New Baby Gifts: A Simple Guide to Getting It Right
Useful now or precious for years: the main types of new baby gifts, meaningful ideas, small budgets and the simple rules for getting it right.
Looking at new baby gifts and worried about giving the fifth babygrow in newborn size? It is the most common trap. New parents receive a lot of presents in a short time, and some get used for barely a few weeks. The right gift arrives at the right moment: useful straight away, or precious for years.
This guide goes through the main types of gift, meaningful ideas and small budgets. For a gift that lasts, have a look at our personalised baby gifts.
The essentials
- One size up: 6 or 12 months rather than newborn.
- Ask about a gift list: the surest way to avoid duplicates.
- Think of the parents: a meal or a helping hand counts too.
- Check the name: spelling, accents and hyphens included.
What can you give for a new baby? The main types of gift
Before choosing, it helps to know how long each type of gift will be used. Some are handy from day one, others gain value over the years.
A rough guide, to read from top to bottom:
- Newborn outfit: only a few weeks.
- Baby equipment (bottles, bouncer, changing mat): mostly the first year.
- Play toys: rattles and play mats are useful once baby starts grabbing things.
- Comforter: it can stay with a child for several years.
- Name print: it stays on the wall and follows the child as they grow.
The most useful tip for clothes: give one size up, 6 months or 12 months. Parents often receive plenty of newborn outfits, which baby wears for only a few weeks. A bigger outfit will be useful once the first ones are too small.
What is a meaningful gift for a new baby?
A meaningful gift marks the child’s arrival. It may not get used every day, but it is kept and handed down. Here are some ideas to start from:
- A birth print with name, date, time, weight and length.
- A baby book for the parents to fill in over the first months.
- A letter to the child, sealed in an envelope, to open on their 18th birthday.
- A tree or a plant, to plant in the family garden and grow alongside them.
- A memory box for the hospital bracelet, a first lock of hair and the birth announcements.
A birth print is one of the simplest ideas to give: it decorates the room from the first day home, and the child can keep it as they grow up. Our designs are gathered among our personalised birth prints, and a name print needs fewer details. For a symbol linked to their season, think about the birth flower of their month.
Among our prints, three designs answer three different wishes.
1. The name print, for the room from day one
For parents preparing a gentle nursery, the illustration counts as much as the name.
Baby name print with a watercolour teddy bear shows a teddy bear floating away in a hot-air balloon and the name in big letters, with the date and time of birth, then the length and weight if you wish.
Three colours to choose from, sage, earth or mist, to match the room.
2. The ID card print, to keep the details of the big day
For parents who like things simple, a print with no drawing puts the words first.
Baby ID card birth poster puts the name in large letters, then the birth details line by line: date, time, place, weight and length.
Every line can be changed, which helps if a detail is missing.
3. The first year print, for their first birthday
If the birth was some time ago, this gift takes over a year later.
Baby milestones print with 12 photos brings together twelve photos, one a month, from 1 month to 1 year, with their name and date of birth.
It also makes a lovely gift for grandparents who have followed each month from a distance.
What should you give when you don’t know what they need?
If you have no idea what the parents are missing, several options help you avoid duplicates:
- Ask about a baby gift list. Many parents set one up, online or in a shop. It is the surest way to give something useful.
- Ask them directly. Parents would often rather be asked than receive three bouncers.
- Join a group gift with family or colleagues, for a bigger piece of equipment.
- Choose a gift that can’t be duplicated: something personalised with the child’s name is unique by definition.
- Look for something different: our guide to unique baby gifts has useful, lasting ideas, far from the gadgets.
A gift for the parents too
The first weeks with a newborn are tiring. A gift for the parents is often very welcome, and few people think of it.
- Home-cooked meals, ready to heat up or freeze.
- A helping hand: walking the dog, doing the shopping, looking after an older child for an afternoon.
- A moment for mum: a treatment or a voucher for some relaxation when she has time.
- A hamper of snacks for the short nights.
These gifts don’t replace the gift for baby, but they go very well with it.
New baby gifts on a small budget
A lovely new baby gift doesn’t have to be expensive. A few ideas that give pleasure without a big spend:
- a board book, to read from the first months;
- a babygrow in 6 or 12 months, with a kind note;
- a good quality rattle or teething ring;
- a name print as a digital file, which the parents print themselves.
The digital file is also a good option if you live far away or if the birth was a while ago. You receive it within 24 hours of approving your preview, as a PDF in A4 and A3.
Gifts for a baby girl or boy
There is no need to box yourself into pink or blue. Plenty of parents choose neutral tones for the nursery, and a very marked gift can clash. A few pointers:
- soft tones such as sage, beige and terracotta go with most rooms;
- illustrations of animals, teddy bears or flowers work for any baby;
- if you know how the room is decorated, start from its colours.
Our baby prints follow this logic: a watercolour teddy bear, a safari, a flower wreath or little line art feet, in soft colours. For a little girl, our guide to baby girl gifts sorts more ideas by budget.
When and how should you give a new baby gift?
The right moment depends on how close you are to the family. A few rules of etiquette make things easier:
- Wait to be invited before visiting, as the first days are intense.
- Send it if you live far away: a gift through the post is just as welcome.
- Gather the details early for a personalised gift: exact name, date and, if possible, the time, weight and length.
A gift with the child’s name calls for a little care. Start with the name: check the exact spelling, any accents and any hyphen. It is the most frequent mistake, and the most embarrassing.
A birth print also needs the date and, depending on the design, the time, weight and length. If you don’t have them, quietly ask someone close to the parents, or choose a design where they are optional. You receive a preview before the file is finalised: that is the moment to reread everything and correct it free of charge.
If you live far away, email the file to the parents or have it printed near them. A gift that arrives by post is just as welcome as a visit.
Mistakes to avoid
Some gifts start from a good intention but make life harder for the parents. It is better to avoid them, or at least to ask first.
- Large equipment nobody asked for: pram, cot, car seat. Parents often choose these carefully, according to their car or their home.
- Lots of soft toys: one comforter is often enough, and the rest end up in a box.
- Noisy or bulky toys, hard to store in a small flat.
- Scented baby products, which many parents prefer to avoid in the first months.
- Newborn size clothes, as we saw above.
Going further
A good new baby gift is either useful straight away or precious for years. For the room, see our nursery prints and our sets of 3 prints.
- If the grandparents have just become grandparents, read our ideas for gifts for nan.
- If the parents are still looking for a godmother, read our guide: will you be my godmother.
To discover all our prints, visit lesaffichesdouces.com.
