When a baby is on the way, the parents aren’t the only ones that get excited. Odds are that the future grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and other loved ones will also be eager to welcome the newest member of the family.
It’s a time for friends and family to share time with the expectant parents and to “shower” them with gifts, love, and good wishes before birth.
So picking up a present shouldn’t be much of a challenge. But many moms out there who received pretty questionable stuff from their baby shower guests claim this is not exactly the case. “What is the worst baby shower gift you received?” asked one Redditor on the Baby Bumps subreddit. The question seems to have hit close to home for many moms out there as they shared the weirdest and most inappropriate stuff they got to unpackage during their baby showers.
#1
I got a kids size 10 shirt… like, one that a big kid could wear. We were really confused but said thank you and moved onto the next gift… the friend pulled me aside and apologized because he didn’t know anything about babies. We had a laugh about it and it’s still in my (almost) 4-year old’s closet. We have him put it on around his birthday every year and send a picture of him to our friend who gifted it to us. It’s tradition now lol
We reached out to Tiffany Jenkins, the internet’s most-loved content creator, best-selling author, wife, mother, and the author of her blog, “Juggling the Jenkins”. She has more than 5 million followers and counting on her Facebook page, and has been featured on national TV shows like The Today Show and The Doctors. Tiffany happily shared a couple of great ideas for baby shower gifts as well as some other insights into parenting.
When asked what is the best baby shower present a guest can bring, Tiffany said it’s hands-down diapers and wipes. “Babies go through an astronomical amount of diapers, having a stockpile of all different sizes ready to go is magical. There’s nothing worse than going to grab a diaper when your baby has a blowout and realizing that you’re out. Taking a newborn to the store wrapped in a towel for diapers is always awkward,” she explained.
#2
I was super excited to find a turquoise pottery barn crib on craigslist for $75!! Made a fb post and everything.
Well for my shower my BiL and SiL decided to buy me a crib! Not so bad, but when I opened it she goes “this is so that you don’t have to use that street crib, cuz let’s be honest, it’s a street crib”. In front of everyone!! I grew up on second-hand items and it was such a slap in the face, I wanted to just cry
#3
A cross…for my Jewish child. Yes, they knew.
#4
A giant bag of sexist girl clothes from Target from my MIL, after we specifically had a discussion about how much we hate sexist baby clothes and will never put our daughter in anything like that. We tried to return them but they were so deeply discounted Target couldn’t even take them back. They all went straight to Goodwill.
Another great idea to bring to the baby shower is baby clothes in larger sizes. “My babies grew like weeds and would only get to wear an outfit a handful of times before it became too tight,” Tiffany said and added that “Having new clothes in bigger sizes already in the closet is incredibly helpful.”
“ZIPPER pajamas,” Tiffany added to her go-to baby shower gift list. However, it should never be snap-button pajamas. “I learned this the hard way. Waking up exhausted at 3:00 am to change a diaper is hard enough… Trying to snap 64 buttons back together while your kid thrashes around like a baby alligator is like the eighteenth level of ‘Jumanji,’” she told us.
#5
My MIL gave me this beautiful “sleeping bag” that was handmade and my SO used it when he was a baby so it actually meant a lot to me cause we don’t really have the best relationship. The day after my baby shower she told me she wanted it back and I can borrow it from her if I wanted to use it. felt very awkward about it because I told everyone about this lovely present…
#6
First baby… A card from my sister in law, pretty much says I’m not ready to be a parent and that she hopes i “don’t damage the child.” It came with the “What To Expect,” book series for birth through age 5. Lol. Also… She spent the entire party ragging on me to everybody. I had met her once prior to this. She was excused
#7
MIL had a shower with all her friends and gave me the presents afterward. I wasn’t even invited
For those guests who are in for a splurge for the expecting mom, the best expensive gift is a gift card. “Sometimes moms don’t realize what they need until they are already knee-deep in motherhood, remembering you have a gift card to use for it is a huge relief later on.”
Although according to Tiffany, any gift is a nice gift, there are a few that aren’t the best, if she’s being honest. “A baby drum set, for example—is not a fun time for the mom. Toys that make a lot of noise or take up a lot of space aren’t the greatest. Definitely don’t get her a gift certificate to a gym, and I’d skip the lingerie.”
#8
My husband’s family thought it would be funny to give me a box of condoms, this was a shower for our second son. I was NOT pleased as a 38week pregnant woman. 1 because sex was the last thing on my list, and 2 how tacky and rude can you be. Oddly enough nobody fessed up to who brought the gift when I asked? I know my face indicated I would be murdering whoever it was.
#9
A gift set of baby medicine that all expired before she was born
#10
My mother-in-law got us an ugly bookshelf after asking us if we had one and after we told her we did (and had it all set up in our small nursery). She also got us a wipe warmer after she knew that we were against using one (don’t need babe get used to warming wipes when we are on the go so frequently). She then made a loud comment about how this other babe in the fam is probably much more protected from Covid because of all the breastfeeding (and I’m vaxed AND freshly boosted). She knows we’re not breastfeeding and just took it as a chance to give a jab. I made up for it though – after opening all of the gifts at the shower I proudly announced and thanked my mom for giving us the best gift of all – several weeks of sleep (via a night nurse). Everything she does is deliberate – but two can play the game.
When asked whether guests are always expected to bring in a gift, Tiffany said that there is definitely an expectation to bring a gift, “since that’s pretty much the main purpose for a baby shower.” She added that “I do think some people just enjoy being around others and feeling like the center of attention for a day as well. I wrote on my invitation that they didn’t have to bring gifts, I just wanted to celebrate. They brought gifts anyway, of course.”
#11
Fisher-Price Rockn’Play bassinet…we got lucky but the headlines were so true. After I told the gift giver about the near-deadly encounter with our newborn, she became annoyed that we returned it through the recall claim. We’re no longer friends.
#12
So when my son was born, my brother-in-law gave me a card. When I read the card, he wrote that he bought 2 football game tickets. One for him and one for my husband…… And he got me, the one who had a baby in her belly for roughly 10 months absolutely nothing.
#13
I got birth control pills…
Moreover, Tiffany said that she’s noticed lots of her friends doing “virtual” baby showers nowadays, “which is cool. They put out their ‘wishlist’ on social media a few weeks ahead, then on baby shower day, they go live and open the gifts.”
“I think moms feel like they need a ton of gadgets and contraptions and baby furniture and the latest car seat in order to bring a baby into the world,” she said and added that “The truth is, babies, don’t need nearly as much as we initially think. All they really need is food, a place to sleep, something to catch their poop and love. The rest is just a bonus!”
#14
My own mother gave me a notebook for my baby shower that was supposed to be filled with supportive messages from people who attended. Except that her own message was so scathing and pretty much just repeated in different ways how much I was going to struggle as a mother. I got good mileage out of passing it around and laughing at it with my husband’s family, who are well aware of how insane my parents are
#15
A onesie that said “they did not stay 6 feet apart”
#16
A box of uncooked pasta and girl stuff ….FYI I don’t know if its a boy or girl and made that clear to everyone that the gender is a surprise…..and the pasta I can’t even explain
#17
My sister got me a random basket from target that says “Baby” on it with a target grocery bag with random baby goods like wipes and such ._. Not wrapped or anything. The gift itself wasn’t so bad but then my mom went on a 15-minute speech about how beautiful her gift is and how wonderful my sister was to take the time to make me a beautiful basket despite her busy schedule.
They came to the baby shower for a full 10 minutes, complained about the party, my sister only talked about herself and her pregnancies and how much she had it worse than me.. asked how much I weighed and tried to compare. then left. I was glad they left before other people showed up.
#18
A “my first 5 years” memory book, with a kids name already in it and the “when we found out we were expecting” says Thanksgiving 2013
#19
Not me but my SIL received a “time out chair” from a relative when she had her first. It was a children’s rocking chair with a clock embedded in it and lots of s**tty sayings on it like “you have to think about what you did” and creepy stuff like that. Also, it was clearly for an older child and not a newborn. We all had a good laugh about it after then donating it.
#20
A dirty teddy bear that smelled like cigarettes. When we called for the story, thinking maybe it was a childhood toy that had been saved, he said “oh no, I just found that at the thrift store”
#21
Used and open items. came from my SIL’s brother-in-law and his wife. I am all for hand-me-downs, but like..open containers of baby power and butt cream that are half used, as their present…lmao. Oh, and it was all packed in a dirty, used diaper backpack.
#22
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#24
A onesie that says “every dog needs a baby” and I have two cats. Zero dogs.
#25
#26
A dog toy that I’m fairly certain had been used (no tags, and there was a stain).
#27
A homemade blanket with a sewing needle stuck inside it that we discovered when baby was a few months old.
#28
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#31
#32
#33
Got a onesie from someone that said “best younger sister” when I’m an FTM with only one baby. I gave the onesie away.
#34
A pink Sonicare electric toothbrush, for my newborn son.
