10 Unique Baby Shower Gift Ideas for a New Mum

Traditionally, baby showers are a special celebration of a mum-to-be where she is gifted with useful products like baby blankets and nappy cakes to help her get ready with everything she needs for the arrival of her newborn.

If you are looking for unique baby shower gift ideas, you may want to consider choosing something specifically for mum, not baby. After all, navigating the world of baby products for the first time can be overwhelming so your friend would really appreciate a little something just for her!

The rule-of-thumb for choosing a special gift for a new mum is to firstly think of her values: What type of things does she currently invest the most in? How sentimental is she? Does she appreciate good design? Does she care about the environment? Does she value practicality over style?

Next, recall your conversations with her to get an idea of what world she wants to create for her family. You can have a little stalk of her Instagram, Pinterest or baby gift registry to get an idea of the styles, ethos and types of products that she is loving.

By considering all of these things, you will be able to purchase a meaningful gift that she will use and love. We have put together a list of our personal favourite go-to gifts for a new mum to get you started - each of these serves as a guide and can be easily adapted to suit her values and style.

1. Designer Nappy Bag

Nappy bags are handbags or backpacks that are designed specifically to corral all of the supplies parents need when out and about with their baby. A well designed nappy bag will have multiple pockets (included insulated sections for bottles) and clips to hang it on a stroller as well as being made from durable, lightweight materials. By giving your friend a design that embodies their personal style, it will empower her to still feel like herself as she navigates this new world of being a mum.

In 1997, OiOi designed the first generation of designer baby bags. 23 years later, we are still winning awards for being the Highest Rated Nappy Bag and are an industry leader when it comes to fashionable designs. We have a wide range of different shapes & materials available so that you can find one that will reflect your friend’s personal taste.

2. Luxury Maternity Hospital Robe for Delivery

When your friend is giving birth, she will be provided with a standard-issue hospital gown. Many Australian hospitals give you the option to bring your own robe or nightdress to wear during labour. A luxurious robe is a baby shower gift your friend would love if they value a bit of glamour & comfort in their lives.

Our favourite material when it comes to choosing a maternity robe is viscose from bamboo. 

Three of the main reasons why this material is great for the hospital are:

• The fabric is lightweight & breathable so will keep them cool when they are feeling hot and sweaty during labour (with this in mind, we’ve made our robes have ¾ length sleeves so they don’t feel constricted!)
• Washes beautifully - after a quick and easy gentle machine wash they robe will be good as new. Our designs are pre-washed so the colour will not fade and the fabric will maintain its softness
• Material is safe for mum and bub - we did fabric testing through an independent lab to ensure the fabric complies with the law to be suitable for infants

The best thing is that these robes can be used pre and post-delivery too! It has strategically placed ties that are perfect for your friend’s growing belly and will cause no peek-a-boos. Further, they are fantastic to use when breastfeeding. And they also have two deep pockets - big win!

3. Post Natal Recovery Kit

Dr Google recommends that new mums use things like cabbage leaves to ease the discomfort experienced when breastfeeding and to also put a frozen condom ‘down there’ to minimise pain or swelling after childbirth.

A few years ago, Australian mum Lydia Lassila found these suggestions a bit uncomfortable so this inspired her to design a range of maternity care ice packs under her existing body recovery brand: BodyICE.

The BodyICE woman maternity care kit is a thoughtful & unique baby shower gift at a great price point. Much more convenient than the messier and DIY methods aforementioned, these ice packs will provide your friend with cooling or warming relief in all of their sensitive areas. Helping her with her recovery is something she will be eternally grateful for, especially in those early days of being a new mum.

4. Baby Journal

For the sentimental type, a beautiful baby journal will become a cherished keepsake. Baby journals are typically guided with special milestones for parents to record such as the first step, first words, first haircut and much more. Mums love documenting these treasured moments and by using a journal they can keep it all in one place to lovingly reflect on and gift to their child once all grown up.

Our favourite baby journal is “The First Year of You” from our friends Write To Me. It is bound in a gorgeous linen hard cover with a gold embossed title and spine so it will not only feel nice to write in but also look nice in their baby’s nursery. It has a generous amount of space for memories, photos and milestones from pre-birth through to one year old.

Use the code BABYSHOWER for 20% OFF the Write To Me journal. 

5. Maternity Photoshoot

Growing a little human is an incredible thing and it is worth celebrating the magic of pregnancy. If your friend is not camera-shy, you may want to consider gifting her a maternity session with a local photographer.

For our product lifestyle photography, we work with the wonderful Bianca from Andie & Ollie Photography (Brisbane based) and she is phenomenal at making her clients feel comfortable in front of the camera which allows her to capture beautiful, candid moments. She sums up the value of maternity photography perfectly:

“Oh, how I wish I had celebrated my body like this when I was pregnant. I regret it so badly. I know for women who are pregnant - they often hate their body (I was one of them). Afraid to get in front of a camera in fear of what they will see. Every inch of our growing bodies should be celebrated… For when you are old and grey - you will wish you had those memories to look back on in a tangible way through photographs.”

Selecting a photographer is usually a very personal thing but it is likely that your friend may be already following some photography accounts on their Instagram account so you could easily scroll through and pick one from there. As photoshoots are a higher budget baby shower gift, it makes a great group present so get onto it early!

6. Glam Her Pram

In the same vein of choosing a nappy bag that captures your friend’s style, you may want to create a bundle of products to accessorise her pram (and make life getting out and about more practical too!) This is especially a great idea if she is purchasing a second-hand pram or a daggier model.

One pram accessory you could choose is a stroller organiser. These are small bags that hang off the handles of the pram that hold all of the essentials parents need in easy reach. For example, they may put a soft toy, baby bottle, their phone and a coffee in there. Our tan faux leather stroller organiser is a popular choice because it matches the on-trend tan leatherette pram handles.

Another accessory your friend would love is a pram liner. This is a pad for the seat that protects the stroller from grubbiness (our pram liners are machine washable) that also makes the ride more comfortable for the baby. We have a range of fashion-forward pram liners to choose from that will add a touch of sophistication & style.

7. Beauty basket

Mums can sometimes forget to make time for self-care when they have their newborn which is why it is a wonderful idea to curate a basket filled with products that are going to give her some me-time.

The key to selecting products she will actually use is to choose things that don’t require too much time or mess. Even better, include some things she can use while multitasking! Here are our top five picks:

• Facial mask
• Coffee body scrub
• Silk eye mask
• Luxurious body lotion & body wash
• Calming roller oils

You can have fun with this baby shower gift by creating hand-written labels that are attached to each product. If she is the type who loves a laugh, you could write funny things like “for when you haven’t slept for five days” on a facial mask. Or, if your friend loves deep and meaningful quotes you could write little words of encouragement for her to read.

8. Change Mat Clutch

Who says changing a baby’s nappy is unglamorous? We designed a range of change mat kits back in the early 2000s to make on-the-go nappy changes easier and to this day they are one of the most popular baby shower gifts!

Essentially, it looks like a regular fashion clutch but it folds out to a nice plush changing mat - it also has pockets for nappies, changing creams and even a zip at the back to carry a phone or car keys.

Every season we release new fashion-forward prints so you can choose something that suits your friend’s style!

This is also a great gift for a mum-to-be who wants to shop sustainably. Change mat kits are a great alternative to disposable change mats.

9. Home Cooked Meals

Having nourishing frozen meals delivered to your home after having your baby is a godsend! There are many fantastic local meal delivery services that have "new mum" packages that arrive ready to eat.

You could alternatively give her a nice card saying that you will be cooking her meals for the first few weeks and ask her to fill in what she would like to eat. Be sure to suggest meals that are not only yummy and comforting but also contain healthy ingredients that will give her a good boost of energy. Our favourite meals to cook for a new mum include:

• Lasagna
• Casserole
• Hearty soups
• Rice dishes
• Spaghetti Bolognaise
• Apple pie (for dessert!)

There's also a great website you can use called "Meal Train". This allows for you gather some friends and it will email them to let them know what days are available to provide food. This way, you won't double up with anyone else! 

10. Time

The best gift of all that you can give your friend is time. Time to let her rest and wait to hear when she is ready for visitors, time to listen to her thoughts as she navigates through this new world of motherhood, time to help her wash up so that she has one less thing to worry about…

Your time and support is something that all new mums truly need (and often don’t feel comfortable to ask for) so be sure to express to your friend that you are always there for her on this new journey.