Baby Shower Gifts That Are Actually Worth the Money

Amanda Rueter of Messy Motherhood puts this baby-wearing wrap at the top of her "can’t live without" list. "I loved the comfort of the Moby Wrap to carry my baby," Rueter says. "It was great, especially when I had my youngest, to have my hands free but still have my baby close. I used it for everything from grocery shopping to soothing a crying baby at home in the dark of night."

"This deluxe lounging pod has taken over the baby sleep space with its sleek Swedish design, comfiness, portability and versatility," says Natalie Gordon of Babylist. This lightweight pod gets parents’ praise for safe use at tummy time and for changing, traveling and more.

"This is a vibrating mat you can take anywhere to soothe baby," says Meg Collins of Lucie’s List. "Since babies are used to constant motion and noise in the womb, this was designed to mimic those same conditions and actually works quite beautifully."

This cuddly, cute sack "is slightly weighted in the chest, providing a sense of security as if Mom's hand were there for comfort," Collins says. "Parents love it and report longer sleep periods when using weighted sacks."

"These basics are perfect for new babies," says Sarah Nau of WeeSpring. "Especially when your little one has a diaper blow-out and you're stuck trying to figure out how to pull a gross (bottom-snap) onesie over their head!"

"Fun fact: a newborn goes through an average of 10 diapers a day in their first month of life. That's a lot of diapers," Nau says. "Having a diaper subscription takes one very important thing off a new parent's to-do list, and that convenience is priceless."

"Here’s a crazy-looking contraption you don't know you need until your little one gets a cold," says Nau. "Much more effective than the traditional bulb syringe (and more hygienic, too!), this is a must-have for your sick-kid arsenal."

"Kids get sick — it's unavoidable — and this thermometer is awesome," says Amy Morrison of Pregnant Chicken. "It syncs to your phone and keeps track of symptoms. It also takes one second (literally!) to get a temperature read. It's a total game-changer."

"My friend that has three kids took them to the bookstore and had them pick out a bunch of books for my baby," Morrison says. "They were bang-on with all of them, and they were books I wouldn't have picked myself. Kids have very un-adult taste in books, and you can’t always anticipate what will strike a chord, so other kids and seasoned mothers can often lend a hand."

"I love these swaddles because they serve so many purposes," says Janessa Solem of Thrifty Nifty Mommy. "You can use them as blankets, burp rags, shade from the sun when draped over a stroller, nursing covers, even as backdrops for adorable newborn photos!"

"I never expected to use a wipes warmer, but someone purchased me one for my baby shower," says Solem. "I hadn't considered how cold those wipes would feel on a newborn's bottom! I could tell that my baby was much happier when I used the wipes from the warmer."

"For parents, products that can serve multiple purposes are awesome," Weespring's Sarah Nau says. "A yoga ball is great for helping stretch and ease aching joints during pregnancy, it can help laboring mamas get (somewhat!) comfortable during contractions and it works for bouncing fussy babies."

"The Snoogle is the best pregnancy pillow out there, and it made my third pregnancy much more comfortable at night," says Katie Joiner of Happily Ever Mom. "The best part? You can use it as a breastfeeding pillow (or to bottle-feed) when your baby is born."

"It's insane the amount of water that we need to drink daily for a baby," Joiner says. "And after birth? You'll need even more! Make it easy on yourself with this time-trackable water bottle. This 32-ounce beast helps you to keep track of how much water you're drinking throughout the day by giving you hourly goals. Each goal is written on the side of the bottle. And, yes, you've got to drink this twice a day!"

"I think subscription boxes are an incredible idea," says Pregnant Chicken's Amy Morrison. "Gifts, like visitors, often come in a flurry in the beginning but peter out when you're really feeling the toll of parenthood, so these are such a beautiful idea to keep the good times rolling!" Perhaps best of all, "you don’t have to be up on your baby stuff to send them — these guys do all the work for you."