You hear the news that special person is having a baby and your thought turn to what special present shall I get them. Should you wait until the baby is born or until the christening or until the babies first birthday? Customs are different around the world so it is good to check out what the etiquette is for the country you live in. In some countries it is normal to have a baby shower before the baby is born, in some countries the mother stays at home for 30day after the birth and takes visitor after this time. 100 days after the birth some parent throw a party for the baby and invite many friends. Many mothers love to have visitors at the hospital to show there wonderful new arrival. Whatever the custom you have to think about what you are going to give. Why not send flowers when the baby arrives and then look for a gift.

Three ideas for you to think about

• Baby clothes
• Monetary gift
• Home made gift

Baby clothes are an easy option to purchase and you can buy in advance. Many people by blue for a boy and pink for a girl, but white and pale green and yellow can be a good option ahead of time. You can decide if you are buying the clothes for now or purchase larger sizes for the future. Clothes do not have to be an expensive present but are all ways well received by the new parents.

Advantage   Disadvantage
• Readily available  Quickly grow out of them
• With in your budget  Get given away
• You have choice   Parents may not like them

Money
Opening a bank account for the baby can be way of teaching the new child to save in the future. You can decided how much to give the baby an in some cases there can be a tax benefit in giving a gift. You could also give a cash gift when the baby arrives. The amount is entirely up to you.

Advantage     Disadvantage
• Easy to give cash  May be time consuming to open an account
• Can go with a card  Parents get to choose what to spend it on
• Give what you like  Parents may think you are mean

A gift made by you.

A gift given which is handmade always creates a good feeling with the new parents. Depending on the gift it could become a family heirloom such as a baby quilt made with 100% cotton fabric, and cotton batting reduces the risk of allergies. The quilt could be simple made with charm square or complicated using paper piecing. (On a safety note do not use polyester batting as if it catch fire it melt and give off smoke.)

Maybe a knitted garment so that the baby is snug and warm or a crochet blanket.
How about a soft toy made with love and care from you. Taking care to make sure that it will be safe for tiny exploring fingers. Wonderful christening gowns were made and handed down through the generations in the past.

What every you choose give it with love it will be cherish.