Baby Shower Gifts for Mom (Not Baby!)

Around 2004, when I got married, I rode the wave of endless bridal showers. Quiche, finger sandwiches, cupcakes, non-stick pans, silver ware, lingerie. Delicious food and fabulous friends all celebrating the bride-to-be. Gotta love a bridal shower.

A few years later came the baby shower tsunami. Quiche, finger sandwiches, cupcakes, onesies, Diaper Genies, nursing bras. Delicious food and fabulous friends all celebrating mom-to-be. Well, not really. Technically, all these gifts are for her bundle of joy. Gotta love a baby shower.

The thing is, after having two baby showers of my own and attending countless others, I feel there is a genre of gift that is sorely missing. Our kids have every accessory and gadget in the book, but what about mom? (Seems I ask this question often. It’s best not to analyze it too closely.)

Here are a few things that came to mind that would be fun and functional baby shower gifts for mom, not just for baby:

1) A neck pillow

Girl, you know you are going to fall asleep sitting up soothing your little cutie. And that head back, slack-jawed, open mouth, drool-trickling-down-your-chin look ain’t cute. Have you ever woken yourself up just as you’re falling asleep because your head flopped back rather violently and you snorted rather loudly at the same time? It’s happened to the best of us on a flight to Hawaii or a long bus ride to camp. Embarrassing, to say the least. BUT have you ever snort-flopped while nursing and suddenly startled yourself and your baby awake? Don’t do that. It doesn’t end well. Get a neck pillow.

2) Cozy pajamas

This is the best ever. Brand new, soft, inviting, postpartum-body-friendly pajamas make waking up for night feedings… well, they don’t make it easier, I’m not gonna lie. But they do make it more comfortable. And cozy pajamas make those few precious moments or (are you kidding me right now?) hours of sleep that much more glorious.

3) Midnight snacks

You know what DOES make getting up in the middle of the night easier? Dark chocolate. When you are awoken from a crazy postpartum dream for the millionth time by a screaming baby, instead of thinking, “No! Not again!” you can sit up saying, “Yes! Chocolate Time!” Plus, calories don’t count between midnight and 5 a.m. It’s a scientific fact.

4) Notes of encouragement

Hold up. I have to get sentimental for a minute. At my shower for the twins, all my friends wrote notes of encouragement on little pieces of paper and put it in a cute vase with a ribbon. This is my favorite baby shower present of all time. I read those notes, one each night for the first couple weeks after the arrival of my twins. They made me laugh and cry and feel loved and understood and supported and never ever alone. Almost 10 months later, I still have that vase on my bedside table and re-read those notes every once in a while. Mostly, I just love having a jar of papers that all basically say, “You are loved. You are not alone. You got this!” Damn straight, I do! My girls got my back!

5) Gift cards to her favorite restaurant or for a cleaning service

Babies R Us giftcards are great, but can you imagine how grateful the new mom would feel if you treated them to a delivery of their favorite food? How about if a cleaner showed up at her door ready to get to work and already paid for? Um, hello best friends forever!