Traditionally, when a friend gave birth, you would buy a card and a little gift for the new baby after he or she had arrived. One of the latest trends though(which we can thank our neighbors across the pond for is for the friends of the mum-to-be to throw a baby shower. Baby showers are great fun; they’re a way for everyone to celebrate the pregnancy, share parenting tips and hopefully enjoy some cake! A big part of the baby shower tradition, however, is giving gifts. This can be quite a high-pressure event – what if other people have spent more on their gifts? What if you give the same present as somebody else? What if you forget the gender of the baby and hand over an assortment of baby blue when everyone else gives pink?! A good suggestion to combat these potential social faux pas (apart from the last one, which you will just have to plough through with a smile and a return receipt) is to try to choose an unusual gift. Baby outfits, toys and nursery decorations are all undeniably useful, but the parents will probably receive more than enough of these. Selecting something a little bit different will make your gift stand out from the rest, and show the expectant mum how much thought you have put into it. It might even earn you an extra slice of cake!

Below are some of our favorite unique gift ideas

A Family Tree

This is a brilliant gift idea if you’re a family member, or close enough to the family to know details of relative’s names and connections. Some companies allow you to make customized family tree posters online, or if you’re good with arts and crafts then you could always create your own tree to be displayed on the wall. Add in the names of the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and then leave a gap for the baby for the parents to fill in once they have decided on a name. This is a really unique way to celebrate the birth of the new arrival, and it will also be something that the child will treasure as they get older.