Experienced parents are pretty good at knowing what's useful rather than falling for gimmickry, but if you haven't yet or aren't going to have kids, where do you start to choose a really good gift for your sprogging pals?
I started thinking about this subject when I came across a Which? article on the items parents wished they hadn't splashed out cash on (number one was a fabric sling). I wondered how many of those things are bought as gifts by friends and family who've heard they're good, or been asked for them by the parents themselves.
So where to start? Obviously this is a bit of a subjective collection as it's stuff I'd choose mixed with suggestions from friends and family, but it's meant as a general guideline to help steer well-meaning but uncertain gift givers in a more practical direction.
Clothes
Sartorial Success:
Babies can never have too many white vests, so if you don't mind dull and want to go practical, multipacks of these are a cheap, cheerful and very useful present; Primark also does great basic PJ packs for £5 for two pairs (my daughter is the cutest little angler fish you've ever seen).
However you could go the route of picking one more luxurious item that budget conscious parents are unlikely to buy for themselves, like this gorgeousOrganics for Kids ladybird romper, the adorable Polarn O. Pyret Time for Tea tunic or the classic No Added Sugar Sleep Thief sleepsuit. All those brands are also particularly good for parents who aren't fans of colour coding by gender.
Fashion Failure:
Don't go overboard on the frilly dresses. The parents might be all for thrills and there are some lovely examples around, but getting tights on and off a tiny infant who's probably going to coat said dress in poo, dribble and banana anyway is a royal pain in the behind. Save it for birthdays down the line. And dotry to be a little more imaginative than cupcakes and kittens for girls and trucks and dinosaurs for boys...
Also, some general tips on clothes that are worth remembering: Don't buy newborn size; babies vary massively in size at birth and grow rapidly, plus parents will want to buy their own first bits and bobs. If you remember to size up, please also remember clothes are seasonal. We got a beautiful size 9-12 month snow suit for our daughter that she'll never wear because she was born in the middle of summer.
Books
Riveting Reading:
Here you want to consider whether the book is for now or later. One very sweet baby shower idea I read about in a magazine suggested each person brought a childhood favourite with a personal note to the child scribbled inside. For babies, multi-sensory books are a great buy, especially anything with mirrors or different textures like the super Usborne That's Not My... series. Board versions of picture books such as the brilliant Tiddler are also handy as small hands can't mash the pages. My daughter's favourites also include ones with pop-ups and flaps, such as Peekabo Pooh (be warned, buy this only for parents with a tolerance for noise).
Pointless Print:
Beautiful though they often are, treasuries of classic stories are generally more decorative than widely read and rumpled (unless we're talking sets of books, like Mr. Men etc). They also often contain things you might not expect; one collection of nursery rhymes we were given had the original version of The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, complete with arbitrary child-beating, which some parents won't be thrilled about.
Toys
Practical Playtime:
There's a reason Lamaze toys and their ilk are so popular; they are good toys. The different textures appeal to the baby, and the ease of clipping on to a cot or car seat make them parent-friendly too. I have my doubts about the developmental claims, but I know my daughter enjoys examining each bit minutely. She's also obsessed with tags and labels, and if the Taggies range is any indication she can't be the only one. If you're going to go for a security blanket type gift, buy two; if the baby gets attached to it, the parents will appreciate having a spare for washing times / in case it gets lost.
Distraction Duds:
Cuddly toys are lovely, and some babies do take to them relatively quickly. However, it's generally when they're quite a lot older that they really become interested in them; something a bit more dynamic and interactive is much more useful at the early stages.
Other
Some basic dos and don't here.
DO
Ask the parents what they want, especially if you're buying after the baby's born and they have lots of stuff.
Give vouchers; I speak from experience when I say they're much appreciated even if some retailers - grr Mothercare! - won't let you use them online.
Take inspiration from elsewhere. Fellow BitchBuzz writer Rebecca Thompson pointed out Sophie Heawood's tweets about her baby shower to me; friends each picked a year in Sophie's daughter's life from 0-24 and wrote a letter for her to read on that birthday.
Offer some practical assistance instead of a present - a homemade meal for a tired new family is as precious as a cute rattle, if not more so!
DON'T
Buy very personal equipment like a breast pump unless you've been asked for one! (One gift ideas list I read did suggest this and I couldn't disagree more!)
Worry too much! In the end, all parents will just be really happy you thought of them and their baby, and very grateful for anything you offer.
Alexandra Roumbas Goldstein is a mum of one, digital marketer and online community manager who takes any opportunity to blog about parenthood, social media, cats, baking and Disney. Follow her on Twitter @mokuska