Gift IdeasNew baby and baby shower gift ideas
A baby gift should be soft, safe and useful a few months from now. A small gift for the mother is a kind extra.
A storybook or a set of picture books
Ask the bookseller for the right reading age. Write the child's name and the date inside.
A piggy bank with a first deposit inside
An old-fashioned gift that starts a habit.
A cooked meal delivered to the house
Ask what day suits them and bring it in containers that need not be returned.
A hand-knitted or hand-stitched item
A scarf, a cushion cover, an embroidered handkerchief.
A tree or fruit sapling
For someone with a garden. Planted on the day, it marks the year.
A soft cotton baby set in a larger size
Buy for six to twelve months. Everyone else brings newborn sizes.
A baby blanket or quilt
Light cotton for a summer baby, a warm one for a winter baby.
A baby memory book
For first photos, footprints and dates. Parents fill it for years.
Money in an envelope (shagun)
Welcome on almost every family occasion, and the giver never has to guess a size or a taste. By custom the amount ends in one.
A helper for a day
Arrange a cleaner, a cook or a babysitter for a day or a week.
A small silver bowl, spoon or anklets
The traditional gift for a newborn in many Indian families.
A silver coin
A traditional token of good fortune at Diwali, weddings and the birth of a child.
A spa or salon voucher
For someone who looks after everyone except themselves.
No idea matches these choices. Set one of the boxes back to "Any".
Your shortlist
Choosing a new baby and baby shower gift
- Choose clothes in a larger size, in soft cotton, with no loose parts.
- In many families, gifts for the baby are given after the birth, not before. Follow the family's custom for a godh bharai.
- Silver items such as a small bowl, spoon or anklets are a traditional gift for a newborn.
About the spending levels
This site does not quote prices, because prices change with the city, the shop and the year. Each idea is marked with one of four levels instead:
- Token: A small gesture: the cost of a snack or a few cups of tea.
- Modest: An everyday gift for friends and family.
- Generous: A special gift for someone close or a big occasion.
- Grand: A once-in-years gift, often given by a family together.
Questions people ask
What is a good new baby and baby shower gift?
Choose clothes in a larger size, in soft cotton, with no loose parts. Two ideas from this page: "A piggy bank with a first deposit inside" and "A baby blanket or quilt".
Is it fine to give money?
In India, money in an envelope is a normal and welcome gift on most family occasions, especially weddings and festivals. Add a line of blessing and your name. See our page on shagun.
Other occasions
Guides
- Shagun: giving moneyThe envelope, the extra rupee and how to decide the amount.
- Gifting etiquetteGiving, receiving, regifting and gifts to avoid.
- Return giftsIdeas for birthdays, weddings, pujas and housewarmings.
- Gift wrappingWrap a box neatly, or wrap without paper at all.
- Gift messagesShort lines to write on a tag or card, to copy.
- Secret Santa name drawerPair everyone for a gift exchange on one phone.