Diapers make a great, practical gift for any family expecting a newborn. Diapers are more expensive than you might think and babies use a lot of them (10-15 diapers a day when they are just born). Most new parents have no idea that babies are going to use this amount of diapers. In short, although the new parents might laugh at you for gifting them diapers, in the end they will be extremely grateful, especially when they see how much diapers cost.

A pacifier is another useful but not flashy gift. When newborns are not sleeping and eating they are usually wiggling and crying. This is normal as they are trying to adjust to the newness of this world. A pacifier will go a long way to calm down the baby and give the new parent some time to enjoy the baby while he or she is awake and not fussing. Note that some debate exists as to whether or not babies should use pacifiers (some claim it can cause dental problems in the future).

Another simple and inexpensive suggestion for a gift is baby clothing. For newborns most suggest baby onesies. Baby onesies provide several comforts to expecting parents and are more fun to buy than diapers or pacifiers. Here are five benefits baby onesies provide.

Benefit #1 - Easy Access to the Diaper

If you are an expecting Mom or Dad, you're probably not enthralled about the numerous diaper-changing "opportunities" that await you. Changing diapers is hard enough (trying to hold the baby still while not making him/her cry, not to mention the lovely aroma can be challenging), baby onesies make life a little easier by having snaps near the crotch area that make it so you can have access to your favorite region without having to completely unclothe the baby. This sure beats having to undress him or her every time.

Benefit #2 - The Onesie Stays in Place

Babies are wigglers; they have so much wiggly-ness in them that they sometimes wiggle their clothes right off. Normal shirts can ride up on your baby, exposing her belly to her "favorite" uncle Bob, who just can't resist giving a wet raspberry. Baby onesies on the other hand, always stay in place thanks to the great snap feature.

Benefit #3 - Inexpensive

Pretty cute baby onesies can be purchased for only $6.99 at stores like Wal-Mart and Target, though top-end onesies can cost you quite a bit more. Try buying yourself an entire outfit for $6.99!

Benefit #4 - Many Uses

Baby onesies can easily be worn as a shirt by simply placing shorts or pants on the baby over the onesie. Or if baby is feeling especially wild today and wants to run around with his pants off, that's okay too (the private areas will be well covered by the onesie).

Benefit #5 - Cute

You must admit it, the fact that a baby can fit into a little piece of clothing is adorable. The cute or funny sayings on the onesies make them even more lovable.

Purchasing gifts for expecting mothers and new born babies can be difficult, but hopefully you now have some ideas. Gifting diapers and pacifiers represents a pragmatic choice. Giving baby clothing is perhaps more fun, although maybe slightly less useful. The best of luck in your search for the perfect gift for those expecting parents.