I have two boys and for the second one, my friends threw me a 'diaper party'. It was perfect. There was a barbecue and everyone brought diapers and wipes (a few people brought other gifts). I already had clothes and gear from my first (even though they are 5 years apart) and any other items that we felt we needed, DH and I purchased ourselves.

Shusher (portable noise machine) -- great for eating out, naps on the go, etc. All my friends have loved this.

I also think gifts for the eldest are much appreciated. I was very grateful to friends who took the time to make my older child feel special while a baby was in the picture.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, the two best gifts I received when #2 was born were food for me! One was a fruit arrangement, the other was a basket of gourmet chocolates. They made it SO easy to grab a snack when I was busy and/or only had one hand free. Sure, all of the loveys and personalized blankets and such were cute but I didn't *need* them, and now that my kids are a tween and a teen it's actually a pain to have to store them on the off chance that someday, one of the kids actually wants that stuff.

+1, that is the one gift I remember the most. We adopted and got stuck in a hotel for a few weeks and someone sent us a food gift (not sure how they figure out where the hotel in less maybe my spouse told them) and it was the best gift ever.

But, in this situation, the best gifts if they already bought the big things were gift cards, future needs such as convertible car seats, jogger stroller, umbrella stroller, jumper, etc. and not just what we needed right now. Even 12 month clothing was great.