Are you hosting or attending a baby shower for a friend who’s soon to give birth? How sweet! Aside from a chance for a girly get-together, baby showers are a nice opportunity to treat the expectant mum to some pressies to wish her well on her journey to motherhood.

• But knowing what to give the mum-to-be can be a bit of a conundrum, especially if you don’t have kids yourself. There are only so many muslin wraps she needs!
• The ideas below follow a practical theme – they are all designed to make the new mum’s life a little bit easier and stress-free. She’s sure to be super-grateful …

• Basics galore

  If you’re creative, try constructing your own ‘bouquet’ of rolled-up newborn basics such as singlets, socks, and bibs in a range of soft colours (gender-specific if she knows, or neutral if not). Or try creating a tiered ‘cake’ of rolled-up newborn nappies – the baby will go through hundreds, after all! Of course, you can always order these kinds of gifts online – just do a Google search using the words ‘bouquet of baby clothes’.

• Vouchers

  Setting up for a baby’s arrival is an expensive exercise no matter how simple your needs, so your friend will definitely appreciate a gift certificate for a baby store. Maybe chip in with a few others so she can get a big-ticket item such as a travel cot or change table.
• Another great voucher idea is for home-delivered meals to arrive on her doorstep in the weeks following the baby’s birth. New mums hardly have time to take a shower, let alone create a fancy meal, so having some gourmet dinners on standby in the freezer is a gift she’ll thank you for every night! This is an idea you can also DIY with a group of, say, six friends – if each person makes and freezes two main meals, it should keep the new parents well-fed for a couple of weeks.

• Mummy time

  OK, so the baby needs lots of gear, but giving the mum-to-be a pack of pamper products to use in the months after the birth is a lovely alternative gift. In those few spare moments to herself (when the bub is hopefully asleep!), she’ll love a little indulgence such as slathering on a luxurious body butter or painting her toenails a funky colour.

• A gift registry

  Is she a super-organised type who’s had the nursery set up for months? Then the baby shower host could suggest she set up a gift registry at a local or online baby store. This way, guests will be sure to give her items that haven’t already been ticked off the list.

• Clothes for down-the-track

  The expectant mum is bound to receive stacks of garments in newborn sizes (0000 or 000). So how about giving her clothing for when the baby is a few months older? Your friend will be glad to have some jumpsuits, tops or leggings in larger sizes just waiting in the drawer. Don’t forget to consider what season it will be when the baby is big enough to wear these clothes, though.