Now that I'm a mom, it's a different story. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not an expert as I've only been a mom for about 4 months, but with the little experience I have so far, there are certain items that I wouldn't have thought to be as important as they turned out to be, particularly for the first day back home.
So my new strategy is as follows: In addition to getting at least one thing off her registry (because let's face it, it does take a lot of time to research and put a registry together), I will also add some (or all) of the following items that I deem necessary to have on hand. Not only will your girlfriend appreciate the items (even if she doesn't know it yet), but you'll have offered a little bit of wisdom and it will make you feel like you're part of the village that it takes to raise a child.
1. Baby laundry detergent + stain remover duo
These very basic household items are a necessity in any mom's home. For starters, your girlfriend will have to wash all the adorable outfits she got at the shower so that they're ready for baby's arrival and the detergent she uses for her own clothes just won't do for baby's sensitive skin.
I think the stain remover speaks for itself. She'll appreciate having that on hand for the first explosive diaper. It would be sad to ruin all those new outfits right from the start!
2. Diapers
One can never have too many diapers and surprisingly, not as many people will get diapers as you think. Also, make sure you get newborn size. Odds are that's the size she'll need at first (even if it's just for a week). We didn't think we would use the newborn size because everyone said to simply use the next size up, but we used them for the first few weeks because size 1 was just waaaaay too big and changing a diaper would get very messy.
3. Baby Wipes
Same thing here. One can never have too many wipes. I would highly recommend the big case of Kirkland brand at Costco. Much cheaper and excellent quality!
4. Bath Tub
If she doesn't have a tub and nobody's grabbed it off the registry yet, get it for her. It'll be one of the key items for her to have on the first day back from the hospital. My babe was sent home without a proper bath. The hospital expected us to try it out for the first time (based on a video they showed us) in the sink of our hospital room. We opted to wait and do it in the comfort of our home.
5. Infant Tylenol
This is actually an item that we received at our shower (thanks to our nurse friend!). It was fantastic to have on hand, particularly when little J got his first vaccines. We were already a little worried about how he would react to the vaccine, so I'm glad we didn't have to run to the pharmacy to grab a bottle "just in case" he needed it. It was definitely one less thing to worry about.
6. Window shades for the car
I never thought that I would need those until my kid was much older. But boy was I wrong. Imagine your newborn child strapped in his car seat and the sun blazing in his eyes and there's nothing he can do about it but cry, while you're stuck in the driver's seat trying to maneuver you way out of the sun. Yes. Get those sun shades. Not only will it protect little baby's sensitive eyes, but it will save your girlfriend a big headache.
If you're planning on getting the more traditional gift of clothes, keep the following two tips in mind:
- DO get newborn size. As appreciative as we were to get a variety of larger sizes (3 months +), we had to go out and buy a good set of newborn sized onesies and PJs because we barely had any and he was floating in 3 months - impossible that he was at all comfortable.
- When you pick sizes, think about the season. For example, don't get size 3 month shorts if the kid will be 6 months by the time summer comes around. Do take the time to make the calculation - your girlfriend will appreciate it.
I definitely have a new perspective on baby showers and I think it's a great opportunity for moms to share their tricks and/or favourite products with the guest of honour. What other original gifts have you given your girlfriends?
