Babies are bundles of joys we all love doting on. The United Nations has even estimated that around 385,000 people are born every day around the world.
Newborns, however, are also really vulnerable. They require a lot of care and delicacy both from their parents and the people surrounding them. With the many essentials necessary to efficiently and properly care for newborns, picking the kind of gifts to give them and their parents can be confusing. The easiest way to narrow down your options is by thinking about the responsibilities and effects of newborn childcare.
Babies get hungry and are fed every 2 to 3 hours with special infant formula or breast milk, around 8 to 12 times a day. After that, they are burped. They must be fed on a schedule and not have them miss it. That’s why their sleeping and play schedules are also well-timed as much as possible by their parents.
Babies also poo 3 to 4 times a day, requiring quite a lot of diaper changes. Parents have to adjust to having a newborn, which is a tiring but rewarding responsibility. They spend sleepless nights coaxing their child back to sleep and giving them what they need whenever they cry (which often happens in the middle of the night).
Giving a gift that benefits the baby and gives the parents or guardians one less thing to worry about is the best option.
Make diaper changes a bit easier for them. You can never go wrong with getting diapers, a changing basket or table, or baby powder.
The only way you’ll be wrong about it is if you don’t get the right size. Try to reckon how old the baby is and search their possible diaper sizes. Remember if their parents have also mentioned in passing the type of brands that their child prefers to wear. Diapers would be a constant appearance in their daily lives until they’re at most three years old. Trust that their entire family would be happy to add more to their supply.
Coupling it with some baby powder and items that help prevent rashes in babies is also thoughtful. If you think that they don’t have a changing table or basket yet and have happened to come across something charming, get it.
There’s no such thing as too many towels when it comes to a baby.
Babies are burped every time after they eat to help them pass gas. This is because drinking milk also makes them swallow air. If that air accumulates in the stomach, it can make them feel bloated and even trigger vomiting. Burping helps them get rid of that air, and it can make them throw up saliva and a bit of food that they’ve eaten before being burped.
This is why parents and guardians often have a handy burp cloth or towel anywhere within immediate reach. Gifting them with towels adds up to their current stock of it and saves them the time of having to run into a room to get one if they run out of a clean one. Babies are prone to making messes, and towels do a quick job of sorting it out.
Babies also take baths, but the frequency of it depends on how old they are. Nevertheless, they get cold fast, so giving them baby hooded towels is one of your best bets. If you know how to crochet, embroider, and knit, then it’s time to bust out your DIY skills and make the babies a personalized hanky or towel.
Contribute to the baby’s playtime by giving them toys or a play mat.
There are a plethora of baby toys to choose from. It can range from dangling crib toys, teething mittens, baby instrument sets, and even car seat toys. The important thing is that what you get them can stimulate their visual, auditory, and tactile senses.
Help out the parents directly by arranging a babysitter or helping out with baby food and grocery services.
Being a parent puts a lot of food on their plate. It is quite tiring to take care of an infant 24 hours a day and 7 times a week. When you have spare time, lend a hand and offer to babysit or get them a good babysitter so that they can have some time to unwind and relax.
You can also help them with grocery runs, especially when they can’t do it when they’re tied down to the house. Add up to their current infant formula or food (since they can be a bit pricey) and learn about their good go-to brands.
Whatever kind of gift you get for them, it’s always the thought that counts.
