Depending on the type of adoption and when the baby is coming home, the mom may not need all the newborn necessities that people are used to giving at baby showers. While there should be some direction given by the person planning the shower on the age of the child and the expected date they will be home, there are many beautiful and special gifts you can give the adoptive mom-to-be at her baby shower that aren't related to baby bumps or breast pumps.
1. Adoption memory book
Many women love starting baby books for their children which document their birth weight and time, their baby footprints and hand prints, and all the other big firsts that babies go through in their first year. As an adoptive mom, she may miss out on some of the firsts, so a traditional baby book is not the best choice. Instead, opt to gift her an adoption memory book.
An adoption memory book is themed toward the family's unique journey, celebrating all the differences a life of adoption brings. There are adoption memory books for sale from several online retailers, or you can make your gift extra special by researching the elements of an adoption memory book and creating a DIY gift.
2. Adoptive baby clothing
Adoptions are rising in popularity, so now there are more baby clothing options with cute adoption sayings on them. If you know the age of the child when he/she is coming home, you can find a cute outfit that highlights the love this child is going to receive from his or her family. One of my favorite ones I have seen is a onesie that read, "Love makes a family."
3. Frame an adoption poem
To celebrate the uniqueness of their family journey, you can gift a framed adoption poem to the adoptive parents. There are so many beautiful poems out there that can be turned into wonderful works of art to hang in the nursery. This is an especially good gift if you know the nursery theme or colors for the baby. You can personalize the artwork to match the nursery and it can be a forever gift, not only for parents, but also for the child to grow with.
4. Adoption baby books
There are so many baby books out there that celebrate and explain adoption to children. You can investigate bookstores to find some adorable and educational baby books that illustrate to the baby how much their family loves them, both adoptive and birth mom.
5. Christmas ornament
"Baby's First Christmas" ornaments are incredibly popular on a family's Christmas tree. Sometimes, an adoptive mom won't get to celebrate the baby's first Christmas with him or her. Instead, you can custom create a "First Christmas Together" ornament. This can showcase the happiness of the new family and can be personalized with everyone's names on the ornament as well as the year.
All it takes is a little creativity to find a meaningful and beautiful adoption baby shower gift for that adoptive mom-to-be. Remember that any gift you decide to give should be a celebration of their family journey, making the family feel as special as any expectant mom at a traditional baby shower.
Bio: Nicole Witt is the owner of The Adoption Consultancy, an unbiased resource serving pre-adoptive families by providing them with the education, information and guidance they need to safely adopt a newborn, usually within three to 12 months. She is also the creator of Beyond Infertility, a community support site and online magazine geared toward families who have gone through infertility. You can visit that website at Beyond Infertility.