Unknown/Unique Baby Shower Gifts New Mothers Don't Know They Need

A new baby is an exciting time for the mother to be. If she's anything like I was, she has an idea of everything she will need and a plan on how she will handle all mom situations (before the baby is born and ruins those plans). Before buying her the newest useful (that ends up not really being all that useful) gadget off of her baby registry, consider these unheard of baby gifts. These are items I learned of while working as a music therapist. When I had my own children I used them with my babies with tremendous results I will discuss with each item.

1. Rock N Learn DVD. This is my number one recommendation and what I buy as a gift for baby showers. They are DVD's and I realize people have mixed feeling about showing babies DVD's, but I credit them for both of my children being able to read fluently and with understanding by age three as well as count to 100, shape names, and colors. Others I've given these to have said their children were reading and fluent with numbers by age 3 as well. They are between 30-45 minutes each. I showed my kids one DVD a day since the day I brought them home from the hospital. Rock N Learn has many DVD's to choose from, each using music and mesmerizing visuals which stimulate both sides of the brain, not just the language side making for whole brain learning. My top recommendations are: Rock N Learn Phonics, Colors Shapes and Counting, and Sight Words.

2. Baby Go to Sleep Heartbeat Music Therapy CD. Babies are accustom to hearing their mothers heartbeat while in the womb. It is comforting for them to hear a heartbeat and this CD provides slow children's songs with a heart beating percussion to each song. I used these with my children when they were born. They ended up being very good sleepers. I don't know if it was from the CD or if I was just lucky but I don't think it hurts to play comforting music to babies.

3. Mommy Bear with womb sounds. The soft, rhythmic, and repetitive sounds your baby heard inside of mother's womb were a predictable and comforting part of baby's world before birth. The Mommy Bear calms and comforts your baby to sleep with sounds actually recorded in the womb. Simply place one of these soft friends near your baby, turn it on, and adjust the volume. It automatically turns off after 20 minutes to save battery. It also has a Velcro strip which attaches to crib to keep it secure.

4. Sound Track musical wooden train. Sound Track is a toy train that plays a song as it travels around a wooden track. Much like a music box, metal wires hang just below the bottom of the train, and as the toy moves around the track, the wires pluck pegged pins to create a sound, making the tracks act as a sheet of music. Notches and grooves are carved into each track, which hold small, adjustable pins that elicit different notes depending on their position. Sound Track comes pre-pegged with classic kids songs like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” but in a smart twist, kids can slide the pegs up and down the notches to create a tune of their own.

I hope you find these selections helpful in your quest for the perfect gift.