Eco-Conscious Gift Ideas for Baby (That Are Actually Useful)

What New Parents Really Need: Eco-Conscious Gift Ideas (That Are Actually Useful)

I remember when I was pregnant with my first daughter. In order to supply my friends and family with gift ideas for my growing – yet unborn – baby, I went to a nationwide chain store and made a registry in advance of my baby shower. A sales associate handed me a checklist with hundreds of baby items that I presumed all new parents needed to raise healthy, happy children.

I was directed to peruse the store, scan my heart out with an adorable handheld scanner, and check off items from the checklist as I snaked through the aisles.

Fast forward 6 months: I had the baby – a healthy baby girl –  most of the items I registered for and received by my loving family members and friends sat in my house, unused.

It was sobering to realize that almost all the items I thought I needed – almost all the items Babies R Us told me I needed – were completely unnecessary. 

It’s time to distinguish new baby Must-Haves from the Don’t-Needs, once and for all.

This post is for readers who may become parents someday and are having trouble distinguishing true needs amidst all the hype. It’s also for readers who may be giving a gift to a new baby and want to gift something that is both eco-friendly and actually useful.

Read on for eco-conscious gift ideas for baby (as well as unnecessary Don’t-Needs, too!).

What not to buy (and what not to register for)

If you’re a new mom, what should you not register for?

If you are giving a gift to a new baby or a new set of parents, what should avoid buying?

Here are the Top 7 items babies don’t need:

1. Cute clothes that are not functional.

Adorable outfits often go unworn precisely because they are impractical.

2. Diapers.

Babies often outgrow smaller sizes quickly, and a box of newborn diapers may never even be opened.

Some parents find certain brands of diapers – especially the brands with pesticide-laden cotton – are too sensitive for babies’ skins.

Then there’s personal preference: While some parents prefer a distinct brand, others may plan to cloth diaper.

3. Stuffed animals.

Everyone will be gifting the new baby a stuffed animal. How many are too many?

4. Receiving blankets.

Many new mothers find themselves with dozens upon dozens of receiving blankets. Consider gifting something else (Unless, of course, you made the receiving blanket by hand!).

5. Baby toys.

Baby toys create unnecessary clutter; they will likely go unused, too, as babies prefer to stare at faces, ceiling fans, and color contrasts over toys.

6. A diaper bag.

Use a backpack you have lying around instead of a diaper bag. A backpack works just as well – if not better! – than  a diaper bag, as a backpack enables hands-free excursions.

7. A nursing pump.

Before buying or registering for a nursing pump, check with your health insurance first, and inquire as to whether they will supply one for free.

You can find The Sustainable Minimalists podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

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What do you gift? Alternately, what do you ask for? 

To help create this Top 5 list, I enlisted the help of members in our private Facebook group.

I asked, “What’s the most helpful or thoughtful gift you received as a new mom?” Below are their tallied responses in descending order.

_____

Eco-conscious gift idea for Baby #5: A gift card

Gift cards enable new parents to purchase what they want when they need it.

A gift card to a baby store is thoughtful; one to a nearby restaurant that delivers is appreciated, too.

Gift Idea for Baby #4: A cleaning service

Many new parents are so overwhelmed with the new challenges associated with parenting that cleaning the house falls to the bottom of their To-Do Lists.

Consider paying for the cost of one or two housecleaning visits. Alternately, go in with a large group friends and give a singular, oversized gift: A cleaning service for 6 months or more.

Gift Idea #3: Free stuff 

Never underestimate the power of a free (but thoughtful) gift for a new baby.

Free gift ideas include:

– Babysitting services, especially if the family already has other children. 

– Newborn cuddles (so mom can nap).

– Washing dishes

– Running the vacuum

– Quality, secondhand items you no longer need

Gift Idea for Baby #2: A wrap or carrier

The opportunity for a new mother to have her hands free during day-to-day life is a priceless gift.

I was given not one but 2 secondhand carriers when my first daughter was born: one for me and one for my husband. I carried her when I vacuumed. We carried her when we cooked. We carried her until she was so mobile she refused to sit still.

That said, a carrier is a very personal choice. There are wraps; there are more formal carriers, too, with buckles and snaps. 

Don’t buy a carrier for a new baby unless the mother has explicitly asked for or registered for a specific one. Pass a secondhand carrier you already have on to a new mom in the chances she likes it, instead.

The Best Eco-Conscious Gift Idea for New Baby? A meal or a meal train

“I barely remember what people got me at my baby shower because so much was never used but I will treasure the memory of those meals.”

You can gift a meal in one of two ways:

The first way is to bring over a meal that the new parents can pop in the freezer and take out when needed. 

The second way harnesses the power of the new parents’ community in helping a new family setting up a Meal Train for the parents. 

A Meal Train is an online meal calendar for anyone – not just new parents – including families going through a stressful time like surgery or illness.

A Meal Train is a calendar in which friends and family sign up to bring a meal. When done well, the first month or even the first two months are filled with meals so the new parents don’t have to cook at all. 

If you are setting up a meal train for a family with a new baby, list their dietary preferences on the meal train invite so that other friends and family bring dinners that will actually get eaten.

Determine drop off instructions, too. Many new parents don’t want to entertain, so instruct others who signed up to take a meal to place it, perhaps, by the side door.

After you have set up a Meal Train for the family and have emailed it to their friends, family, and coworkers, sign up to take a meal. Go all out. Include a salad, beer or wine, an entree, and a dessert.

If you want to extra credit, cook a meal that could be easily frozen in the event that the parents do not want to eat it right away.

What are your go-to gift ideas for a new baby? Share them in the comments below! 

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