Baby Shower Gifts: Can I Take It Back?

Other alternatives to regifting that Post Senning suggests include:

• Donate the duplicate or unwanted item to Goodwill, a crisis pregnancy center, hospital, or children's organization in your area.
• Give as a hand-me-down later, but not as a gift.
• Sell it, but not right away, says Post Senning. After your child has grown out of that size, if you want to sell it as a used item at a yard sale or resale, that's fine.

Should I Register?

One way to avoid the potential for gifts you don't want is by creating a registry. "I think there's value to being able to register for what you want for your baby, although I do remember receiving items not on my registry, like not one, but two oversized plastic baby bottle banks! Those were interesting!" says Ellen, a Babyzone.com mom.

It helps to consider your gift registry as a tool to help people who want to buy you a gift, instead of as a wish list that you expect to have filled.

"There is an element of practicality to them, but you don't want your guests to feel beholden to the registry," says Post Senning.

So, if you want to register, feel free, but remember that some of your friends and family may want to handpick something for you and the baby that isn't on your list.

Are Thank You Notes Necessary?

In a word, yes. "We are old fashioned when it comes to handwritten thank you notes. A handwritten note is still the most personal way to thank someone for their gift and nice thoughts," say MiGi.

The good news is that a short, simple, and genuine thank you is all that's necessary. Especially in a thank you for a gift you don't particularly like, it's more about acknowledging the effort the giver made in bringing or sending you a present.

"You don't have to lie or talk about loving the gift if you don't," says Post Senning. "Instead, find the positive in the note and recognize that the person's care for you in choosing a gift was real and legitimate, and leave it at that."