Most baby shower gifts are small and useful: something for the first months, in a size the baby will still fit. Those are easy to get right once you know a few rules about sizes and seasons.
The group gift is harder. Friends, a mothers’ group or a team at work can give something bigger than any one guest would. Most guides tell you to pool your money and stop there. This one also covers who pays, how to split it and how to sign it from everyone.
Buying for her rather than the baby? See our pregnancy gift ideas, sorted by trimester.
Disclosure: Makia publishes this guide. We sell one gift on this list, a Gift Voucher for our baby journal. No other product here is ours, and no link is paid.
Quick answer: what to give at a baby shower
| If you’re… | Give… |
|---|---|
| Spending under $25 | Face cloths, two bodysuits in size 00, a board book you love, or nappies in a bigger size |
| Spending $25 to $50 | A zip-up swaddle, a swaddle bag for the season, or a muslin wrap |
| Spending $50 to $100 | Two growsuits in 00 or 0, a feeding pillow (ask first), a baby journal, or a meal delivery voucher |
| Part of a group | One bigger gift the parents want: a first aid course, a carrier, a play mat or a keepsake. One person buys it and everyone signs |
| A close friend or family | Something from the registry, plus a small thing just for her |
| Not sure what they have | A gift card, or money in the wishing well, with a personal note |
Shower gift ideas at a glance
Every idea below comes from this guide, and each one links to its section.
Gift helper
Three quick questions
-
Face cloths
Used at every bath. Nature Baby 10 pack, A$24.95.
Under $25 ideas -
Two bodysuits in size 00
Better than one outfit in 000. From A$24.99 each at Yes Mila.
Under $25 ideas -
A board book you love
With a note inside about why you chose it.
Under $25 ideas -
A broad-brimmed hat
Sunscreen isn’t recommended under six months, so shade does the job.
What gets used -
A zip-up swaddle
Love To Dream Swaddle Up, A$49.95. Include a gift receipt.
$25 to $50 ideas -
A light swaddle bag
ergoPouch Cocoon 0.2 TOG, A$42.95, for warm nights.
$25 to $50 ideas -
A muslin wrap
For wrapping, shade and spills. From A$29.95.
$25 to $50 ideas -
Two growsuits in 00 or 0
Purebaby 2 pack, A$54.95.
$50 to $100 ideas -
A warmer swaddle bag
ergoPouch Cocoon 1.0 TOG, A$54.95, for cooler nights.
Swaddle bags -
A feeding pillow, if she wants one
My Brest Friend, A$89.99. Ask first.
$50 to $100 ideas -
A baby first aid course
Tiny Hearts online, A$150: about A$38 each for four. Book it with the parents.
Group gifts -
A linen play mat
Warren Hill, A$164.95: about A$41 each for four.
Group gifts -
A carrier the parents chose
Ergobaby Omni Deluxe, A$399.95: about A$100 each for four.
Group gifts -
A meal delivery voucher
You choose the amount. Dinner sorted for the first weeks.
$50 to $100 ideas -
A gift card or the wishing well
Lets the parents choose. Add a personal note.
Shower etiquette -
A keepsake she’ll fill in
A paper journal, photo book or digital journal that suits how she keeps things.
Compare keepsakes
If she keeps memories
A journal, given as a gift
The First Year Journal is usually the better shower gift, because her Digital journal starts when she redeems it. One of you buys the Gift Voucher and signs it from everyone.
How we chose these
We read 13 baby shower gift guides that rank on Google Australia for “baby shower gift ideas” and “baby shower gift ideas australia”, and noted which kinds of gift each one recommends. A short list counts the same as a long one.
What we found:
- Baby clothing was the most recommended gift type (10 of 13 guides), then sleep and swaddling (9 of 13) and nappies and changing (8 of 13).
- 6 of 13 suggest a group gift. Only one gives a per-person figure, and none says how the money is collected or how to sign the gift from everyone.
- 5 of 13 recommend a keepsake. 3 name a baby journal or memory book.
- Only 2 of 13 sort their ideas by dollar budget.
10 of the 13 guides come from shops that sell some of the gifts they list. That does not make their ideas wrong, but it is worth knowing. We checked the price of every product named below on the seller’s own website on . More on how we did this is in about the research at the end.
What 13 baby shower gift guides recommend
Each guide counts once per gift type, however long it is. Google Australia, 2 November 2026.
- Baby clothing10 of 13 guides
- Sleep and swaddling9 of 13 guides
- Nappies and changing8 of 13 guides
- Toys and play7 of 13 guides
- Gift cards7 of 13 guides
- Something for mum7 of 13 guides
- Meals and help6 of 13 guides
- Books6 of 13 guides
- Bath and care6 of 13 guides
- Keepsakes5 of 13 guides
What gets used
Size up. Size 000 is meant for 0 to 3 months and size 00 for 3 to 6 months, according to Raising Children Network (opens in a new tab). Babies grow fast, and some skip 000 altogether. BabyCenter notes that guests tend to give the smallest sizes, so 00 or 0 is the safer gift.
Think about the season. Work out what the weather will be when the baby is three to six months old, and buy for that. A light romper in 000 for a December baby fits for a few weeks of summer. The same romper in size 0 is still useful the next summer.
Hats and sleeves for a summer baby. Sunscreen is not recommended for babies under six months, so shade, clothing and hats do that job (Raising Children Network (opens in a new tab)). A broad-brimmed hat and a light long-sleeved layer are a practical gift for a baby born in the warmer months.
Check the registry, or ask the host. Wraps, bibs and newborn clothes often arrive more than once.
Gifts under $25
- Face cloths. Used at every bath, and at every meal later on. Nature Baby Jersey Face Cloths, 10 pack (opens in a new tab): A$24.95.
- Two bodysuits in size 00. Better than one outfit in 000. Yes Mila Sleeveless Bodysuit (opens in a new tab): A$24.99 regular price, on sale when we checked.
- A board book you love. Choose one you have read with a child, and write a short note inside about why.
- Nappies in a bigger size. Babies are not in newborn nappies for long. Ask first whether the parents plan to use disposable or cloth.
Gifts from $25 to $50
- A zip-up swaddle. Love To Dream Swaddle Up 1.0 TOG (opens in a new tab): A$49.95. It is sized by the baby’s weight, so include a gift receipt.
- A swaddle bag for the season. TOG is a warmth rating: lower for warm weather, higher for cool. ergoPouch Cocoon Swaddle Bag 0.2 TOG (opens in a new tab): A$42.95 (the 1.0 TOG is A$54.95).
- A muslin wrap. Used for wrapping, shade and spills. Purebaby Printed Muslin Wrap (opens in a new tab): A$29.95. Nature Baby Muslin Wrap (opens in a new tab): A$49.95 regular price, on sale when we checked. Check the registry first: wraps are a common gift.
Follow current safe sleep guidance and the maker’s instructions for any swaddle.
Gifts from $50 to $100
- Growsuits in 00 or 0. Purebaby 2 Pack Zip Growsuit (opens in a new tab): A$54.95, in sizes up to 1.
- A feeding pillow, if she wants one. My Brest Friend Breastfeeding Pillow (opens in a new tab) from Playette: A$89.99. Ask first, and don’t assume how she plans to feed.
- A baby journal. See keepsakes below.
- A meal delivery voucher. You choose the amount. Check how many meals it buys before you write the card.
Group gifts: how to give one together
A group can give the one thing the parents would not buy for themselves. It works best when one person takes charge.
- Agree the gift with the host or the parents. Check the registry, or ask what is still missing. This also stops two groups buying the same thing.
- One person buys it. Usually the organiser. They pay the shop, so there is one order, one receipt and one person to deal with returns.
- Split it evenly and settle up. Post the total and each person’s share in the group chat. Round to whole dollars, and pay the buyer back by bank transfer or PayID before the shower.
- Sign it from everyone. Pass one card around, or sign it from the group: “The girls from mothers’ group”, or everyone’s names.
- If the invitation has a wishing well, that is what the parents asked for. A group can put in one envelope with one card.
What each person pays. Prices checked on , in AUD, rounded to the nearest dollar.
| Gift | Price | 4 people | 6 people | 8 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Brest Friend feeding pillow (opens in a new tab) | A$89.99 | A$22 | A$15 | A$11 |
| Tiny Hearts online baby first aid course (opens in a new tab) | A$150 | A$38 | A$25 | A$19 |
| Warren Hill quilted linen play mat (opens in a new tab) | A$164.95 | A$41 | A$27 | A$21 |
| Makia Baby Bump Journal, with the hardcover | A$214 | A$54 | A$36 | A$27 |
| Makia First Year Journal, with the hardcover | A$303 | A$76 | A$51 | A$38 |
| Ergobaby Omni Deluxe Mesh carrier (opens in a new tab) | A$399.95 | A$100 | A$67 | A$50 |
Book a first aid course with the parents: the in-person course is A$210 a ticket. A carrier is a personal fit, so only buy one the parents chose.
If the group gift is a journal: one of you buys a Makia Gift Voucher with just an email, no account, and writes the group’s name in the “from” line. Print the voucher and slip it in the card. There is nothing to unwrap: she redeems it on her phone. We can’t split the payment, so settle up between yourselves. For example, four friends: about A$76 each for the First Year Journal with the hardcover.
Keepsakes she’ll keep
5 of the 13 guides recommend a keepsake. It is the one gift on this list meant to last for years, and the easiest to get wrong.
Gifted memory books often stay empty. In our earlier research into how parents keep baby memories, people described books they never had time to fill, and books that did not suit how they keep things. The same research found that a record with gaps can still mean a lot.
So ask one question before you choose: how does she like to keep things? Here are three kinds of keepsake, with the same facts for each. For a full comparison, see our guide to the best baby journals in Australia.
What to skip
- Lots of size 000. One or two pieces is plenty. Some babies never fit it.
- Clothes with beads, ties, drawstrings or attachments. Raising Children Network says to avoid them on newborn clothes, because they can be choking and strangulation risks.
- A second big item. Two bouncers or two baby baths take up room. Ask first.
- Hand-wash only. It will sit in the drawer.
- Novelty outfits, unless you know the parents will love the joke.
Baby shower etiquette in Australia, briefly
How much to spend. There is no rule, and the guides disagree. Baby Bunting suggests “$20 practical items to $100+ for close family members”. Tottie suggests $30 to $50 for coworkers and $100 to $200 for close friends or family. Yes Mila says a friend or colleague “commonly spends between $30 and $60”. None of them says where its figure comes from. Spend what you are comfortable with. A group gift lets everyone give a smaller share.
Registry or off-registry. If there is a registry, use it: the parents chose those things. Going off-registry works best for small, personal extras, or when you have asked.
Wishing wells. These are common at Australian showers. Money in the well is not a lesser gift. Add a card with a personal note.
Common questions
There is no set amount. The guides we read suggest anything from about $20 to over $100, depending on how close you are, but none gives a source. A group gift lets everyone put in a smaller share.
Something bigger that no one guest would buy, and that the parents want: a baby first aid course, a carrier they chose, a play mat or a keepsake. Agree it with the host first.
One person buys it and shares the total in the group chat. Everyone pays them back an even share, rounded to whole dollars, before the shower. Sign the card from everyone.
Size 00 or 0. Size 000 fits for about the first three months, and it is the size guests often give. Check which season the baby will be in at that size.
Yes. If the invitation has a wishing well, the parents have asked for it. A gift card for a baby shop also works. Add a personal note either way.
It can be, if it suits how she keeps things. Choose paper if she likes writing by hand, and a digital journal or photo book if her photos live on her phone. A first-year journal usually suits a shower better than a pregnancy one, because the baby is nearly here.
