As a general rule, I say NEVER DEVIATE FROM THE REGISTRY because that list has been curated with great intention and thorough research by the creators. Parents can’t really go wrong with their decisions nowadays given all of the amazing products on the market so whatever items that the soon-to-be parents have chosen are likely perfect for their family needs and lifestyle. However, sometimes new parents don’t know what they need or maybe aren’t aware of a particular product.
If you’re already a parent, you likely know this and already have a few favorite items that you like to gift to new parents, but I wanted to share a quick list of ten things that you may want to consider giving in addition to items from the registry (I’ll give some pairing ideas with each suggested item since I enjoy giving coordinating gifts whenever possible).
The Laundress New Parent Kit
I don’t think anyone quite grasps the amount of laundry you have to do as a new parent; it’s honestly never ending. The Laundress brand has such amazing laundry-related products and this new parent kit is a total dream. It includes the best products for cleaning everything… from spit-ups to blowouts and lifting messes easily from bedding, baby clothes, as well as parents’ clothes!
*Note: The baby scented detergent is heavenly, but be wary of any fragrance allergies before making this purchase.
(Registry Pairing: any linens such as crib sheets, burp cloths, or clothing)
Squid Socks
I feel like this is a “best kept secret” that shouldn’t be a secret!! These socks STAY ON FEET and until you’re a parent you don’t really understand the struggle or appreciate this solution. When babies are first born they are so tiny that socks just don’t stay on their itty-bitty feet, but it’s so important for little babies to wear socks to keep them warm and cozy! These socks have little silicone dots on the inside that prevent them from sliding off (or even being pulled off when they get to that stage!). You may have seen them featured on Shark Tank if you watch that show… but they’re such a brilliant invention and they’re the only “real” socks that Sophie wears. Parents will thank you! May I suggest getting a pack of white or black socks + an additional pack of colorful / printed socks, depending on the parents’ preferred aesthetic / nursery theme?
(Registry Pairing: clothing, bath-related items, other linens like bibs, burp cloths or washcloths)
Lou Lou & Company Bundle
Lou Lou’s soft, stretchy fabric is unparalleled and this bundle provides everything that a parent could need for bringing a baby home + those first few weeks. These were our favorite swaddles for the first few months that are perfect for not only being used as swaddles, but also as a blanket on-the-go (like for keeping baby warm at the doctor’s office for all of those early life appointments). The swaddles are fairly compact and will easily fit in a diaper bag / travel bag so they’re perfect for those times that you leave the house.
Get a discount on your purchase by clicking here!
(Registry Pairing: bassinet, crib mobile, night light / white noise machine, baby monitor)
SilkyTots
A lot of babies seem to end up with a little bald patch on the back of their heads when they’re tiny. Pediatricians recommend extra Tummy Time to avoid this, but our little lady would turn her head back and forth as a soothing mechanism to fall asleep (she was only on her back for naps!) and in doing so ended up rubbing a little area of her delicate baby hairs off. Having a bald patch isn’t the end of the world by any means, but it certainly throws off the hair growth situation with one random patch growing at a different length than the rest of baby’s hair! 😂 We found this solution too late, but we were able to minimize any further hair loss and now we know for any future babies! There is a silk sleeve that can be used on a bassinet pad or a full silk crib sheet option if the parents aren’t bothering with a bassinet (you should be able to tell by the registry if they’re planning to use a bassinet). This is also a great gift for any babies with textured hair because silk is so much gentler on tresses and I imagine much easier than trying to keep a bonnet on a baby!
(Registry Pairing: bassinet, crib mobile, crib accessories like bumpers or crib skirt, night light / white noise machine, baby monitor)
Hatch Night Light / Sound Machine
This product really does it all and I didn’t think we’d use it as much as we do. It came in so handy for overnight feedings / diaper changes in the beginning and now at 8 months into parenthood it has evolved into a nightlight in Sophie’s nursery since she is sleeping exclusively in her crib. The features are so useful (especially for new parents) so if this product isn’t already on their registry, it’s a no-brainer gift idea.
(Registry Pairing: baby monitor, pajamas, bassinet, diaper changing pad, diapers (maybe in the form of a diaper cake?) and baby wipes)
Tubby Todd Gift Set
We love all of our Tubby Todd bathtime products. We don’t use the conditioner yet, but the gentle shampoo and body wash is great for our baby’s delicate skin and we use both moisturizers. There’s definitely a reason why the All-Over-Ointment has a cult following (IYKYK) and it’s my favorite thing to use on Sophie’s delicate baby skin, especially during the winter. This gift set is perfect for gifting to new parents because all of the products they could need for baby’s first baths are included.
Get a discount on your purchase by clicking here!
(Registry Pairing: baby bathtub, hooded towel, washcloths, water thermometer, faucet cover)
Activities To Do With Baby
When you have a newborn, it’s difficult to know how you can “play” with them. Before Sophie arrived I had a decent amount of experience with babies and toddlers (babysitting, nannying, being a preschool teacher for 1 year olds), but not much experience with babies in an earlier stage than that so I looked to the experts for some ideas. These little flash cards help you bond with baby and give you ideas for “activities” you can do together to boost baby’s development. This flash card set will give parents activity ideas for every few months of baby’s first year!
(Registry Pairing: pacifiers, teethers, stuffed animals, toys, or really anything on the list)
Baby Motor Milestone Activities
In the same vein as the last suggestion, this gift idea is related more specifically to activities that help set baby up for success in meeting their motor milestones. They’re activities beyond just Tummy Time to help strengthen baby’s muscles and show them how to explore the world around them by moving their body. The suggestions go all the way up through baby’s first steps!
(Registry Pairing: pacifiers, teethers, stuffed animals, toys, or really anything on the list)
Memory Preservation
This is the baby book that we have for Sophie and I can’t recommend it enough. Even just reading through the prompts before she was born had me in [happy] tears with anticipation of all of the memories we’ll make as a family. It’s been so fun to fill it out and add photos to it as she grows. *Note: If you want to make the gift a bit more robust, I recommend adding a mess-free ink pad for baby hand and / or foot prints; technically, there isn’t a designated space for hand or foot prints in the book, but there are little nooks you can find for them (I did, as you can see above! 😜).
We also like to use this mini photo printer for instantly getting photos off of our phones and into the memory book which would make a great pairing with a baby book, but I also highly recommend having digital smartphone photos professionally printed by Printique for high quality prints so a gift card from them would be a very thoughtful addition to any memory preservation gift.
I also loved the idea of this Keepsake Organizer for saving those precious items if that sentimentality is more their speed. I condone memory preservation, however it happens because it’s so true — time is a thief and kids grow up in the blink of an eye so it’s nice to have those moments to go back to.
(Registry Pairing: bunting set; going home outfit / blanket)
Lastly (but certainly not least!): you honestly can’t go wrong with an UberEats // DoorDash // GrubHub gift card, especially for those early weeks when parents can barely function while adjusting to the new dynamic of their lives. I know that on multiple occasions my husband and I asked each other when the last time was that we had eaten something during that First Two Week Fog with our baby. Having food delivered made it easy to make sure we were eating because we had absolutely zero time to go grocery shopping, much less cook a meal! Obviously, you can always take food over to your loved ones (via a meal train), but they may not be in a position to visit when you pop by or you may live too far away to drop off a meal for them, so this is a great alternative.
(Registry Pairing: literally anything 😂)
Happy gifting, friends!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
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