Growing up, each time I would think of being a mum I always saw myself with daughters yet God gifted me with two sons I love more than anything in the world. While I may not have the dream of daughter come true because life is already fun and messy enough with two boys, at least I know how to help out mammas of baby girls.

One of my cousins is preparing for the arrival of her first baby, a girl, and as a new mum to be she’s already in the phase of excitement mixed up with anxiety so we’ve had the talk about the experience of birth, what happens when you come home with the baby, and how to make the most of spending time with her bub instead of stressing out.

I’m certain she’s going to do a great job as she’s already full of motherly love, but getting a little help sure comes in handy, so I’ve chosen a set of baby girl gifts to give her a head start in motherhood, knowing she’s already gotten her basic supplies of diapers, clothing and bottles.

Introducing Eco-Friendliness

There’s no better time to make way for eco-friendly products in your life than when you welcome a baby, that is unless you haven’t already done that. Knowing my cousin isn’t that eco-aware, I figured she could at least become now that she’s trying to find the best of the best for her baby so the Australian themed changing mat and the adorable soft pink romper I got her are both made of GOTS and OekoTex certified organic cotton.

It’s important to choose organic fabrics like 100% cotton because they’re ideal for the delicate baby skin as they’re grown without harmful chemicals, even more knowing how their immune system isn’t as strong as that of us adults and how absorbent their skin is; if you don’t want your baby to come in touch with harsh chemicals typically found in man-made fabrics, you can have your peace of mind buying natural alternatives that are great for the environment too.

Additionally, the natural fabrics are much softer than the synthetics and are essential in thermo-regulation, keeping your baby warm in winter and cool in summer, unlike the man-made options that cause sweating, allergies and irritation. This being said, I paired up the basket of eco-friendly baby girl gifts with a box of bamboo swaddles that I fell in love with not just for the bamboo but also for the additional items it goes with: a baby book and tea great for breastfeeding.

This way I make sure my cousin isn’t left out of the gift either!

Not Leaving Out Fun

While there are many items a new mum could use, like more clothing and more supplies such as soft hairbrushes, in weighing in with the fun stuff, I couldn’t resist getting books and toys. Babies need to be entertained same way we do, and what better way to keep them interested than by offering them a great combination of the ABC’s with sensory crackly pages they can look at, grab and explore.

Having in mind how babies aren’t in tune with their strength, being rough with their touch, and how easy it is to just ruin a book I had to pick out a book that’s made of fabrics and again it had to be eco-friendly, so I bought 100% organic cotton ideal for babies and toddlers alike. And oh, my cousin is going to love the machine-washable property!

The learning fun aside, babies require comfort and that’s exactly what soft toys are for. Toys keep them company when you decide to let them sleep all alone in their room for the first time, offering them the security they need in getting used to sleeping on their own, thus they help them build confidence as well as independence.

Mind you though, it’s best to keep the toys close to the crib and not inside because of the danger of suffocation. As soon as they become toddlers, one can expect a toy to be the means to learning the lesson of empathy, bonding and affection. Furthermore, there’s the development of other crucial skills such as social since they can interact with the toys, and as a result work on the vocabulary expansion.

If you don’t know how to make a gift basket for a baby girl, my advice is to carefully choose the toys, paying particular attention to the fabrics; I can safely say the theme of my baby girl gifts is organic cotton. Organic cotton toys are easy to care for just as they’re easy to play with, and I can already tell my cousin is going to appreciate this.

A word of caution to anyone buying newborn toys is to always go for those that don’t have bits and pieces that can fall out, like eyes and nose made of buttons instead of being sewn; this is essential since babies put anything in their mouth and could easily choke.