A birth gift that gets used: what makes a good one
The short answer: a good birth gift is used in the first weeks, adds no work for the parents, is safe against a newborn's skin and is still useful when the baby phase is over. Most gifts pass one or two of these. The ones that get used for years tend to pass all four.
A new baby sets off a wave of parcels. Almost all of them are kind, and a surprising number end up in a drawer. When my two boys were small, I bought the cheapest version of most things, because every phase seemed to pass so quickly. It took me a while to see what that cost: a steady stream of things arriving, being used for a few weeks and then needing somewhere to go. The gifts I still think about were the opposite. They got used every day and nobody had to look after them.
So instead of a list of fifty ideas, here are four questions to ask about any gift you are considering, mine included.
What new parents usually have too much of
Ask parents a few months in and most will name the same things. Clothes in the smallest sizes, some worn once and some not at all, because babies grow out of them in weeks. Soft toys, which a newborn cannot play with yet. Blankets, usually several. None of these are bad gifts. They are simply the first idea everyone has, so they arrive in multiples.
If you want to give clothes, ask for the size the baby will wear in six months rather than now. That one change makes them useful.
Question one: is it used in the first weeks?
The first weeks at home are narrow. Feeding, sleeping, changing, and not much else. A gift that belongs to that routine gets picked up the day it arrives. A gift for "later" waits, and later has its own gifts. Things that live near the changing table, the bed or the nappy bag pass this test easily.
Question two: does it add work?
Every object in a house with a newborn asks for something: washing, assembling, charging, storing, a place on a shelf. Parents rarely say it, but a gift that needs looking after is a small job handed over with a ribbon on it. Before you buy, picture the third time it gets used. Does it need to go in the washing machine afterwards? Does it need batteries? Does it fit in a cupboard in a small flat? The best gifts need a wipe, or nothing at all.
Question three: is it safe against a newborn's skin?
Anything that touches the baby should be tested for harmful substances, and the word "tested" on its own tells you very little. The useful question to ask of any textile is: which standard, and which class? For textiles, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is the common one, and its Class 1 covers articles for babies and small children up to three years. It is the strictest class, with the tightest limits. When a product names the standard and the class, you can look up what that means. When it only says "safe", you cannot.
Question four: is it still in use years later?
Babies outgrow things fast, which is why so many birth gifts have a short life. A few things do not depend on the baby staying small. They change jobs instead. A good blanket becomes the picnic blanket. A sturdy stool moves from the bathroom to the kitchen counter. Those are the gifts that still turn up in family photos years later.
Where a changing mat fits in
I design mats in silicone leather, so this section is not neutral. I have tried to keep it honest.
The Wriggle (CHF 39) is a changing mat of 65 x 37 cm. It weighs 200 grams and folds flat, so it goes on the changing table or the bed from day one and into the nappy bag once the family starts going out.
It adds very little work. The surface is non-porous, so nothing soaks in, and a damp cloth or a wet wipe is enough. There is no laundry. It is certified under OEKO-TEX Standard 100/1, the baby class described above, and it is free from PVC, BPA and phthalates.
And it outlasts the changing years. Afterwards it becomes a placemat, then a surface for painting and play dough, then a desk mat. I use one on my own desk.
It is designed in Switzerland and made in Korea. One customer put it like this: "Always a great gift... they are always very surprised with the practicality and beautiful colours."
If you want something that arrives ready to give, the Baby Gift Set (CHF 48) pairs a Wriggle with a limited edition tote illustrated by the Zurich illustrator Clara San Millán. The mats come in branded packaging with a thank-you card and a colouring page.
What it is not: a play mat. The Wriggle is sized for changing and for the table. If the baby you are buying for is turning one rather than arriving, I wrote a separate piece on that: A first birthday present: what really lands.
Three good gifts that do not come from Studio Huske
A gift guide that only recommends its own products is advertising. These three have nothing to do with mats, and each one takes work away instead of adding it.
A meal, dropped off. Cooked, in a container that does not need returning, left at the door with a short note. Nobody has to tidy up for a visitor, and one evening is sorted.
Your time, with a date on it. "Let me know if you need anything" is kind and rarely taken up. "I'll take your eldest to the playground on Saturday morning" gets a yes.
Money towards something they already chose. Many parents have one larger item in mind, a pram or a cot. Ask, and put money towards that instead of adding one more small thing.
If you are still unsure
Ask the parents one question: what do you use every day? The answer usually points to a good gift. And if you would rather they choose, a gift card lets them pick the size and colour themselves.
Questions about birth gifts
What is a good gift for a birth?
Something that is used in the first weeks, adds no work, is safe against a newborn's skin and stays useful after the baby phase. Everyday things, a cooked meal or your time tend to do better than more clothes in newborn sizes.
Is a changing mat a good birth gift?
Yes, if it is one the parents will actually reach for: quick to wipe clean, light enough for the nappy bag, and useful once the changing years are over. A flat silicone leather mat like the Wriggle later works as a placemat or desk mat.
What if the parents already have a changing mat?
A padded changing mattress usually stays on the changing table at home. A flat, foldable mat covers everywhere else: the nappy bag, the grandparents' house, a hotel bed. The two do different jobs.
How can I tell if a baby product is safe for skin?
Look for a named standard and class rather than a general promise. For textiles, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class 1 is the strictest class and covers articles for babies and children up to three years.