Baby Gift Giving for Baby #3, #4, #5 and beyond...

I thought long and hard about what to post today. There are so many good topics out there, it's hard to decide which one to cover! So, as you can see by the title, I decided on baby gifts for baby #3 & beyond.

It's hard to decide when a woman is on baby number 3, 4, 5 or more, what, if anything, you should give as a gift in honor of the new baby. Every situation is different, and many people aren't sure if it is appropriate to give a baby gift beyond the first or second child. In my opinion, giving a gift is appropriate, whereas perhaps, giving a full blown baby shower becomes a little inappropriate sometimes, unless there has been a significant gap between kids. But, everyone's feelings are different, so talk to the expectant parents. Ask them if there is anything they need for the new baby, and if they tell you no, then offer your time. Offer your extra set of hands. Just be there to help.

If this baby is the fourth in as many years, then maybe you don't need to get baby basics such as onesies, toys, socks/booties, sleepers, etc... because, most likely, they already have plenty of hand-me-downs (or maybe sometimes fresh ones are appreciated!)! Some ideas for something you could give in this situation would be:

• disposable diapers (a variety of sizes)(even if they are using cloth, disposables can be used for travel)
  
• hand made coupon for babysitting services!
• pre-made lunch stuff (sandwiches, etc) to make lunch time easier for the mama
• activities/gifts for the new big brothers/sisters
• a helping hand around the house (wash dishes, fold clothes, make dinner, etc)

Now, if it's the first girl or the first boy in the family you could get some new items to suit the gender of the new baby. As in my family, my 3rd child was a girl, and after having 2 boys, we had almost nothing for a baby girl! That is always fun!

Another situation where it would be appropriate to give traditional baby gifts is if baby #3, 4, 5+ comes many years after the previous child, and the likelyhood of there being any baby stuff left is pretty slim. If this is the situation, also ask the parents if they are having a shower, or if they are registered anywhere.

My cousin has a clever idea that she gives for just about every new baby in the family... she builds a diaper cake. In fact, her most recent diaper cake was actually featured here on Parenting.com in their list of favorite amazing diaper cakes! You make a "cake" out of disposable diapers (or cloth, if you choose!), add some ribbons and other small gifts such as lotion, pacifiers, baby bath, bottles, toys, etc. and you have a pretty awesome baby gift that any parent would appreciate.

So get creative! Make your gift giving unique for the situation, and make it memorable!