Thoughtful Baby Gifts New Parents Actually Use

New parents get a lot of stuff. Most of it is size 0-3 month outfits, stuffed animals and things with ribbons. What they actually use in those first months is more practical, and often less photogenic: food, sleep, help and gear that makes a long day slightly easier.

Here are gift ideas that new parents tend to reach for again and again, sorted by type. If the parents have a registry, start there. If they don’t, or everything’s been bought, these are safe bets.

Gifts for the parents, not the baby

The baby will be fine. The parents are the ones running on three hours of sleep. Gifts aimed at them are often the most appreciated.

• Meals. Drop off a freezer-friendly lasagna, soup or casserole in a disposable pan they don’t have to return. Or organize a meal train so friends sign up for different nights.
• A food delivery or grocery gift card. For the nights nobody can face cooking.
• A big insulated water bottle with a straw. Nursing parents are thirsty all the time, and a straw means one-handed drinking.
• A snack basket. Granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, crackers and anything else that can be eaten one-handed at 3 a.m.
• A comfortable robe or soft lounge pants for the weeks when getting dressed is a stretch goal.
• A house cleaning session. One deep clean from a local service can feel like a miracle.

Practical baby gear that gets used

Big items like car seats and strollers are personal choices, so leave those to the parents unless they’ve asked. These smaller items are almost always useful:

• Swaddles or sleep sacks in the next size up, since babies grow out of the newborn size quickly
• Burp cloths and muslin blankets, which get used for everything and are never in the right room
• A good diaper bag or backpack with plenty of pockets
• Diapers and wipes in larger sizes. Everyone gives newborn size. Size 2 or 3 will be needed soon and won’t go to waste.
• A white noise machine for naps in a noisy apartment
• A baby carrier or wrap, if they don’t already have one they like, so they can get around with free hands
• A nightlight with a dim, warm setting for middle-of-the-night feeds

One safety note: skip crib bumpers, pillows, positioners and loose blankets as gifts. Current safe sleep guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics says babies should sleep on a firm, flat surface with nothing else in the crib.

Gifts that last beyond the baby months

Clothes are outgrown in weeks. These are around for years.

• A starter book collection. A stack of sturdy board books, plus a few picture books for later. Write a note inside each cover. Our guide to building a kids’ home library on the cheap has more on where to find them.
• A baby memory book or a simple journal for writing down firsts.
• A framed print of the city or neighborhood where the baby was born.
• A savings contribution toward the baby’s future, if the parents have set up an account and welcome contributions.
• A quality wooden toy like stacking rings, a shape sorter or blocks, which works from around six months through toddlerhood.

Experiences and memberships

Families with young babies often go stir-crazy, especially in a Chicago winter. Gifts that get them out of the house can be a relief.

• A museum or zoo membership. Many children’s museums and zoos have family memberships, and babies often get in free anyway. A membership means short visits are worth it. Our list of free museum days shows which places offer free days too.
• Baby classes such as music, swim or movement classes through a local studio or park district.
• A newborn or family photo session with a local photographer.

Gifts of time

The most useful thing you can give new parents may not come in a box.

• A babysitting coupon for a few hours so they can sleep, shower or leave the house together
• An offer to walk the dog every day for a week
• A load of laundry, collected, washed, folded and returned
• Older sibling duty. Take a big brother or sister to the park for an afternoon

Be specific when you offer. “Let me know if you need anything” usually gets a polite no. “I’m bringing dinner Thursday and taking Max to the playground for two hours on Saturday” gets a yes.

If there’s a big brother or sister at home, bring them something small too. A book about becoming a sibling, a new art set or a toy of their own goes a long way when everyone is fussing over the baby. Our list of gifts for city kids with small spaces has ideas that won’t clutter an apartment.

How to give it

A few small things make any baby gift better:

• Include a gift receipt, without making a fuss about it.
• Write the contents on the card, so parents writing thank-you notes don’t have to remember who gave what.
• Drop it off rather than staying for a long visit, unless you’re invited to stay.
• Wash your hands, and don’t visit if you’re sick.

If you can only do one thing, make it food. Write the reheating instructions on the lid with a marker.