If you’ve got a baby shower in your future, be sure to register for practical items, such as diapers in the larger sizes, which can be especially costly because the cost per diaper increases with the size. If you’ll be using cloth diapers, register for reusable diaper gift packs. Other basic must-haves to put on your registry include wipes, breast pads, Diaper Genie plus refills, infant formula (if you’ll be using formula, register for the store brand because it’s nutritionally equivalent to the name brand and saves you up to 50 percent when your gifty supply runs out), bottles, pacifiers—one for every room in your house, plus a few for the car–allergen-free laundry detergent, sleep sacks or other Velcro swaddlers, onesies with magnetic closures (available on Amazon), especially in the 0 to 6 month size, baby nail clippers, a night light, diaper-rash cream, and batteries. In general, you’ll need batteries—and lots of them–for anything that vibrates or plays music, such as a bouncy seat or an Exersaucer. Electronic toys gobble up battery power too. Practical items make the best gifts because you’ll need them for months, even years, to come. Some moms even have showers in which the guests are instructed to bring only diapers as presents. I love that idea!

For a friend’s recent baby shower, I gave her a high-tech suction bulb for blowing her baby’s nose. In her thank you note, she wrote, “Eww!” and called me a true friend because of the type of present I wasn’t afraid to give. I knew it was something she’d use and that she’d appreciate that sort of gift because she’s a germ-o-phobe. So a nose blower seemed appropriate.

What’s the most practical baby gift you’ve ever received or given?

For more ways to save on baby gear, check out my latest book, Save a Bundle: 50+ Ways to Save Big on Baby Gear.