Baby Shower Gifts for Mom – Special Gift Ideas for the Mom-to-Be

Baby shower gifts for mom are both thoughtful and useful for a new mom-to-be. Plus, they stand out in a sea of diapers, wipes, and onesies.

Baby showers are a fun way to celebrate the arrival of a new baby with family and friends. Typical baby shower gifts usually consist of outfits, diapers, and gear for the baby. But what about gifts for mom to be?

Baby shower gifts for mom are a little out of the box. They include nursery decor, hospital stay essentials, and pampering. Here are a few baby shower gifts that are fun, useful, and a little unique.

This post was originally published February 2018 and updated May 2021.

Baby Shower Gifts for Mom for the Hospital Stay

Preparing a bag to take for the hospital stay that typically accompanies a birth can be a bit of an overwhelming task. At least it was for me. I focused more on what the baby needed and didn’t really consider my own needs. After all, it was only for a night or two.

Luckily for me, a friend of mine had a very creative baby shower gift idea full of essentials for my hospital stay. She put together a gift basket with mini toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, deodorant, a mini toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.) hand sanitizer, lotion, facial cleansing wipes, and fuzzy socks. She also included snacks like granola bars and beef jerky. There was even a larger toiletry bag to keep everything in.

This gift ended up being a lifesaver for me! I needed the socks after my slippers were ruined during delivery (they were under the bed). The cleansing wipes were amazing for cleaning up a bit before I was ready to get out of bed. The mini toiletries meant that I had one less thing to remember to pack.

It was truly such a thoughtful (and useful) gift! I even texted my friend after I got home from the hospital to thank her again.

Items to Include in a Hospital Care Basket

• Mini shampoo and conditioner
• Disposable toothbrush and mini toothpaste
• Mini mouthwash
• Mini deodorant
• Facial cleansing wipes
• Mini dry shampoo
• Hair ties or clips
• Tissues
• Cute fuzzy socks
• Snacks

Baby Shower Gift Ideas for the Nursery

Another great gift idea is something for the nursery. This is especially true for “sprinkles.” A sprinkle is like a mini-shower for a second (or third or fourth) baby. The idea is that the expecting parent probably has most of the big items that they need, but could always use more diapers, wipes, clothes, etc.

Check out my suggestions for throwing a baby sprinkle.

While you can never have too many diapers and wipes, decorative things for the nursery could also be appreciated. This could include a super cute print from Etsy, a throw pillow for the glider, or a few new crib sheets in the nursery color scheme. These items are usually affordable and more fun to buy.

Another bonus is that these gifts are much more personal and they will think of you when they use that item.

It could also help the parents if they want a cute nursery, but are working on a limited budget. I recommend talking to the parents before buying anything, just to be sure it fits with their vision for the nursery. Also, maybe suggest that they add a few decor items like this to their registry so people know exactly what to buy.

Baby Shower Gifts for Mom to Treat Herself

Postpartum can be such a difficult time and women need all the love and support they can get! I think it’s important to remember “Mom” in the midst of the excitement for the baby. It’s a great idea to include some self-care items for the mother-to-be to enjoy, especially postpartum.

This could be as simple as a few face masks or a pack of her favorite brand of pads (she’s going to need them!) Other ideas for mom include cute headbands to cover up her unwashed hair or a new robe for wearing around the house.

Gift cards to Starbucks, or a local coffee shop, to help get her through those sleepless newborn days are thoughtful as well. Also, a bag of her favorite snacks, a bottle of wine or some coffee to be brewed at home. This kind of gift can be given at the shower with a note about opening once the baby is born, like “Pop Once You’ve Popped.”

Even a small gift card for a manicure, pedicure, or facial when she’s feeling up to it is special!

I’ve also had friends organize meal trains for my family post-birth. Then there is a cycle of people dropping food off at your house, so you don’t have to think about cooking. All of these gifts could be easy, inexpensive ways to help take care of the mom after the baby is born.

Next time you get invited to celebrate yet another bundle of joy, try to think of a few out of these out of the box, mom-centered, baby shower gift ideas.