Quick answer: the best gifts for a second baby are things that are unique to that baby, not more stuff for the household. Keepsake gifts like handprint and footprint kits, casting kits and baby books can't be handed down or doubled up, which makes them perfect for baby number two. Spend-wise, $30 to $60 is completely normal for a second baby.
The second baby problem
By the time baby number two arrives, the nursery is done, the pram is parked in the hallway and there are tubs of perfectly good hand-me-downs in the garage. Buying another swaddle set feels pointless, because it is.
There's a running joke among parents that the first baby gets a professional photoshoot every month and the second one gets a blurry photo at their first birthday. It's funny because it's true. Second babies really do end up with fewer photos, fewer keepsakes and fewer firsts recorded. A thoughtful gift can fix exactly that.
Gift ideas that don't double up
A print kit made for this baby
The Baby Inkless Print Kit ($29.95) captures baby's newborn hand and footprints with zero mess, using the same inkless system trusted by Australian maternity hospitals. Even if the family did prints for their first bub, this baby's prints are entirely their own. That's the whole point.
A casting kit for tiny hands and feet
The DIY Baby Hands & Feet Casting Kit ($74.95) makes 3D sculptures of baby's hands and feet. It includes enough material for four casts, so there's room for a sibling set: one cast for each child, side by side on the shelf. Very few gifts survive the toddler years on display. These do.
A baby book of their own
First babies usually get a lovingly completed baby book. Second babies often get three filled-in pages and a lot of guilt. Gifting the All About Me Baby Book is a gentle nudge that this baby's firsts deserve recording too.
A first-year milestone kit
The My First Year Inkless Milestone Kit captures prints across the whole first year. For busy second-time parents, it does the remembering for them.
A double pack for siblings or twins
The Double the Love Baby Keepsake Pack includes two full sets of print and imprint kits. It's made for twins, but it works beautifully for siblings too. Big kids love having their prints done alongside the new baby, and it's a sweet way to include them in the fuss.
Do people even have showers for second babies?
Increasingly, yes, though they're often smaller and called a baby sprinkle. The etiquette is relaxed: gifts are welcome but modest, and practical or sentimental gifts beat big-ticket items, since the family already owns the essentials.
FAQs
How much should I spend on a second baby gift?
$30 to $60 is the sweet spot. Nobody expects a second-baby gift to match what they gave at the first shower.
What's a good gift for the older sibling?
Something that includes them rather than sidelines them. Doing their handprints alongside the new baby's, or letting them help with a casting kit, works far better than a random toy.
Is a keepsake gift appropriate if I'm not close family?
Yes. At $29.95, an inkless print kit sits comfortably in the friend or coworker budget, and it doesn't presume anything about the family's taste in clothes, toys or nursery decor.
Baby Made is an Australian keepsake brand based in Melbourne. Our inkless print kits are trusted by maternity hospitals across the country, and we ship Australia-wide with free shipping on orders over $120.
