Baby Shower Gift Ideas, Communities and Support Services

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, Should I Consider IVF as a Single Woman?, before I started IVF, I relocated interstate. The area I moved to has some really lovely aspects to it. Rolling hills, open space, cows mooing in the morning, kangaroos jumping around. Beautiful. However, it is also fairly isolating when it comes to trying to build new connections and friendships.

I bring this up because recently, one of my neighbours that I regularly chat to on my morning walks asked whether I was planning a baby shower. To be honest, no, that had not crossed my mind at all.

Apart from the obvious lack of close connections since moving, my focus had been completely on IVF. Then came the ups and downs of this current pregnancy. I had not really taken any time to celebrate the pregnancy itself, privately or otherwise.

That conversation about baby showers made me start thinking about some of the other things you often see people do during pregnancy. Pregnancy announcements on social media, gender reveal parties — I did none of that. Only a couple of family members knew I was going through IVF. Those same family members then knew when I became pregnant. It was not until I was around four months along that I started telling a few other people, and even then, not many.

It made me wonder whether some people who have gone through IVF think about these things a little differently — particularly if there have been challenges along the way. For me, I still feel like I am holding my breath to a certain extent. Wondering how everything will go, and probably keeping parts of the pregnancy a little more private because of that.

I also started wondering about the added layer of going through pregnancy on your own. Maybe that changes some of this as well. Maybe, maybe not.

Anyway, back to my neighbour’s question. This same neighbour suggested organising a small baby shower for me. They said a few of the other people I chat with in the morning would probably like to be involved as well. I think it is lovely. My answer is definitely not a resounding no — just something to sit on for the time being. Funny how one short conversation can suddenly send your mind off in all sorts of directions.

More recently, I have also had family members asking what they can buy as baby gifts. Again, not something that had really been on my radar. You would think by this stage, I would have started looking into some of this a little more. But honestly, my mind has just been on a million other things. Which I will get to in future posts.

So, after these recent conversations, I started doing some research and came across a bunch of resources and ideas I wanted to share. What started with nappy gift ideas somehow led to solo motherhood communities, stage-based play kits and support services. I have shared what I found below.

Nappies — What matters to you?

Let’s talk nappies. Now they are a great gift idea — well, I think so anyway. You’ll definitely need them!

Going Eco-friendly?

I came across a company called Comfy Koalas, an Australian eco-friendly baby care brand created by Sydney parents Nat and Mo. The company offers nappies and wipes, including a monthly nappy subscription box delivered to your door.

As of May 2026, their newborn monthly subscription is priced at around $113 per month. It includes 216 nappies in each box. At the time of writing, there was also a discount available on the first purchase. I thought this could make a great baby shower gift idea, particularly for someone trying to reduce the number of ongoing things they need to organise once the baby arrives.

Their nappies are designed for sensitive skin, use mostly biodegradable materials, and the packaging is home compostable.

So, if being eco-conscious is important to you, it might be worth giving these guys a look. Click here to visit their website.

Thinking More About Costs – But Still Great Quality?

I also had a look at some other nappy options, including Huggies Newborn and Coles CUB Newborn. In reviews by CHOICE, which conducts independent product testing and reviews, both products scored very highly in late 2024. Click here to read the full review.

The Coles CUB Newborn nappies received a CHOICE Expert Rating of 89%. They were also noted as one of the cheapest options tested, while still performing extremely well for leakage and absorbency. At the time of writing this post, they are priced at around 17 cents per nappy, which is very affordable.

Huggies Newborn also reviewed very well and received a CHOICE Expert Rating of 88%. They scored highly for absorbency and leakage and include a wetness indicator. This could be useful for first-time parents still figuring out when a nappy needs changing. They are more expensive than the Coles option, but you might like the additional features and the wider retail availability.

If you go with the Coles option, a Coles gift voucher could help cover nappies and wipes.

Huggies does not directly offer subscriptions or gift vouchers through its own website. However, they do list retailers including Coles, Amazon and Chemist Warehouse.

Amazon does offer subscription options. As of May 2026, a monthly supply of 216 Huggies nappies works out to approximately $72 per month, or around 33 cents per nappy.

So you do pay a little extra compared to the Coles CUB nappies. However, it may suit people wanting the convenience of regular deliveries. Again, it could also make quite a practical baby shower gift.

Stage-Based Play Kits

These, as a gift idea, I really like and had not really considered before, especially for the newborn stage. In my mind, I thought, well, babies mainly just eat and sleep for those first few months. Maybe I’ll grab a couple of toy-related items, but that’s it. But after some research, there is actually a lot happening developmentally during that early period. More than I realised. Things like sound, movement, visual play and interaction all seem to help babies start taking in the world around them. It also feels like quite a nice activity to be doing with your newborn baby.

I came across a business called Lovevery, which creates stage-based play kits designed around child development and learning. The company was created by Jessica Rolph and Rod Morris after Jessica became interested in early childhood brain development.

One thing I liked about the company was that the products are designed around different developmental stages. They also draw on input from researchers, child development specialists, occupational therapists and Montessori educators. The idea behind the kits is not really about overwhelming babies with toys, but more about introducing age-appropriate play and sensory experiences at different stages.

The newborn kit is called The Looker Play Kit and is designed for babies aged 0–12+ weeks. It includes high-contrast black and white cards, sensory links, a wooden book and mittens designed to encourage hand discovery. There is also a play guide for parents with information on developmental milestones and activities.

As of May 2026, the kits are priced at around AUD $130 every two months. So they are definitely more of a premium gift idea. But, they could be something grandparents, family members or a group of friends might go in on together as a baby shower gift.

There are also other businesses, like PlayLogy, doing similar things. And if you have the time, you can always look at what is included in the boxes and then hunt around online to see whether you can source similar items yourself. It probably just depends on cost and convenience.

Let’s Check Out Some Pre-Loved Options

Lovevery also has an official second-hand marketplace called Lovevery Pre-Loved. Families can buy, sell or donate pre-used kits and toys once their children have outgrown them. I actually thought this was a really good idea, especially given the cost of the kits new. As an example, at the time I looked, you could pick up a second-hand Looker Play Kit for around $40, which is a pretty significant saving.

Get Connected – What’s Out There

While looking into all of this, I also found a few Australian-based parenting and solo motherhood communities that looked genuinely useful — not just for information, but also for connecting with other women going through IVF, pregnancy and parenthood.

Tell Me Baby – Baby Product Reviews

One of those was Tell Me Baby. It was created after Australian parents Julia and Mat Colbron became overwhelmed by the amount of conflicting parenting information online. The platform has since grown into a large community where women share reviews, recommendations and advice with each other.

I thought this was useful because once you start preparing for a baby, there are suddenly thousands of products people tell you that you “need”. It can be hard to know what is actually useful and what is not.

Solo Mum Society – For solo mums

I also came across Solo Mum Society, which is specifically designed for women choosing solo motherhood. The platform includes support and information across different stages, from considering solo motherhood, through to trying to conceive, pregnancy and raising children as a solo mum. They also offer podcasts, articles, events and community support. As someone going through IVF and pregnancy on my own, I actually thought it was really nice to see something built specifically around this experience, rather than trying to fit into more general parenting spaces that are often couple-focused.

Mum’s Grapevine – Connect, Learn and Share

Another one I found was Mum’s Grapevine, which has been around in Australia for quite a while. It includes parenting articles, product information and age-based Facebook groups where women can connect with others going through similar stages at the same time. I can see how something like that could become really helpful once the baby arrives, particularly if you are looking for a bit of community, recommendations, or simply reassurance that everyone else is also figuring things out as they go.

Me, Myself and IVF Blog – Support Tools

I think communities and resources like these are fantastic. That is also very much the approach behind Me, Myself & IVF Blog — sharing my own experiences of IVF and pregnancy, alongside practical information and resources that may help other women navigating similar experiences.

In addition to the blog itself, I recently released a printed journal designed for women navigating IVF on their own, covering everything from early IVF considerations through to treatment and early pregnancy. For more information, click here.

I am also currently working on a new five-part digital series focused on practical thinking tools for single women navigating IVF, pregnancy and solo motherhood. It will be a budget-friendly option focused on helping women work through different stages and decisions without feeling completely overwhelmed by the process. Again, for more information, click here.

Support That’s Available

I wanted to again briefly touch on some of the support services mentioned in my previous blog post, Preparing for Birth — What I Found Helpful, as well as some additional information.

We Care Connect – Good-quality pre-loved baby items

In that post, I spoke about organisations such as We Care Connect, which supports families across the Central Coast and Hunter Region by providing good-quality pre-loved baby and children’s items, including things like prams, cots and car seats. Access to these kinds of services is provided through referral and community support networks, including organisations such as Benevolent Family Referral Services and Uniting Family Services. To find out more, you can click here — you’ll find contact details for both services on that page.

Nappies – where can I get help?

I also wanted to mention that Comfy Koalas, which I spoke about earlier in this post, has supported families in need through an organisation called The Nappy Collective. The Nappy Collective distributes nappies to families experiencing hardship through community organisations and referral services across Australia.

Depending on where you live, support may be available through community partners and organisations, including The Salvation Army, Vinnies, Anglicare and Mission Australia. So if you need a bit of extra support during pregnancy or early parenthood, it may be worth reaching out to organisations in your local area to see what assistance might be available.

A Few Final Thoughts

I hope some of the information and resources above have been helpful. A lot of this was new to me as well, and it has actually been quite reassuring seeing how much support, information and community is out there once you start looking.

As I continue through pregnancy and into solo motherhood, I’ll keep sharing anything else I come across that might be useful. Whether that is products, support services, communities or just things I wish I had known about sooner.

Are you pursuing IVF as a single woman, or do you know someone who is?
Me, Myself & IVF Journal — find out more here.