I did not realize how ignorant I was in gift giving for babies until I myself became a mother. As I look back at the countless baby showers that I have attended bringing gifts which I did not even put some thought into, I cannot help but feel sorry for the friends I have disappointed. You see it’s all too common to just pick up a set of baby bottles and nipples or a crib set for baby shower gifts. Most of us think that as long as we have the right colors to match the baby’s gender, then we’re good to go. But that’s not true! Half the time, our friends and family members come to the shower bringing the same gifts or worse, bearing items which are not useful to the baby at all.
One solution to the baby shower gifts problem is to have a baby registry. This is ideal specially if the guest list is big. The beauty of a registry is that the baby’s parents can pick out items which they know will be useful for their child. This also means that guests can choose a gift that is well within their budget.
On the other hand, if the baby shower will only be attended by a small group say just close friends and family or just coworkers, it would still be a good idea if the mom would create a wish list of items to choose from. From experience, some coworkers pool their gift funds together to buy a big expensive item such as a crib or a playpen.