Something different for the latest addition to the clan: a quick guide to what's hot for the new arrival. The arrival of a new bundle of joy, whether it's a new addition to your family or close friends is without doubt one of the happiest occasions in life and should be celebrated as such without inhibition. We all want to congratulate the new parents at a time as precious as this, but the pressures to find a gift that is not a replicate of another item or a twee trinket at such a monumental time is incredibly intense. And if the sex of the baby is unknown until its birth the time scale to buy the perfect gift drops considerably too, and can also increase the pressure on the gift giver.

We all think our chosen memento is special and precious but the chances of not repeating another baby gift when shopping on the High Street are actually quite low. In order to guarantee that you can find something that really stands out many people are now turning to the Internet for help.

One of the biggest problems in this area is the question of what the grandparents should buy to celebrate the new arrival. With most babies moved straight into fully furnished nurseries, complete with designer outfits, it can be very hard to find a gift that reflects the importance of the occasion. But it can be done. Grandparents would be well advised to look at sites such as Not on The High Street for gift ideas. Touching little additions to the practical world that has been created for the little one such as a present for the new mum to help her feel pampered are often better received in the first instance than another cute twin set for baby. Sites like these often offer delivery within one or two working days so you can deliver your package soon after mum has.

Whether you're a doting auntie or a close friend it's worth finding presents which will help baby's learning no matter how far away that may seem at the time of birth. For example baby signing is an incredibly popular way to increase baby's ability to communicate and parents can start teaching baby how to sign as soon as they have the energy to do so without falling asleep. Many baby sites such as babyexperiences.co.uk offer a range of products in this area, and although this may seem like jumping the gun a little after a birth, gifts such as these should be invaluable within a relatively short space of time.