5 Popular Baby Shower Gifts That Can Probably Be Skipped

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Even as someone who admittedly skipped her first baby shower, I still love a celebration to welcome a newborn to the world. Especially after becoming a parent myself, there’s something special about welcoming a new mom to “the club” and helping to fund all the newborn needs. And as all veteran moms know, babies tend to need a lot of stuff.

But sometimes, I can’t help but look at a registry and think that there may be a few too many items. Of course, I believe that every parent and every baby will be different and will have different needs. But that being said, here are a few things that I tend to find are over-purchased when a new baby is on the way:

1. Blankets

Everyone loves a good baby blanket. That’s why new moms end up with so many. Now, I will say that a homemade blanket is something special, and I cherish each one someone has taken the time to make for me. However, when my first was born, I ended up with about 15 baby blankets in total.

Here’s why I tend to think they’re a bit overdone: Babies – or toddlers – don’t even use blankets until they’re closer to 12-18 months. Sure, I might have used one on a stroller walk every now and then. I probably used them during floor time here and there. But I didn’t really need 15 of them.

2. Stuffed animals

This is another one that people love to gift. Honestly, I can see why. They’re soft, they’re cute and they can be a nice addition to your nursery decor. Heck, I’m pretty sure I found myself buying a cute little stuffy here and there. It’s hard not to.

But then, before I knew it, I had a whole laundry basket full of stuffed animals that my baby showed almost no interest in until she became a toddler. And now that she is a toddler, she does seem to have certain preferences that I would have had no inkling of when she was just a squishy little newborn.

3. Swaddles

Swaddles are a product that babies actually use a lot in the early days. But I find that it’s a gift people love buying. Even though I put about three swaddles on my registry, I ended up with about 20 of them. For the record, the Happiest Baby 5-Second Swaddle is my personal favorite. It’s the only one my baby didn’t Houdini herself out of.

And I will admit, it’s nice to have a variety to see which ones work best for your unique little one. But if you’re a second-time mom, you likely already have your favorite types and don’t need as many as others seem to think you do.

4. Bibs

This is another item that I ended up with far too many of. You may find yourself using a bib for occasional spit-up or drool. However, for the most part, I found myself using way more burp clothes than bibs. Plus, I think babies don’t tend to need many bibs until they start solids around 4-6 months.

And personally, by the time my baby started solids, many of those newborn-sized bibs were too small. I ended up buying larger, silicone-based bibs anyway.

5. Clothes

Baby clothes are adorable. And in my family, there are a lot of boys. So when I announced that I would be having a girl, my family members were so excited to pick out pink bows, dresses and cute ruffly rompers.

Again, these items are always appreciated. I don’t want to sound ungrateful. However, I had so many of them that I’m not sure my first child even had a chance to wear all of them. I did save them for my second, but I still ended up with way more than I needed.

So if you are shopping for a loved one, consider sizing up if you have the baby-buying urge. Since babies grow so quickly, it’s nice to have the next size up on hand for the next time the mother blinks and she’s swapping out all the out-grown baby clothes.

Are you a mom who ended up with way more products than you needed? Let me know in the comments!

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