10 Most Forgotten Baby Shower Gifts – Unique & Practical Gift Ideas

From my own experience, and talking to close friends and family, I’ve compiled a list of the 10 most forgotten baby shower gifts.

It’s not like you expect to get everything at your baby shower, but if you want to give more practical baby shower gifts that often get left behind, this is the gift guide for you.

1. Nursing and Pumping Supplies

Oftentimes, when I visit a friend or family member’s baby registry, people have gotten the fun stuff like cute onesies and baby rattles, but have left behind ALL of the breastfeeding and pumping items.

And I get it! There’s nothing inherently exciting about nursing pads and breastmilk storage solutions. But this is the stuff new moms will be ordering from Amazon in those first few weeks and months, and I’d argue you can make it fun by creating a nursing/pumping-themed gift basket!

For example, the following items could be a nursing-themed gift basket idea that would cost you just over $50:

• Small woven basket
• Breastmilk storage bags
• Organic washable nursing pads
• Oat Mama lactation tea

Here are some other nursing-related gift ideas:

• Nursing cart: my lactation consultant suggested having a nursing cart that included breastfeeding and newborn care essentials, like a water bottle, snacks, a nightlight, wipes, a Haakaa, etc.

• Nursing bras: you can never have too many nursing bras! I personally like this 3-pack from Amazon, and I’m not alone as it has over 38,000 4 and 5-star reviews. The Kindred Bravely nursing bras are also very comfortable and cute. The organic cotton nursing & sleep bra caught my eye and has rave reviews.

• Sterilizing bags for bottles and pump parts: I used these Quick Clean MicroSteam bags from Medela all the time with my newborns. It’s the easiest, fastest way to sterilize bottles and pump parts. I was also constantly ordering more, so this would be an amazing, practical baby shower gift.

• Haakaa manual breast pump: the Haakaa is beloved by tens of thousands of moms. It allows you to save milk on the non-nursing side during your letdown, which can equate to an entire bottle of milk per day that would otherwise have been soaked up by your shirt or nursing pad. New moms may not know about this little contraption, and at less than $15, it could be a fun item to throw into your baby shower gift. Haakaa also has a newer ladybug milk collector, which also collects let-down milk, but in a less bulky way.

• Freezer organizer for breast milk storage bags: this system makes freezing breastmilk so much easier. You lay your bag on the flat top until it’s frozen, then you add it to the stack. The entire system encourages first-in-first-out to make sure the oldest milk gets used first. It’s one of those nice-to-have items that a new mom might not splurge on but would so appreciate.

2. Stuff for Mom

Yes, I know “baby” is in the name baby shower, but giving birth is exhausting, and I don’t know about other moms, but I constantly find that I’m neglecting myself. I put my full focus on my babies and forget to take a moment to enjoy the little things or do some self-care.

Even if you’re getting things for the baby, consider throwing in a little something for mom, like postpartum supplements, a nice foot treatment, bath bombs, or some lactation bars.

Here are my top picks in each category:

• Beli Collagen Protein Boost: Beli’s prenatal collagen protein boost has 9 grams of protein in each scoop, and the best part is it tastes and smells like nothing. I mix it into my coffee and can’t even tell it’s there! This collagen is excellent not only for pregnancy but also for postpartum recovery. It’s also the perfect booster for their prenatal vitamin. I’m over a year out from my last birth, and I use this stuff daily. It’s a great gift that helps mom and baby. (Disclaimer: this portion of this article is sponsored by Beli, and this product was sent to me.)

• Ritual essential protein postpartum daily shake: I love Ritual vitamins, so I was stoked to order their postpartum protein powder. It has essential protein and Choline to support lactation, it’s sugar-free, and it has a vanilla/caramel/spice flavor. I like to mix this into my overnight oats.

• Foot peel mask: I LOVE these foot peel masks. They make your feet baby soft and are so easy to use. You can treat yourself with a newborn in the house, and it’s not a huge ordeal. This peeling treatment also has over 68,000 Amazon reviews and has a solid 4.5 stars. Can’t beat that.

• Bath bombs gift set: This bath bomb gift set from Beauty by Earth is not only packaged beautifully, but it’s made in the USA, is organic, and uses essential oils. Each bath bomb is created with a focus in mind, including muscle relief and joint relief, two things ideal for postpartum care.

• Boobie Bar lactation bars: lactation bars include ingredients that help with increasing milk supply, such as whole grain oats, turmeric, moringa, flaxseed, and cinnamon. Just be mindful of giving these somewhat close to the due date so they don’t go past expiration.

3. Larger-sized Baby Clothes

Pretty much all of the clothes I received at my two baby showers were newborn, 0-3 months, and 6-9 months. And again, this makes total sense! 

That said, my daughter was born just under 9 pounds and wore newborn clothes for approximately 10 days. She flew threw 0-3 months and was firmly in 6-9 months in no time. I was blessed to have hand-me-downs from cousins, but if I didn’t have that, I’d suddenly have ZERO clothes!! And this was only 3-4 months into being a new mom.

So, even though it seems odd to gift clothes as large as 12-18 months – or even 18-24 months – it is SO appreciated. Larger clothing sizes are often neglected at baby showers, and for babies who grow really fast, they’ll be wearing these sizes long before they’re actually one year old.

You can never go wrong with zipper pajamas in any size. I’m a big fan of the Burt’s Bees sleeper pajamas, though they do run a little narrow (best fitting on long, lean babies as opposed to shorter, chunky babies). 

I also love the brand Primary (not on Amazon), which focuses on minimal, organic baby staples. Their organic zip footie is a classic that comes in every color imaginable. No tags, no crazy patterns, and these footies are unisex. 

Little Sleepies are another mom favorite – they’re buttery soft and the material is so forgiving that it can fit your child through several sizes.

4. Larger-sized Diapers

In the same vein as larger-sized baby clothes, I’d say larger-sized diapers are also one of the most-forgotten baby shower items. 

I’d strongly advise against gifting newborn-sized diapers. The hospital provides a decent amount of newborn diapers, and depending on the size of the baby, the mom-to-be may only use one box before sizing up to Size 1. For reference, newborn-sized diapers fit up to about 10 pounds. Some babies come out fitting comfortably in a Size 1!

Here’s a quick guide to show, on average, how many boxes of diapers a mom will need in each size for a child. A box typically has 130-170 diapers in it, for reference:

• Newborn: 0-2 boxes
• Size 1: 3-4 boxes
• Size 2: 4 boxes
• Size 3: 7 boxes
• Size 4: 3-4 boxes
• Sizes 5 and 6: depends on the size of the child and when potty training begins – I’d skip sizes this big in terms of baby shower gifting.

As you can see, sizes 2 and 3 are honestly perfect for baby shower gifting!

A lot of folks who plan to gift diapers will give newborn and Size 1, so you can stand out from the crowd by opting for the much-needed Sizes 2-3.

You really can’t go wrong with gifting Pampers or Huggies, but if you want to really wow that mom-to-be, treat her with some Coterie diapers. These are luxuriously soft and absorb better than any other brand I’ve ever tried. There’s a reason it’s the most popular diaper among celebrities.

I’d also add, as a side note, that it would be an incredible gift to get smaller packs of different brands for testing. Some babies fit better in certain brands, and diapers get expensive.

It’s actually a really exciting and awesome gift to provide options for a new mom who wants to test out different brands. 

5. Tons and tons (and tons) of wipes

I’m pretty sure the most money I’ve spent in all of motherhood is on baby wipes.

I think I did get a couple of packs of wipes at each baby shower I was thrown, so it’s not like it was totally forgotten. But everyone could’ve gifted us a pack of wipes, and we’d have run out in no time.

We use wipes for the obvious – changing diapers – but we also keep a pack in the car and in the kitchen for wiping down hands, high chairs, toys, etc.

If you want to give the ultimate useful gift, give a massive pack of baby wipes. I would recommend choosing something that’s fragrance-free or formulated for sensitive skin. When I used anything severely scented, like the classic Pampers wipes, it caused rashes on both of my kids.

My favorite wipes of all time are the Honest wipes – the wipe material is really thick and they’re just all-around premium wipes. They’re also some of the pricier ones, which make them ideal for gifting.

If you’re on a budget, we also have loved the Amazon Mama Bear brand fragrance-free wipes. They’re not as thick as the Honest ones, but they’re a close second. 

Also, a quick tip: I recently learned that “unscented” and “fragrance-free” do not mean the same thing. Unscented means the fragrance has simply been masked but is still there. So, if you can, look for a label that says fragrance-free!

6. Gifts for Siblings

If the expecting mom has other kids, a new baby can be a really rough transition. The existing kiddos may get jealous that mom is always holding the newborn, and any major routine change is just tough on toddlers.

Plus, if they’re attending the baby shower, they may wonder why there are ALL of these presents, and not a single one is for them!

Consider bringing something small for any siblings – especially toddlers. A little pack of candy or a sticker pack is all it takes to help them feel included and loved.

I personally bought a small gift for my two toddlers that I gave them when we came home with the baby. I told them that Baby Walker picked it for them. 😉 They’re these cute sticker scene packs that come with spiral binding so it lays flat. The stickers and scenes are side-by-side, so the child doesn’t have to flip pages to create a scene.

I got the “Magical World” version for my daughter and the one I got my son is currently unavailable, but there’s a great animal-themed one that looks very similar.

7. Baby Proofing & Safety Items

Another very un-sexy category typically neglected on baby registries is safety items. Think of things like outlet plug covers, sharp corner guards, and cabinet locks.

These don’t come into play until the baby is more mobile, but it happens in no time.

Safety items are like the stocking stuffers of a baby shower – throw in a pack of plug protectors for $5 to your existing gift bag. It will definitely come in handy.

One other random thing that I think falls under safety items is a backseat mirror for the car. I completely forgot about this with my first until I got in the car and freaked out over not being able to see my newborn.

8. Baby Silverware and Dishes

When you think of a baby shower, you think of a newborn. But they’re only a newborn for a short time. Within a matter of months, that little bundle of joy will start enjoying some baby food. 

Consider gifting some early-stage silverware and feeding supplies. I didn’t get anything in this category at either of my baby showers and I also rarely see it on registries. But within the first 6 months, mama’s going to need it.

The brand ezpz has some incredible supplies for 4+ months, and their suctioning placemats keep messes contained, which is ideal for that first foods stage.

The First Foods Set includes a tiny cup, tiny spoon, and tiny bowl.

Everything is dishwasher-safe and built to last. Plus, there are lots of cute colors to choose from. We use this little feeding set with our 1-year-old, and the sizing is perfect. I notice that silverware and cups for babies are typically too large, but ezpz is very intentional about child development. I really appreciate that.

Another mom favorite is the NumNum pre-spoon, which helps babies feed themselves a lot sooner than they could with a typical spoon.

9. Organization Items

I quickly learned that having a baby came with a lot of stuff, and I needed to develop some kind of organizational system to keep it all contained.

While some organization items are going to be specific to the expecting mama’s home, there are a few things that work universally.

I think the following items would make incredible baby shower gifts – it’s likely the stuff the mom-to-be hasn’t thought of but will soon realize she needs:

• Bins or clothing storage bags for storing clothes as baby grows out of them
• Drawer organizers to keep the dresser manageable and functional
• Bath toy organizer for bath time toys and items
• Baby hangars – these are super small and are perfect for keeping the closet looking consistent and organized
• Baby clothing size dividers to keep the closet even MORE organized and manageable
• Wall shelves for book storage – even if the mom-to-be has a bookcase or book storage solution, there’s no such thing as too much storage
• Baskets – baskets are perfect for storing toys, blankets and swaddles, and just those odds and ends that need a home. Plus, you can use this as your “gift bag” at the baby shower.

10. Baby Laundry Detergent

This one might be controversial, but I always loved using baby laundry detergent. I’ve been a big fan of Dreft, which has this nostalgic scent for me that is sooooo pleasant.

That said, some parents pay close attention to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) rating scale of A-F, and Dreft scored an F. Apparently, there is some concern in terms of asthma/respiratory and moderate concern over toxicity and environment.

Now, I don’t want to get into how reputable the EWG scoring system is, but if you want to gift something with an A rating, I’d recommend checking out these laundry detergent options, which are very safe for a baby’s sensitive skin:

• Meliora Laundry Powder (Lavender smells the best – the scent combo with clove in it is very strong on the clove side)

Meliora is what I ended up buying for our family, and we loved it! After using several cans, I decided to actually make our own laundry detergent, and we really enjoyed that for quite some time! Now, we use Laundry Sauce because I’m a scent fanatic, but it hasn’t been evaluated for baby safety.

• Dapple Baby Laundry Detergent, Fragrance-Free
• Dropps Baby Detergent (not sold on Amazon)
• Hello Bello Organic Concentrated Laundry Detergent (Unscented got an A, the Lavender and Sweet Baby scents got a B)
• Seventh Generation Ultra Power Plus Laundry Detergent Packs, Fresh Citrus Scent
• Whole Foods Market Baby Laundry Detergent, Unscented
• Presto! Laundry Detergent Packs, Fragrance-Free
• Puracy Natural Laundry Detergent

Conclusion

There you have it – 10 baby shower gift ideas that I feel are the most forgotten. I realize breastmilk storage bags and baby hangars aren’t the most exciting gifts ever, but they’re so practical and needed!

I am 100% that person that will buy a boring gift if I know it’s needed instead of a fun gift that may never be used. If that’s you, I hope you find some inspiration in this baby shower gift guide.

Before you go, leave a comment below: what do you think is the most forgotten baby shower gift?

Related Reading: 26 Things We Didn’t Get at Our Baby Shower But Ended Up Buying