5 Baby Shower Gifts That Every Mother-To-Be Will Love
A baby shower is a great opportunity for soon-to-be-mothers to prepare for a new baby. Though many expectant mothers will put together a gift registry for the shower, some aren’t sure what they’ll need when the little one arrives. When you have to choose the perfect gift for an expectant mother, you can’t go wrong with these baby shower gifts.
The Gift of Education
An expectant mother is bound to have thousands of questions about pregnancy, labor, and raising a little one. Purchase a variety of books and other educational materials for the mother-to-be. These resources will help ease the transition into parenthood. Choose books that offer differing perspectives on many topics, so she will have the resources to match her parenting style.
Diapers and Wipes
One gift you know that any new parent will need is diapers. There are never enough diapers. During the first month parents will change up to 10 dirty diapers a day. The expense on diapers starts to add up when you go through them so quickly. Help the mother-to-be by giving her something you know she will use. You can purchase disposable diapers or reusable diapers if the parents are environmentally-conscious.
Gifts to Spoil Mom
Though it’s a baby shower, any mother-to-be would appreciate a gift special for her. The transition to motherhood can be exhausting, and often new mothers forget to take care of themselves. Give her a gift of relaxation and luxury. Consider buying her some bath salts, healing lotion, or a cozy bathrobe.
Let Her Choose with a Gift Certificate
If you’re at a loss for what to get new parents, you can’t go wrong with gift cards. The mother-to-be will be able to pick out exactly what she needs once the baby comes. You can give gift cards for stores selling popular baby items, or give gift cards for much needed date nights and treats for mom.
A Good Night’s Sleep
A well-rested baby is what any new parent would ask for if they could. Which is why a Magic Sleepsuit would make a perfect gift. You can choose from a variety of calming colors in both fleece and cotton. Magic Sleepsuits are designed to help a baby transition from swaddling, giving parents ease of mind as the baby grows. They help keep baby at a comfortable temperature and provide them comfort. The Magic Sleepsuit will help a baby sleep soundly and independently – which means a good night’s sleep for you and baby.
If you’re attending a baby shower, it’s important to get her something that is useful, practical, and something she will appreciate. Don’t get overwhelmed trying to pick out a gift. Stick with these top baby shower gift ideas, like a Magic Sleepsuit, for instance. Check out our website here, to learn more about why a Magic Sleepsuit would make a great gift for both the mother-to-be and baby!
Also in Our Blog
What’s the Difference Between a Swaddle and a Sleepsack
Five Questions about Early Morning Wakeups for Baby
The team at NAPS helps you tackle the issue of early wakeups. *BONUS* NAPS is hosting a webinar on February 24th. Register here and use the extra-special code MAGICMERLIN and you can join the webinar FREE of charge!
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The sound of cheery calls of “MAAAAMAAAAA” from the next room may be lovely at 7am. At 4am, or 5 am, not so much. Your baby may be up and ready to start the day, but you probably aren’t.
Answering the questions below may help you get there.
- Is your nap schedule mucking up your baby’s overnight sleep?
This might seem like an obvious question, but your baby’s sleep needs will change fast in the first few years of their lives. A quick look at the average nap number and duration might give you an idea:
- For babies from 3-6 months old, it’s normal to take 3-4 hour-long naps per day.
- For babies 6-15 months old, expect 2 naps with 3-3.5 hours of total sleep.
- For one and two-year-olds, you should expect a single 2-hour nap.
Part of the reason you might be seeing earlier wakeups is that your baby has graduated from one nap cycle to the next.
- Does your baby have enough time between their last nap and their bedtime?
We call this an “awake window,” and it can make a big difference. It might seem strange that your baby went to bed fine the night before, and you’re seeing a response to nap scheduling in the pre-dawn hours, but if your kiddo’s sleep is disrupted at night, it will impact the morning.
- 3-6 months, at least 1.5-2 hours between final nap wakeup and bedtime.
- 6-12 months, at least 2.5-3.5 hours between final nap wakeup and bed.
- 12-18+ months, 3.5-4.5 hours between final nap wakeup and bed.
- Is the room staying dark after the sun comes up?
Black 0ut curtains can make a big difference here. Remember that our brains signal wakeup when the light changes. So if dawn is at 430am, and even a little bit of light comes into your baby’s room, their little brains will PING with wake up juice.
- Is your baby going to sleep too early or too late?
It might seem counter-intuitive, but a late bedtime can actually backfire on you. Overtired kids don’t sleep as well. If you made their bedtime later and it didn’t fix the problem, try an earlier bedtime and see if that helps. You might be surprised.
- How do you make it better?
Try to make one change at a time; just one. Stick with that change for 3-5 days to see if it impacts things. (One night is usually not enough to see substantial change.) Be as consistent as you can with the change you made. For instance, if you decide to increase the space between bedtime and final nap wakeup, make sure to stick to the wakeup time you planned.
If your baby is waking up and chirping happily to themselves, feel free to leave them there for a little while. Let them get used to being alone in the crib. If you can, try to delay the start of the day by 5-10 minutes each day. This can make a big impact.
Everything else aside, remember that this is a short time in your kid’s life; as they get older, their sleep will become more regular, and so will yours. Don’t let yourself get too discouraged. Things are hard now, and you’re doing a great job.
