Stumped about what kind of gift to give a nursing or soon-to-be-nursing mom? Here are ideas for books, equipment, entertainment, and more.
You might thing that a nursing mom might be difficult to shop for; however, you’ll find all sorts of things that would be ideal for the lactating ladies on your list.
Books
There’s nothing like having some nursing-specific books when you have questions. There are lots and lots of books about breastfeeding, but here are just a few you might want to check out:
Dr. Hale’s Medication and Mother’s Milk
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (La Leche League Inernational)
The Nursing Mother’s Companion
Fr*e downloadable children’s book: “What Babies Eat,” in English, Spanish, and German.
Clothes
Selecting clothes that fit, that work for nursing, and that the recipient will like can be tricky. Gift certificates are a wonderful option.
Motherwear offers a wide range of nursing-specific clothing and has a clearance section, wish list, and offers gift certificates.
Expressiva nursingwear is another great site for nursing clothes and accessories.
If your gift recipient has a sense of humor, why not give her one of these breastfeeding T-shirts or maybe one of these from The Lactivist.
A pretty nursing bra, like one of these at Figleaves shows that nursing bras can be both functional and flattering.
A fast, inexpensive alternative to a traditional nursing top is to layer a couple shirts, like ones from Old Navy. All you have to do is cut nursing slits in one shirt, and wear it with another shirt over it – genius!
Every nursing mom needs a great nursing top or two. How about these from Motherhood Maternity, Motherwear best-selling “essentials” from Motherwear?
These organic, all-cotton bras offer soft comfort and easy access for nursing.
Equipment
Here’s a mother lode list of gift ideas for the nursing mother – happy shopping!
There’s a reason why slings have been around forever: they work. You can carry your baby with you wherever you go and still keep your arms free. A few of the companies that make slings are Hotslings, Maya Wrap, and Ellaroo. The Maya Wrap site even gives instructions so that you can sew your own.
Nursing pillows are great. They pull extra duty beyond nursing by providing support for baby’s “tummy time” and, later, when baby is learning to sit on his or her own. Some brands are Boppy, My Brest Friend, Nurse N Glow, and VIVA! What makes the Nurse N Glow really different from the others is that it’s designed for nursing while you’re in bed. The pillow’s shape helps keep baby in the right position and a gentle light helps you see what you’re doing.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to breast pumps. A good rule of thumb is to match the pump with the mom’s plans. If she’s only planning on pumping occasionally, she can go with a manual breast pump, like the Avent ISIS or the Medela Harmony. If she is planning on working part time while nursing, a sturdier model, like the Medela Single Deluxe Battery/Electric or Medela Swing pump, would be appropriate. If she is planning on working full time while nursing, then she’ll need a rugged double pump. For this type, check the Medela Pump in Style or the Ameda Purely Yours.
Mother’s Milkmate bottles or breast milk storage bags are good add-ons to a breast pump, as are Quick Clean Wipes, which will let her easily and safely clean her pump, valves, and membranes, no matter where she pumps.
Sometimes nursing mothers end up with sore nipples, either from poor latch on or from overenthusiastic nursers. It used to be that Lansinoh Breast Creme was the only nipple cream on the market. The lanolin soothes and heals cracked and sore nipples and does not have to be rinsed off before the baby nurses. Now, other companies make pure-lanolin products. If you’re allergic to wool or want to use a vegan alternative, try Natural Nipple Butter. There are even hydrogel dressings, like Soothies, to alleviate nipple tenderness. Rubbing expressed milk on sore areas can also help.
When it comes to nursing pads, you can go with disposable ones, like these, or washable, 100% cotton ones, like these. LANA nursing pads are 100% wool, which wicks moisture away from your skin. (The LANA pads are not for women who are allergic to wool.) LilyPadz are thin, silicone pads that are self-adhesive and apply light pressure to prevent leakage.
Gel-free microwaveable/freezable breast packs, Booby Tubes (yes, that’s really their name) are filled with flax seeds to help soothe sore breasts.
A Breastfeeding Support Kit from Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics would be a wonderful gift for the nursing mother.
A nursing stool can be a wonderful little luxury – or necessity – that will help nursing moms lean back and be comfortable while they nurse.
An attractive alternative to putting a safety pin on your bra or a rubber band on your wrist to remind you which side is next for nursing is The Nursing Bracelet. It tracks when you last nursed and which breast you used — ingenious!
Entertainment
Sometimes a mom just wants to kick back, nurse, and watch a movie, read a book, or listen to an audiobook.
A NetFlix membership or gift certificate would let her catch up on the shows or movies she’s missed. And she would probably love to watch those DVDs on a portable DVD player.
If she loves to read, a BookSwim membership would be just the thing – the books she wants, delivered right to her mailbox.
If holding a book is a bit of a challenge while nursing, how about audiobooks from Audible? She can listen while nursing, driving, or just vegging out at the end of a long day.
And More
Sleep and time are probably the top two things on every mom’s wish list. Maybe you could volunteer a few hours of babysitting so that she can take a nap or offer to care for her other children for a few hours so she and baby can take a nap. Or you could watch the baby so that she could spend time with her other children.
Every mom could use a list of phone numbers she can dial when she needs encouragement or answers to her breastfeeding questions. You could include numbers for the local La Leche League or other breastfeeding support organizations and local lactation consultants. Make a copy for each phone in her house.
Pictures are often overlooked gifts. Why not make arrangements to take pictures of her and the baby or the whole family? (Often, one family member is the designated photographer and is missing from most pictures.) You could then frame one or two good shots and give them to her.
If you can do so in a way that is sensitive of her feelings, offer to be her mother’s helper, doing laundry, cleaning the house, running errands so that she can devote herself to the baby. If you want, you could present her with homemade coupons or certificates redeemable for, say, two hours of your time (for tasks, errands, babysitting, or whatever it is that she might need help with).
Pampering is always a welcome gift. How about a spa treatment, facial, massage, or manicure/pedicure? With a gift of products from Lush, she’ll have a good reason to lock herself in her bathroom. Even though its tagline is “fresh handmade cosmetics,” the product line includes things for bath/shower, hair, face, body, and fragrance. Clicking here will take you to the Lush gift page (for the U.S.), if you need help narrowing down your choices.
One-stop meal shopping is a breeze with Super Suppers and Dream Dinners. You or your giftee can quickly assemble dozens of meals to put in your freezer for the weeks ahead, when you won’t always feel like cooking. If this still sounds like too much work for you or her, why not check out local restaurants and see if they offer takout.
Of course, if she’d like to get out of the house, a gift certificate to a restaurant and offering to babysit the baby and/or other children would make a thoughtful gift.
Signs, stickers, buttons, and magnets are nice little gifts to slip into a stocking or gift bag. Cafepress has ‘em.
So there you have it: loads of gift ideas for the lactating ladies on your list!
Laurel Haring is a writer. She lives in Wilmington, Delaware with her family (1 husband, 2 sons, 2 dogs, 3 toads, and an occasional groundhog). Sleep is still pretty high up on Laurel’s wish list.
All photos from Amazon.com
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