by Paula Geister

Created on: January 15, 2009

The best baby gifts for new mothers are the things that they tell you they need or would like to receive. Quite often, you can discover these answers for baby gifts when you attend a shower. Ask the hostess to come up with a list of things the new mother would like to receive or check out their registry if they have registered at a particular store. Pleasing the new mother is easy when you know what she's asking for.

Find out if she'll be bottle feeding her child or nursing. Find out if she'll be using cloth or disposable diapers. You may know whether your friend is having a girl or a boy and choosing several outfits in different sizes in gender appropriate styles is a good way to go. If the new mother doesn't know the sex of her child yet at the time of the shower, and many parents are opting for the surprise aspect in this area, buy clothing articles in neutral colors.

If you're in a position to be able to buy big-ticket items for the new mother, be sure to get advice about styles and specific models for newborns. If the new parents already have an infant car seat, for example, you may be able to purchase a car seat that can be used when the child is bigger. You'll be saving them the money they would have to spend later for that needed item.

Short of finding out what the new mother wants for her baby as far as gifts, here are a few more specific ideas:

Offer a day or night of babysitting when the new mother needs a day to go to the store or to get out and do something fun. This may not be a gift for baby, but makes the new mom happy because she will need a break from mothering and getting out of the house helps with the baby blues. Tuck a homemade coupon into a card and offer a few hours of babysitting and you'll really hit a nerve. The gift of time won't have to be long, because new moms usually don't want to spend a lot of time away from the little one. It's a win-win situation because you get to spend a few hours with that precious baby.

Another gift I've given that has always been appreciated is a gift certificate for a photographer to take baby's picture. There are plenty of photo shops around to choose from, usually located in large department stores. They can give you a gift certificate good for a whole package or for a specific amount toward the new parent's choice of packages. New moms and dads usually have family and friends who don't get to see the baby often. Sending photos is a great way for them to share that cute little baby face. Try to make sure

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