Two friends announce within weeks of each other. Now you have two showers on the calendar, maybe in the same month, and possibly the same guests at both. Choosing baby shower gifts for two friends pregnant at the same time is less about finding the right item and more about one question: will they compare?

This guide gives you a quick way to decide, a budget plan for two showers close together, and words to use if the gifts end up side by side.

The decision guide: same gift, same budget, or different entirely

Find the row that sounds most like your situation. If two rows apply, follow the one higher in the table.

When is the same gift for both friends the right call?

In short: when they'll see each other's gifts and neither has a pressing need you'd be ignoring.

People worry that giving the same gift to two baby showers looks lazy. It usually reads the opposite way. It says you thought about them as a pair and refused to rank them.

The same gift works best when the item is something neither is likely to get twice and both will keep. Good candidates:

• A keepsake that lasts past the baby year, like a growth chart or a memory box
• A small stack of board books (the same three titles, or the same author)
• A hooded towel and washcloth set in two different colors
• The same gift card amount to a meal delivery service, for the first weeks home

Skip matching gifts for big gear. Car seats, carriers and monitors are personal choices, and each friend has probably picked hers already.

One way to keep "same" from feeling copy-pasted is to vary the color or design. Our growth charts are an example of how that works. The Canvas Kids Growth Chart and the rainbow version are both $44 and both 100% cotton canvas, and each comes with a fabric-safe pen or marker. Each friend gets the one that suits her nursery, and neither gift is worth more than the other.

If you order both together, our store takes 10% off when you buy any two items, so two growth charts come to $79.20 instead of $88, with no code needed.

Canvas Kids Growth Chart

$44.00

View the Canvas Kids Growth Chart

Two honest notes. The charts aren't personalized with a name, so the personal part has to come from your card. And they ship in 7–10 business days, so order well ahead of the first shower.

When should you match the spend but vary the item?

In short: when each friend has told you what she needs, and those needs are different.

A registry is a direct request. If both friends have one, buying from each list at the same price is fairer than handing over two identical things that only one of them wanted. The same applies when their situations differ: a first baby versus a third, a small apartment versus a house, a January due date versus a May one.

Three rules keep a same-budget, different-item gift from looking uneven:

• Match within about $5. Nobody audits receipts, but a $60 gift next to a $30 gift is visible.
• Match the size of the gesture. A large box next to a slim envelope looks unequal even at the same price. If one gift is small, add tissue, a nicer bag, or pair it with a book.
• Match the category when you can. Two practical gifts, or two keepsakes. One friend getting a sentimental gift while the other gets diaper cream can sting, even if the diaper cream cost more.

If only one friend has a registry, buy from it for her and use our guide on what to buy when there's no baby registry for the other.

When are different gifts and different budgets fine?

In short: when the two friendships are different, and the two friends won't be in the same room.

You don't owe a college roommate and a coworker the same gift because their due dates happen to line up. Spend what fits each relationship. The only person keeping score in that case is you.

It gets harder when the friendships are unequal but the friend group is shared. Here, keep the shower gifts similar and do the extra for your closer friend away from the party. Drop off dinner in the first weeks, take the older sibling for an afternoon, or send something at the first birthday. Private generosity doesn't create a comparison.

One gentle point. Two pregnancies rarely run on the same clock. One baby may come early, or one friend may have a harder road. Treat each gift as its own, with its own timing, so one never has to wait on the other.

How do you handle two showers a few weeks apart on one budget?

The common mistake is spending freely on the first shower and scraping together the second. The friend with the later date ends up with the smaller gift, for no reason other than the calendar.

1. Set one total first. Decide what you can spend on both showers combined, including cards and wrapping.
2. Split it before you shop. Half and half, unless the decision guide above says different budgets are fine.
3. Buy both in one sitting. Order three to four weeks before the first shower. You'll compare the two gifts with your own eyes, and shipping delays won't touch either one.
4. Wrap and tag both right away. Put a sticky note with the shower date on the second gift so it doesn't get "borrowed" for another occasion.
5. Write the cards separately. More on that below.

Here's what an even split can look like at three common totals. The price bands are typical ranges for each category, not fixed numbers.

For the $120–150 row, our guide to two-piece baby shower gifts has pairings by budget. If you're giving with a partner, see how much a couple should spend on a shower gift before you set the total.

If two gifts in one month is truly too much, shrink both rather than one. Two $20 gifts with thoughtful cards beat one $50 gift and one apology.

What small details keep it from feeling like favoritism?

Most hurt feelings come from details around the gift, not the gift itself. Run through this list before the first shower.

• ☐  Both gifts are wrapped with the same care, even if the paper differs.
• ☐  Each friend gets her own card with her own message. Never reuse the same lines.
• ☐  Each card mentions something specific to her: the name she's chosen, the nursery she's painting, the big sibling waiting at home.
• ☐  You attend both showers, or send regrets to both in the same way. Going to one and skipping the other is felt more than any gift gap.
• ☐  Photos and posts are balanced. If you share from one shower, share from the other.
• ☐  Anything for a baby under 3 has no small or loose parts, and nothing is meant to go inside the crib.

For the cards, our list of baby shower card messages sorted by relationship will help you write two that don't sound alike.

What to say if they compare

If the gifts match, say so first. It turns a possible awkward moment into the point of the gift.

"I got you both the same thing on purpose. I love that your kids will each have one."

If the gifts differ, name the reason plainly.

"I shopped from each of your registries, so they're different. I wanted you both to get something you asked for."

And if one friend is having a larger shower or getting more attention, a quiet line to the other goes a long way.

"I'm just as excited for you. I can't wait to meet this baby."

The short version

Choosing a baby gift for friends due together starts with one question: will your two friends see each other's gifts? If yes, go identical or clearly equal. If no, shop for each friendship on its own.

Then set one total, split it, and buy both gifts on the same day, three to four weeks before the first shower. Write two different cards. The second friend should never be able to tell that hers came second.

Frequently asked questions