When my first baby was born we were given so many adorable outfits for her—every combination of cashmere and lace and onesies with up-the-back-buttons that are nearly impossible to get on a squirming baby and I remember thinking, “gosh I hope she’s invited to a ton of fancy parties and black tie galas in the first year of her life!” (Spoiler alert: Covid hit, the world went into lockdown and she was invited to exactly zero fancy parties and not one single gala.)
My baby’s lack of social life aside, I’ve found that the best baby gifts are in fact essentials that are more useful than tiny adorable clothes they’ll quickly grow out of. Read on for the best baby gifts that’ll help the new parents survive those first few precious months.
Vogue’s Guide to the Best Baby Gifts
One Month: Home From the Hospital
The first month at home with your baby is usually spent in a delirious cycle of feeding, sleeping and about 1,000 hours of staring at this beautiful creature you created, equally amazed and also appalled that it is yours forever. The best gifts at this time are so adorable that they distract you from the lack of sleep. I love to give a snuggly going-home-from-the-hospital outfit like these gorgeous Bonpoint pajamas or this Oso and Me newborn set. Another fail safe option is a muslin set to swaddle the baby and a Dock-A-Tot to keep that bundle safe and sound!
Two Months: Bed, Bath, and Beyond
Two months is about the time babies are slowly getting into a nice evening routine: bath, bottle and (hopefully!) bed. Make sure they’re all ready for bath time with the best clean baby products like these from Paloroma and cozy towels from Weezie. After bath, it’s off to bed and arguably the best gift to give new parents is a few hours of unbroken sleep. Enter the Snoo, an electronic crib that gently rocks baby to sleep so mom and dad don’t have to—priceless!
Three Months: Out & About
The first few outings with a new baby can be nervewracking—wondering if you have all the right equipment, wondering if they’ll poop mid car journey, and wondering if you’ll wake the sleeping babe by lifting them from the car. For thousands of years mothers have been devastatingly waking their tiny babies, trying to levitate them out of their car seats and into their strollers until some genius finally invented the Doona: a car seat slash stroller in one. Another great option is Artipoppe’s beautiful baby carrier that is both comfortable and chic. I also love to give Anya Hindmarch’s diaper changing kit—with handy pockets for everything you could possibly need—new moms can just pop it in their handbag and go!
Six Months: Mini Gourmand
Six months is a huge milestone in baby land: many babies will be sitting up, hopefully sleeping through the night and are ready for their first bit of “real” (pureed) food! The Beaba Baby Cook makes pureeing baby concoctions a breeze and can turn any parent into a gourmet baby chef! The Stokke high chair comes in so many great colors and is a mainstay in every stylish kitchen—and don’t forget silicone bibs in complementary color schemes!
9 Months: Play and Explore
The fun really kicks off once baby starts crawling! Oso and Me x Sister Parish’s new playmat is reversible in the cutest whimsical pattern and durable for picnics, crawling sessions or tummy time in or outdoors and Lovevery’s toy kits are designed for each stage of development to keep them busy. Don’t forget a cozy jumpsuit to keep those knees covered for crawling practice!
12 Months: The First Birthday!
Hurray, your baby is one! Mostly this is a celebration of the parents for surviving the first year so go all out with a party outfit like this one from La Coqueta, tons of balloons and, of course, baby’s first bite of sugar in that delicious cake! A keepsake box is the perfect gift for nostalgic parents to save all those tiny little outfits and mementos from baby’s first year. The single greatest gift my girls were given was a Tonie box—an electronic story box that reads endless stories to them, perfect for the parent who simply can’t stomach another rendition of The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the nine hundredth time. I love to give a fabulous (perhaps impractical) but fun pair of shoes for a baby’s first birthday; if they haven’t taken those precious first steps yet, they will soon!
18 Months: On the Go
Walking, talking, climbing everything–the eighteen month mark is when babies are constantly on the go! Give them lots to do to keep them active like a balance bike scooter and a stroller-slash-trolley, and of course, a pair of sneakers for those very busy days. To help wind down at the end of the day, I love customizable books from Librio for a keepsake that kids will remember for years to come.