5 best budget friendly gifts for new or expecting parents

As a newborn photographer, I am in constant awe of all the new contraptions available to new parents. So here is my 2022 list of 5 best gifts for expecting parents.

I’m going to preface this by saying that I’m leaving off large ticket items such as strollers, furniture, pump, etc. This list is of those small odds and ends that are often forgotten or left off the registry list.

Ready? Read on!

1. The Baby Shusher. This is hands down one of my favorite items to use in the studio to keep the babies calm and happy. It’s a small sound machine that makes, you guessed it, the shhhh sound. The cool thing about the shusher is that you can just buy the app for your phone and you’ll never be without it! Once I get the shusher going in the studio I always get asked for a link from the parents.
2. Baby clothing and onesies with magnetic fastener. My kids are 8 and 11 so I missed out on this one. The first time a client came into my studio with a baby in a onesie that closed using magnets I was literally blown away. I do ask my clients to dress the baby in something that is easy to take off. But I have never seen a more simple outfit!
3. Wipe warmer. I have always been on a more minimalistic side when it comes to baby gear. However, once we set up a baby wipe warmer, our evening diaper changes went way way way smoother! This is one of those little things that actually really does make a difference!
4. A Yeti Mug. If the parents are coffee or tea drinkers, they’ll very quickly learn that drinking one cup can now take 2-3 hours. You pour a cup and then the baby wakes up. So you change, feed them and go back to your now cold coffee. When my babies were born I would have to warm up my coffee or tea no less than a dozen times before giving up. The Yeti is a game changer! Now I can sip my still warm coffee till noon.
5. Sleepsack Swaddler (this one was my favorite). There is no need to learn to swaddle your baby like a newborn photographer (see what I did there?). Just grab a sleepsack swaddler and you’re set! One of my favorite things about the Halo one I linked above is that it unzips from the top AND the bottom. It was a game changer for being able to change the baby’s diaper in the middle of the night with limited disruption.

And that’s my favorite 5 affordable gifts for new or expecting parents! What are yours? I would love to hear in comments.

In the meantime, here are a few sneak peeks at some of my latest newborn photography sessions.