Wondering what the best gifts for second baby are? Here are 50 special and practical gift ideas that will make you the best friend ever.
If you have a friend who is having a second baby, you might be wondering what to get for them! Adding a second baby to the family is such an exciting time but it can be a bit hectic and busy too!
When it comes to the second child, parents may or may not have a baby shower (often called a “baby sprinkle”). Second babies tend to need slightly less than a first baby.
You don’t have to get a gift for second time moms but it’s a nice gesture to support them now just as much as when they had their first child.
As second-time parents, it’s nice to get a thoughtful gift. Even if it’s not the first time you’re celebrating a new baby, it’s nice to be thought of.
As a mom of two myself, here is a list of gift ideas that your soon-to-be-mom-of-two friend will love to receive.
And don’t just consider the baby! Think about mom, dad, and older children too. The best baby gifts incorporate the whole family.
I asked on Instagram for second time parents to also chime in and most of the responses had to do with helpful actions other people could do like spend time with the oldest child, help with meals or laundry, and pass down hand me downs — your time might be more valuable than you think if you’re considering the best gifts for a second baby!
Top 50 Best Gift Ideas For a Second Baby
1. The Lovevery Play Gym
This play mat was developed with experts to be the perfect toy for babies from the newborn phase and up! You can even turn into a tent and use it into toddlerhood. It is the best investment I made for my newborn and parents — and babies! — will love it.
2. The Lovevery Play Kits
Similar to the above, these were so loved by my kids. And it took a weight off of my shoulders as a mom to figure out how to engage with them through play for each stage.
Specifically designed for the developing brains of young children, the Play Kits were one of the best gifts I bought myself and would have been over the moon to get them as a gift.
The Looker Play Kit was one of our all time favorites. They’re thoughtful gifts for a busy mom who doesn’t have time to do toy shopping. These are also a great idea because the toys last FOREVER. Definitely heirloom quality and a wonderful gift.
3. Diapers
Of course, we gotta mention diapers! They are always handy and little babies go through a lot of them. I recommend Millie Moon or Honest Company.
If they’re using cloth diapers, you can always ask them what they need or offer a gift card or gift certificate.
4. Rent-A-Romper Gift Capsule
Rent-a-Romper is a children’s clothing rental service… and it is AMAZING. Your recipient will get to rent 7 pieces at time for their little one.
They offer unlimited swaps which means as soon as your friend’s second baby outgrows their clothes, they can just request a swap and get a whole new wardrobe within a few days!
I have multiple reels on Instagram showing our Rent-a-Romper capsules and donate our outgrown clothes to them frequently!
Gift a Rent-a-Romper membership here
You could gift this alongside a new, bigger diaper bag. Now that she has to tote around twice as much stuff, she’ll appreciate it!
5. Car Organizer
Along the same lines, a car organizer can take a load off of her mind because she’ll know where everything baby-related is in the car.
It’s handy to have toys, diapers, wipes, etc around as she’s rushing off to doctor’s appointments and activities.
6. Nights of Babysitting
Offer to take her older kid for a few hours and she’ll love you forever!
Giving her oldest a safe place to be while she has time to bond with the new baby or rest is honestly one of the best gifts you could ever give (speaking from experience!).
7. Dinner or Door Dash Gift Cards
Let’s be real, she’s definitely not thinking about cooking at this time. Offer to bring over dinner or send dinner via Door Dash. It’s honestly so helpful and so thoughtful.
Along the same lines, consider gifting her Daily Harvest. Don’t let her forget about herself in the midst of having a baby!
I crowdsourced from my Instagram for this article and this was on of the great gift ideas that was mentioned repeatedly.
8. Bring Her Coffee
Are you sensing a theme? Next to a full night of sleep, a cup of her favorite coffee is probably at the top of her list right now.
Call her and tell her your on the way with her Starbucks order and don’t stay unless she asks you to! Seriously, best friend ever.
9. Homemade DIYs for The Older Kids
While mom is busy with the new baby, she’s going to need something for her older kids to do too. It’s super easy to set up a bunch of homemade activities.
Make some homemade play dough and hit the dollar store for various figurines and art supplies. They’ll be busy for hours and mom will appreciate it so much!
10. Jewelry With Her Kids’ Names
This is such a sweet gift. Once you know the new baby’s name, gift her a stack of rings or a necklace with her kid’s names.
I’m a huge fan of the initial styles — this is what I have for my kids!
11. A Double Stroller
If she has one on her baby registry, this is definitely something to go for!
A double stroller comes in handy when she’s juggling two kids and it also makes it easier for her to be on the go with both kids in tow.
12. Baby Pajamas
Newborns spend a lot of time in PJs. Gift her a couple of super soft bamboo or organic cotton pajamas for her new little one.
Sure, they probably have some hand-me-downs but it’s still nice for each baby to have some things of their own!
Some of my favorite places to shop for baby PJs:
13. Bottle Sterilizer and Dryer
This combo can be such a time saver for moms! If she’s bottle-feeding (either breastmilk or formula) she’ll find this duo super handy.
14. Snacks
Seriously, all the snacks! Make her a snack basket (and maybe one for her oldest too) with all of her favorites. She’ll appreciate it when she’s up with the baby in the middle of the night!
My favorite place to shop for snacks is Thrive Market. You can get 40% off your first order with the link below and it will be delivered right to her house! So convenient.
15. A Gift Card To Her Favorite Store
If you don’t have kids, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Parents end up doing a lot of middle of the night shopping.
It’s true. Whether it’s for them and for something fun they saw on Instagram. Or probably something for their baby they saw on Instagram. Or something they need for the baby… they’re probably ordering something at 1 am. And maybe again at 4 am.
Get her a gift card so she can either treat herself or get something she needs for the baby in the middle of the night.
16. A Personalized Baby Blanket
Whether you go initials or full name, this is a special gift for a new mom and a new baby.
17. A Personalized Baby Towel
I love these and always gift them when a new baby enters my family. They are fun yet practical gifts that will be used for many many years.
PERSONALIZED Baby Bathrobe animal infant Bath Robe custom
18. A Sibling Book
There are a lot of sibling book options on the market now to choose from.
It’s a nice gift for the older sibling too as they learn to navigate a new world with a baby in it.
19. Baby Booties
Shoes were not something I thought about with my second baby so I ended up buying him a bundle of these baby booties and they were awesome!
Made out of high quality materials, we got months and months of use out of them. They were very handy in the cold winter months!
A little something special to commemorate the birth of her second little love.
The footprint frames are so sweet and gift she won’t forget!
21. A Cross-Body Diaper Bag
These are so handy for being out and about when she doesn’t necessarily need the behemoth that is her diaper bag backpack. I use both this and my regular diaper bag and love them both.
22. A Wristlet
Easy to take when she’s on her own and can hold all of her important things like health insurance cards, driver’s license, and her credit card. Plus it helps keep her hands free.
23. Milk Snob 5-in-1 Cover
Whether she’s breastfeeding or not, this cover from Milk Snob comes in handy over and over again.
She can use it to cover the
24. Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Help keep her hydrated with a huge water bottle! And take it from me, a dishwasher safe one is the way to go!
25. Hatch Sound Machine
Seriously a must-have for babies and new parents. Especially with more than one child in the a house, a sound machine helps keep the peace through the night wakings.
The last thing parents of two need is each kid waking each other up.
26. Insulated Cooler Bag
Great for taking milk or formula on the go or to and from work, an insulated cooler bag will be used for years since she can use it for snacks and to soccer (or other sports) games as her kids grow!
The Medela cooler is highly rated and the other two are both spacious and nice looking, plus they’re designed for breastmilk storage:
27. Personalized Pennant
Once you know the baby’s name, get them a customized pennant for the nursery!
These come in three different font styles (block, cursive, and freestyle) and endless combinations of colors.
28. Mama & Me Shirt Sets
Okay these mama and me sets from Little Mama Shirt Shop are just the cutest! There are so many options to choose from, you can’t go wrong!
Make sure to grab one for the big brother or sister too. They’ll love matching!
29. A Baby Carrier
A baby carrier is an essential as a second time mom so she can keep the baby close while also being hands free for her toddler.
If you’re gifting one, I’d recommend a wrap from Solly Baby or the Ergobaby Omni 360 Carrier.
30. Wipes
Parents go through endless wipes with their little ones. Having a few boxes of backup on hand will ease her worries about it!
31. Hand-Me-Downs
If you already have kids yourself, why not pass on some boxes of hand-me-downs?
I’ve been able to do this with one of my friends and it is so sweet seeing her little ones in some of the things my boys wore! Plus, it really can take the stress out of having enough clothes for her newest addition.
32. All Natural Baby First Aid Kit
Make sure her first aid kit is stocked with anything she might need fix an ailment.
I like the baby product line from Rowe Casa Organics baby line.
33. Electric Snot Sucker
By now you’ve probably heard of the Frida Baby Snot Sucker where parents can manually suck the snot out of their baby’s nose. But did you know it now comes in an electric version? Talk about leveling up!
34. Lansinoh Nursing Set
If she’s breastfeeding, this kit is full of things she’ll need to have on hand.
When breastfeeding, you go through things like nursing pads and nipple cream quickly. She’ll appreciate the restock.
35. Preschooler Busy Book
If her oldest is around age 3-5, pick up a busy book! This is a quiet activity that can keep kids this age busy and distracted for hours. Highly recommend!
36. Hatch Grow Changing Pad and Scale
This scale and changing pad in one is so handy for the newborn days!
It has some of the latest technology in it that she’ll love having. She can weigh the baby for feeds and as a bonus, it’s super easy to clean!
37. Coloring Books
For her older toddler, these coloring books can be screen-free hours of fun and distraction! Pick up a few with crayons or markers and gift it as a little set to keep them busy.
Pick a coloring book with something they love and they’re more likely to engage with it! It’s great for a gift for a little girl or a little boy.
38. C-Section Recovery Kit
If your friend had a belly birth, this c-section recovery kit from Frida mom can be a lifesaver.
Those first few weeks at home are extra hard when recovering from c-section and this kit has so many things that will help her on her healing journey.
39. Run Errands For Her
Bringing home a new baby is so tough. She might not have time for everything she needs to do in a day.
Be an extra set of wheels for her and offer to run errands or pick her first up from school. Volunteering your time is not only one of the best gifts you can give but is so valuable!
40. A Laundry Service
If your city is lucky to have pick-up/drop-off laundry services available, why not gift a few months of laundry? Take a load off of her to-do list, so to speak.
41. A Custom Baby Face Mug
There are so many cute designs for a custom “baby face” mug that features the name and picture of her baby! This is great for parents of multiples too as each one can be unique and fun!
42. A Newborn Photoshoot
This is such a nice splurge gift – she’ll never regret having newborn photos taken.
Coordinate with her and book a session with a local newborn photographer. It’s the perfect gift.
43. Heirloom Baby Quilt
How sweet is this custom heirloom baby quilt? This is something so special that both baby and mama will treasure forever.
44. “On The Day You Were Born” Astrology Print
This is the kind of gifts parents cry over. Getting a custom made astrology print of their night their child was born is not only cute nursery decor but one of the most meaningful nights of their lives.
45. Personalized Pacifier Clip
These come in all colors and designs and are so cute! A personalized touch with the new baby’s name is also so special.
If their older child still uses a pacifier, you could get one for both kids!
46. Oh Sh!t Kit
Every parent needs a backup bag of baby supplies in case of an oh sh!t moment. These cute pouches are the perfect containers to hold all they need in a pinch.
47. Mama x2 Mug
This mug honors both of her babies with their birth years!
48. Photo Book
There’s a trope that the 2nd baby gets forgotten about often… and there is a tiny bit of truth to that. It’s hard to manage two babies and you have even less time than you did before.
Gift her a simple baby book so she can keep track of all of baby number two’s milestones!
49. Car Seat or Car Seat Base
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50. Organize a Meal Train
Organizing a meal train for a family with a new baby is one of the most helpful things you can do! Use this website called MealTrain.com to organize one with friends and family to help out the second time parents.
Our Final Thoughts on The Best Gifts For a Second Baby
As you can see, there are a lot of gift options for a second baby! Some of these are practical while others are sweet and memorable.
While I don’t think you have to give a gift, it’s nice to do for those you are close to and love deeply. Congratulations on the new addition to your life!
About the Author
Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.
Website: genthirty.com