So. Remember I mentioned that a dear friend/cousin of mine found out that she is finally expecting a baby after years and years of trying? Well guess what!? She is now not just expecting 1 baby, not 2 babies… but a whopping THREE babies!!! Yes, that is correct. She is expecting triplets!!! I can’t even imagine going from zero babies to three in a short 9 months. Life will never be the same. But imagine the needs of a baby… times 3!!
Image Credits: Heart Felt Images
So now I have been thinking hard. How does one attend a baby shower for multiples? What are the expectations? Do you have to bring a present for each baby? Do you just bring 1 generic gift that all the babies can use? Do you just give cash? How does a baby shower work when 3 different, wonderful babies are involved? I don’t know lol. I honestly have never been to one. So I was thinking I could kinda “think it out” here and maybe someone with experience will chime in and give us some useful advice.
So here is my thinking… if you can afford it, bring a gift for each baby. I’m not talking buying a crib or travel system for each child… not, by any means… (unless you are a millionaire, lol). I’m thinking like little useful items that will add up to cost a lot for the new expectant parents, but if we can all pitch in a little here and a little there, we can make their life a little easier without it being a burden on our own wallet. What do all babies need? Uh, diapers, duh! We should find out if the mom has a preference to cloth or disposable. If she goes with cloth, it will save them lots of money down the road… but it will take a lot more time & effort to properly take care of cloth diapers. Times three. I think disposable diapers might work well until the new parents get a grip on their new lifestyle with these new babies. So you can get a large box of diapers & wipes… or 3 of each.
I also think that since my cousin lives in pretty small house, we shouldn’t bombard her with giant items that will be of no use for many months to come… such as high chairs, baby walkers, or stationary entertainers. Yes, by all means, these might be very beneficial items in the future, but if there is no room to store them for 6 months, they will just be a nuisance. If you are really set on helping out by gifting a high chair, I don’t want to discourage you. But… consider this. What if you give a gift card to the specific store, for the exact amount of the item you wish to give? That way, when the time is right and the family is ready to make the big purchase they don’t have to worry about where the money will be coming from. They will have you to thank…. many many months after their blessed baby shower has come and gone, they will still feel the love and be able to enjoy your gift!
Here’s another thing to consider. Travel systems. You can’t just go out any buy any cute system. It has to be realistic. What’s the best, safest, easiest way to transport 3 babies? That would take some research. And I bet the couple would be more than thrilled if someone took the time to research and purchase a triplet travel system. Now beware, a regular travel system costs hundreds of dollars, I image that a travel system designated for triplets would cost triple the amount or so…..
<–Great for 1 baby… not so great for 3
<–perfect for triplets!
Here’s kinda what I’m thinking at the moment. What if a couple ladies pitched in together to buy some big ticket items? How about a crib? What about some crib mattresses? Maybe a swing? I’m just thinking if this was me… expecting triplets…. I would be worried out of my socks lol… It’s hard enough to buy 1 crib… but 3? Ugh! So if it was my baby shower, I would LOVE to receive some of the bigger, more expensive items that are just absolutely necessary for newborn babies. That way, I wouldn’t be too worried about the thousands of dollars it will cost to have 3 babies at one time. I think little items such as clothes, pacifiers, bottles are easier to purchase than 3 cribs. So any big item that can be checked off the list would be such a blessing!!! I also think that in cases like this, where we just don’t know the situation… like the style, or size of the house and how big of an item can the parents really fit; I think gift cards are a wonderful gift!! They can be combined to buy whatever the parents see as needed at the moment.
So literally, here I am just thinking out loud… and getting no where specific. But honestly, if you have multiple babies or have every attended a baby shower for multiples, I would LOVE to hear your advice. What was the best thing you received? What would you have loved to get, but didn’t? Any advice would be super helpful!!
PC: http://www.justmultiples.com/romper-triplet-baby-abc.html