the design and their softness. A beautiful gift that Mum will be happy to wipe up sick with. These are swaddle blanket size, so you can use them for a variety of uses.

Our mum tester Isabelle said: "These swaddles are wonderful and make life with a newborn so much easier. They can be used for many different things such as a swaddle, a cloth for wiping up spills, a breastfeeding cover, a blanket or a mat to lay your baby on. The uses are fantastic. I can keep my baby warm, dry and mop up any spills all with one swaddle when on-the-go. Wonderful."

For more inspiration, check out our guide to the cutest baby swaddle blankets to keep them as snug as a bug.

Pros

  • Excellent quality
  • Thick breathable material

Cons

  • Stain will show easily

Best self-care baby shower gift

Best baby shower skincare set
Childs Farm Baby Gifting Suitcase - Baby shower gift
Price: £24.00

From the multi-award-winning brand Childs Farm, this lovely gifting suitcase includes a baby wash, bubble bath, nappy cream and moisturiser, plus a bath thermometer. How handy is that? These high-quality baby products have been specially developed with baby’s delicate skin in mind so they can feel reassured when using it on their little one.

**This set contains:**1 x Baby Wash unfragranced 250ml
1 x Baby Bedtime Bubbles, organic tangerine oil 250ml
1 x Baby Moisturiser lightly fragranced 250ml
1 x Nappy Cream 100ml.

One reviewer said: "I buy this as a gift for all new arrivals. The Childs Farm products are very good (I use them myself at home) and this is the perfect little presentation/storage box."

Pros

  • Suitable for sensitive and delicate
  • Recyclable packaging
  • Suitable for vegans

Cons

  • Case is made from cardboard

Best outfit for a baby shower gift

Make mum laugh with the funny prison-inspired Just Done 9 Months Inside Babygrow. It's super soft and made from 100% organic cotton and is guaranteed to bring a smile to the mum-to-be's face during her baby shower. We love this one for adorable picture opportunities once their baby is born.

One reviewer said: "A present for my Great grandon when he arrives . Very happy with it."

Pros

  • 100% organic cotton
  • Easy access design

Cons

  • Won't be suitable for every expectant mother

Best teething baby shower gift

Sophie La Girafe Baby Teething Toy - Baby shower gift
Price: £13.99
Alternative retailers
Walmart$27.00View offer
Waitrose$15.99View offer

Sophie is somewhat of a sensation, yet this little rubber giraffe has actually been around for over 50 years! The classic teether relieves sore gums, acts as a squeaky toy and is super lightweight for little hands to hold. The new arrival won’t be the only one holding this must-have baby accessory, but it will be a well-loved present.

Here's what our mum tester Jenny said: "I would recommend this to a fellow mum because Sophie La Girafe is a very baby-friendly and soft teething toy. Sophie is handcrafted, making each Sophie unique. Sophie is made of a soft rubber, making her very durable when the baby is chewing on her. She has lots of different angles and areas for the baby to chew on in the hope that each area will give some relief to a teething baby."

She's won various awards at the M&B Awards - read our full review here.

Pros

  • Easy for baby to grip
  • Made from natural rubber

Cons

  • Will slowly start to break eventually

Best bedtime story baby shower gift

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Baby shower gift
Price: £3.99

Sure, reading a bedtime story is a long way off right now, but the The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic childhood book and always goes down a treat. Make sure you write a thoughtful message on the front cover for the new arrival to treasure forever. It's a thoughtful present for under £5.
And what about suggesting every guest brings along their favourite children's book as a gift for the new baby?

Mum Vicky Fernandes said: "When I had a get together before my first was born, my sister told everyone to bring a book which was lovely."

Pros

  • An absolute classic
  • Fun illustrations

Cons

  • They may have already purchased it as it is so popular

Best for melodies baby shower gift

Skip Hop Moonlight u0026amp; Melodies Nightlight Soother - Baby shower gift
Price: £55.99
Alternative retailers
Kohl's$45.00View offer
Macy's$45.00View offer
Albee Baby$45.00View offer

If you’re looking to spend a little more, this stylish feathered friend is perfect for every nursery. Not only does he look cute, but the Skip Hop Moonlight & Melodies Nightlight Soother also has a nightlight belly and soothes the most restless baby with eight different melodies and calming nature sounds. Trust us, every new parent will appreciate the gift of a good night’s sleep.

Mum tester Alina Davies said: "I would absolutely recommend this product to every parent I know! It is really useful from newborn age to much older. For newborns the white noise is perfect (and really works). The stars give them something to look at and for their eyes to follow - my little boy loves looking at it. For older children, the stars look fabulous in their bedrooms and help them drift off to sleep watching them. There is also music for older ones with different time settings. And it looks good too!"

For more inspiration, check out our guide to the best toddler and baby night lights.

Pros

  • Auto-off timer
  • Multiple modes

Cons

  • Can be annoying for the parent

Best gift card for a baby shower gift

Let's be honest - sometimes you don't have the energy to cook when you're a parent (especially when getting into the swing of things with a newborn), and only a takeaway will hit the spot after a long day. So what about a food delivery voucher to treat your friend to a well-deserved food delivery?

"I would have loved vouchers for a meal delivery service e.g. Pasta Evangelists or even Deliveroo," agreed mum of two, George Terry

Pros

  • Practical
  • A crowd pleaser

Cons

  • The benefits will depend on where they live

Best cake for a baby shower gift

3 Tier Nappy Cake - Baby shower gift
Price: £47.00

How cute and unique is this sweet Peter Rabbit nappy cake? It contains 30 nappies for 4-9kg baby, three 100 per cent cotton baby Muslin cloths, Peter Rabbit Bean Rattle, hand and footprint kit and much more - all wrapped up in one gorgeous package! This is definitely a thoughtful winner.

"I had a baby shower at work for both my babies and I have two lovely nappy cakes from each. The nappies came in use and all the baby essentials tucked in them. My work mates all chipped in and supplied the stuff that went into the baby bundle which was very thoughtful and spread the cost of it all," said mum Amanda McShane.

Pros

  • Unique design
  • 100% cotton

Cons

  • Smaller than it appears

Best bath robe baby shower gift

There's no need for a towel when you have this fabulous hooded robe from The White Company. Made of absorbent and fast-drying hydrocotton, which is a non-twisted yarn of pure 100 per cent cotton, the robe features two pockets, a tie belt and cute little teddy bear ears on the hood. Adorable!

One reviewer said: "Quality and style is very good. I have bought a little baby robe previously as a gift for a new baby and it was much appreciated."

Pros

  • Plush cotton
  • Stays soft after washing

Cons

  • Limited sizes

Best entertaining baby shower gift

Ingenuity Cradling Bounceru2122 - Morrison - Baby shower gift
Price: £54.99
Alternative retailers
Target$44.99View offer
Walmart$45.22View offer
Macy's$49.99View offer

A cradle bouncer is a great way to keep the little one entertained while relaxing or trying to get some work done. They'll be bouncing away with two plush toys for company, as well as eight different melodies and a calming vibration for optimal comfort. The Ingenuity Cradling Bouncer™ is the perfect prezzie. For more inspiration, check out our guide to the best baby bouncers and rockers.

One reviewer said: "This product is just gorgeous, easy to assemble and definitely would recommend."

Pros

  • Eight melodies with volume control
  • Adjustable 3-point harness
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Some reviewers didn't like where the toy bar was placed

Best for hygiene baby shower gift

baby warmer ad steriizer
Price: £31.44

New mums know how invaluable bottle warmers are. Whether you're on the go or having a sleepless night with a crying bubba, this bottle warmer will get your milk to the optimal temperature in no time and comes with a handy timer to alert you when the milk is ready. The sterilising feature will also remove 99.9 per cent of bacteria, keeping your baby safe and hygienic.

One reviewer said: "One of the most useful buys for my newborn. Made the feeding just that little bit easier"

Pros

  • Smart memory function
  • Safe auto-off
  • Fast working

Cons

  • None

Best for pampering baby shower gift

Sanctuary Spa Baby Shower Gift Set - Baby shower gift
Price: £20

Give the mama-to-be some much-needed 'me time' with the Sanctuary Spa Baby Shower Gift Set. The heart-shaped gift includes a body moisturiser, stretch mark oil, hand cream, shower gel and a face mask, products which are especially suited to all pregnancy pampering needs.

One reviewer said: "Lovely pamper gift for a mum-to-be... good value for money & quality products. Very pleased with my purchase."

Pros

  • Vegan and cruelty-free
  • Recyclable packaging

Cons

  • A smaller gift set

Best snug baby shower gift

CityComfort Dressing Gown - Baby shower gift
Price: £18.99

The silky soft CityComfort Dressing Gown will make any expecting mum feel cosy and special when waking up in the morning or lounging around the house during maternity leave. And trust us, every new parent needs a high-quality dressing gown to throw on quickly in those first new months with their baby.

One reviewer said: "This dressing gown is so lovely and soft and keeps you lovely and warm great value for money."

Pros

  • Machine washable
  • Multiple colour options

Cons

  • Size range could be better

When do you have a baby shower?

There's no right or wrong time to throw a baby shower. Most baby showers are held a month or two prior to the baby's arrival. By this time, mama is far enough along in the pregnancy to share it with all her friends and loved ones. Some mums will know the gender and will be looking to curate a few new baby essentials, which a baby shower can help with.

Who is supposed to host a baby shower?

Again, there's no rule here - anyone from a best friend, sister, mother-in-law or cousin can host a baby shower. As long as they're close to the mama-to-be and know how to throw a good shindig, then you're sorted. So what are you waiting for? It's time to throw a baby shower and add these creative gifts to your online shopping basket...

Are baby shower gifts for mum or baby?

They are good for both, but ideally, baby shower gifts are usually for the baby. These are pressies that will be used in the first three months of birth, and will help relieve the expenses of the huge number of items needed for a new tot.

What should you spend for a baby shower gift?

Depending on whether you're shopping for a colleague, a close pal, or a family member, or maybe just a neighbour, how much you spend is completely up to you.

What should a baby shower include?

It's not just a good gift that can really make a fab baby shower, it's also the experience. Coming together to celebrate new life coming into the world. You may want to play some fun baby shower themed games to keep everyone entertained. It may be more intimate than that and you may just want to chat and have some food.

Whether you go big with games and baby shower favours, or keep it simple, a baby shower should suit the parents-to-be and feel special to their experience. As long as it's positive and has some good photo opportunities, you're good to go.

Catriona Watson is a Digital Writer for Bauer Media. She has written and updated hundreds of articles on the site from medical explainers to celebs news and shopping galleries.

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Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.