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in Episodes on March 13, 2018 by The Mom Hour

Baby Shower Gift Ideas (& My, How Things Have Changed): Episode 147



Whether you’re expecting a new baby or love showering friends with thoughtful baby gifts, this episode is for you. Meagan and Sarah enlist the help of some savvy new moms to get the latest product must-haves, plus rely on our own experience and the benefit of hindsight to dissect what’s really essential, what you can probably pass on, and which gifts go the distance. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

All the product links are in their own lists below. Special thanks to our own Katie Addiss and the awesome focus group of new moms from Denver and Minneapolis for their contributions and ideas!

  • Struggles, Successes & Discoveries (Episode 133 that contains the lengthy discussion about cleaning humidifiers)
  • Gift Ideas For Babies, Toddlers & Little Kids (one of our holiday gift guide episodes that contains more great gift ideas for new babies, including some of our favorite books and toys for baby’s first year)

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

Amazon links are affiliates. That means if you click through and make a purchase you’ll be helping support The Mom Hour at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping us continue to produce the podcast!

Go-to gifts from moms who know what’s up:

  • All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon – Sarah’s new favorite book to give as a new baby gift
  • Zutano Cozie Fleece Baby Booties With Grippers
  • Soft moccasins for pre-walkers, like any made by Robeez or these from Minnetonka
  • We both love Tea Collection for their soft cotton play clothes and jammies
  • Boppy Newborn Lounger
  • Leachco Podster Sling-Style Infant Seat Lounger
  • Boppy Nursing Pillow and Positioner
  • Magnificent Baby Unisex Newborn Footie
  • A pretty Chewbeads Necklace for mom
  • Fisher-Price Deluxe Rock ‘n Play Sleeper
  • Skip Hop 3-Stage Activity Center
  • Little Giraffe Luxe Blanket
  • Fisher-Price Bath Tub
  • WubbaNub Infant Pacifier

Gifts and gadgets we scoffed at until we realized they really ARE that great:

  • Fridababy NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator (aka “the snotsucker”)
  • Windi the Gaspasser by Fridababy
  • Burp cloths shaped to stay on your shoulder, like these
  • Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on baby cribs, car seats, strollers, high chairs and much, much more! (recommended for moms who want to sort through what’s worth the extra money and what you can go cheaper on)
  • Working moms in our focus group recommend registering for a LOT of pumping storage bags because you’ll go through them faster than you think!
  • Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Sling N Seat Tub (because bathing baby in a sink is harder than you think!)
  • Keekaroo Peanut Changer (so you never have to wash changing pad covers again)
  • Katie’s new favorite humidifier is this one: Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

Supposed “essentials” that some of us found over-rated (and others did not!)

  • Teeny tiny newborn-sized dresses for baby girls
  • Impractical shoes for babies who can’t walk
  • Expensive sound machines (that’s what electric fans are for!)
  • Co-sleeper bassinets, or any pricey one-purpose place for baby to sleep
  • Super adorable but not-super-necessary diaper stackers, like this one
  • Dockatot

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

  • Visit our website
  • Check out deals from our partners
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
  • Sign up for our newsletter

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Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: gifts, new mom, pregnancy, products

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Comments

  1. Liana says

    March 14, 2018 at 3:19 am

    Hi ladies! I’m an American living in Sweden. I love your podcast! My daughter is 20 months and the windii saved my life so many times when she was a newborn. I think it actually is a Swedish invention, as are all the nose frida products. It helped when my daughter had to pass gas but also sometimes a bunch of poop would come out too, haha. So watch out! But afterwards my daughter was always so much calmer. Buy a bunch of those!

    Reply
  2. Shannon Allen says

    July 24, 2018 at 12:51 pm

    Hi Ladies. Looooove listening in every week to get my mom-fix!
    I could have sworn on this episode that y’all talked about a great umbrella stroller? I’m not able to find anything in reference to it on your site. Can you link me your recommendation for the umbrella stroller of your liking?

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      July 25, 2018 at 8:28 am

      Hi Shannon! Meagan did talk about going with a slightly more upscale umbrella stroller after trying a bunch of cheap ones. I think the reason we didn’t link it up is that it’s been almost a decade since that purchase! It was a MacLaren, probably similar to this one (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2LDFBRh, but we’re a little out of the stroller game these days so I’m sure you’ll find other great ones out there as well. Thanks for commenting!

      Reply

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Thank you for checking out our partners and using our links + codes!

Shoutout to our new & featured partners:
🎙️ @amazonmusic (listen to all your favorite podcasts!)
🎧 @pinnaaudio (50% off safe podcasts, stories, and music for kids!) 
👗 @stitchfix ($20 off your first purchase of styles you'll love!)
🤖 @kiwico_inc (50% your first month + free shipping!)

And welcome back . . .
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⭐ @rakuten (save $ when you shop!)
⭐ @scholasticinc (books for kids of all ages!)
⭐ @minted (art, cards, decor & more!)
⭐ @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
⭐ @fabletics (2 workout bottoms for $24!)
⭐ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
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Our Chicagoland guide comes from @thepaperdart, who lives in SoCal now but hails from the Windy City originally. She has a guide FULL of mom-tested ideas for bringing kids to Chicago and surrounding areas. Click this image at the link in our bio to read Katherine's post, and get all the guides at themomhour.com/travel!

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Start planning your Florida vacation and learn more about all the places to go by clicking on this image at the link in our bio. 🏝️ And thanks for supporting the brands that support our show! @visitflorida #VisitFlorida #LoveFL
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New episode! Being a mom in 2023 means having a d New episode!

Being a mom in 2023 means having a device connecting you to the world, wherever you go. It isn't all bad or all good - but it does impact our parenting lives at every turn. Join  @kiamhammond and @jaymesherrod moms of kids ages toddler to teen, as they chat about the good, the bad, and the ugly of being constantly connected - plus offer some tech-positive suggestions for managing smartphone use when things start to feel out of balance.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
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Processionals, promotions, caps, gowns, and more! Today Meagan and Sarah dig into graduations of all kinds from our perspective as moms in the audience experiencing all the feels. We have some strong opinions about how promotion ceremonies can be incorporated thoughtfully (or not) into kids' younger years, and very different experiences when it comes to high school graduations. Find out what brings tears to our eyes almost instantly, what makes us roll our eyes, and how our own kids are "leveling up" as this school year comes to a close.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Happy kickoff to a long holiday weekend for many! Happy kickoff to a long holiday weekend for many! It's time for our monthly roundup of sponsors and affiliate partners, where we thank the brands who help support our show and remind YOU of their great deals. For our unique promo codes and links, just tap our saved "Sponsors" highlight. We also collect ALL our active promo codes on our Deals & Offers page on our website. Just tap on this image at the link in our bio to check it out!

Thank you for checking out our partners and using our links + codes!

Shoutout to our new & featured partners:
🎙️ @amazonmusic (listen to all your favorite podcasts!)
🎧 @pinnaaudio (50% off safe podcasts, stories, and music for kids!) 
👗 @stitchfix ($20 off your first purchase of styles you'll love!)
🤖 @kiwico_inc (50% your first month + free shipping!)

And welcome back . . .
⭐ @hellofresh (50% off America's #1 meal kit!)
⭐ @rakuten (save $ when you shop!)
⭐ @scholasticinc (books for kids of all ages!)
⭐ @minted (art, cards, decor & more!)
⭐ @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
⭐ @fabletics (2 workout bottoms for $24!)
⭐ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on comfy shoes!)
⭐ @ritual (10% off your 1st 3 mo.!)
This week's episode has elicited more comments and This week's episode has elicited more comments and emails than we've gotten in a LONG TIME. We're so glad the topic touched a nerve and appreciate every one of the notes we've received.

Speaking of "doneness" and all the feels about moving out of the baby-having years, this result from our listener survey surprised us. 72% of listeners who responded to the question about plans to grow their families said they are totally done. This is a big jump from previous surveys where we asked the same question (in 2021 59% said they were done; in 2019 47%).

If you haven't taken our survey yet, please do! Click this image at the link in our bio, or type themomhour.com/survey into any browser. Thanks, friends!
Did you know we have travel guides on our website Did you know we have travel guides on our website for NINE different U.S. cities (and counting!)? Our contributors hail from all over the country and know the best playgrounds, coffee shops, and family-friendly activities to make your summer travels more joyful and less stressful.

Our Chicagoland guide comes from @thepaperdart, who lives in SoCal now but hails from the Windy City originally. She has a guide FULL of mom-tested ideas for bringing kids to Chicago and surrounding areas. Click this image at the link in our bio to read Katherine's post, and get all the guides at themomhour.com/travel!

#chicagowithkids #travelwithkids #summer2023 #summertravel #windycitykids #windycitymoms #chicagolandwithkids #chicagomoms #chicago
New episode, based on this letter we received from New episode, based on this letter we received from listener Sarah (swipe to read). We're guessing more than a few of you can relate...

"Done having babies" and "Sad about the end of the little years" are two completely different mom-emotions, as Meagan and Sarah get into today, with the help of a thoughtful listener question. We look at how it's possible to be at peace with your family size and still experience grief at the identity shift that happens as your last babe gets big (and your bigs get huge). We reflect on what pangs us most about small kids growing bigger, how to accept the unfamiliar role of being (slightly) less needed, and what it means to embrace the season you find yourself in - whatever it is.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Summer’s almost here, but Florida’s a place wh Summer’s almost here, but Florida’s a place where you can enjoy the season’s fun and relaxation year-round.  #ad

Escape your busy routine and spread out along 825 miles of beaches, 700 freshwater springs and over 1300 trails with breathing room to run and play. Discover new experiences in the most comfortable place to get out of your comfort zone, only on a family vacation in Florida. (It’s just the best.)

Start planning your Florida vacation and learn more about all the places to go by clicking on this image at the link in our bio. 🏝️ And thanks for supporting the brands that support our show! @visitflorida #VisitFlorida #LoveFL
New episode! A parent of three is exhausted by di New episode!

A parent of three is exhausted by dinnertime sillies and wants help steering conversation at the family table. A stay-at-home mom asks what to do when her child says, "don't tell dad I got in trouble at school!". And a parent of a tween who wants acrylic nails asks a bigger question about letting kids alter their appearance in general. Meagan and Sarah tackle tricky parenting challenges with our best attempts at nuance, compassion, and humor in today's episode.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Looking to enrich your home library with nature-in Looking to enrich your home library with nature-inspired children's books? Sandy Hsu (@hopefulsmiles) has a roundup on the blog this week with beautiful book series that bring science and nature to life with compelling visuals. Check it out by clicking this image at the link in our bio!
New episode! Happy Mother's Day! Meagan thought i New episode!

Happy Mother's Day! Meagan thought it would be fun to surprise Sarah with an episode full of lightning-round-style "this or that" questions and "would you rather" head-scratchers. Join us for lots of laughs, silly questions and tons of fun! If you've been listening for a while you know that we're chronically lightning-round-challenged. Find out if we answer all the questions before the buzzer goes off! 

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast#podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast#podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts

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