The best gifts for a breastfeeding mom? Yes, please!
Introducing The Best Gifts for a Breastfeeding Mom – 2024! I LOVE buying baby gifts. They are so sweet. Now, as a mom to six littles, I really enjoy buying gifts for a breastfeeding mom that are as useful as they are cute. I love the hunt of finding that one item that will make life as new mom easier, whether this is their 1st or 10th baby.
I’ve selected a wide range of gifts for new mamas over the years including giving one friend 6 small packages. Each included a note of breastfeeding education and my personal suggestions of how and when to use the item. Here are my favorite tips for gifting to that special mama in your life.
1. First, please realize that you don’t need ALL THE THINGS.
Nor do you want all the things. The more things you have means more things to pick up, organize, find closet space for, and eventually to declutter and donate. YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED: YOUR BREASTS AND YOUR BABY.
A note to the pregnant mama: When I was nursing my second baby, I had a smart phone for the first time. In the middle of the night I would spend time on my phone while nursing and I made a lot of purchases that I thought would help make life easier. The internet knows how to target ads to you, so be very cognizant of that! After I had my third child, I gave almost all these items away. Once you have multiple kids it is easy to end up with too many things. You can’t leave the house with all this stuff so the goal becomes to make things simpler. Think about what you would actually want to cart along on an outing and what would fit in one diaper bag. Following are the tried and true things that I’ve loved throughout my 13 years of motherhood to 7 kiddos:
2. A Breastfeeding Class!
As a mom to 7, nurse, and lactation consultant, I have quite a bit of experience, personally and professionally with breastfeeding (over 15 years). I love teaching new moms and dads how to get breastfeeding off to the right start, how to ease their transition into parenthood, how to reach their breastfeeding goals and how to love it! When I worked at a large, urban hospital I wrote and taught many breastfeeding classes for expecting parents, nurses, doctors, nutritionists, etc. Now, I’ve recorded a class that expecting parents can watch on their own time in the comfort of their own home.
These easy to assess classes are 5-15 minutes each, broken down into specific topics. Things like “how to get a deep latch,” “what to do about nipple pain,” “how dad can help,” “how to return to work,” and more! Your loved one can also return to the videos after baby is born for a refresher on a specific topic!
I am so confident she will love the class that I have a “worry-free” guarantee that will refund the class 100% if she doesn’t! So, it’s a win-win. Pamper the new mama to be in your life with a breastfeeding class. Just click the box “This is a Gift.” You could pair this with any of the amazing gifts below and my FREE eBook: 11 Things You Should Do to Prepare for Baby.
2. Swaddle (and everything else) Blanket
Most swaddle blankets are crazy cute but too small to actually swaddle with past the first two weeks. This can be very annoying so I am quite picky about the blankets I keep. I am a big fan of throwing ONE BLANKET in my diaper bag that can be used for many things: as a nursing cover, play mat, diaper changing area, burp cloth, car seat cover, car seat blanket, or swaddle blanket.
The Little Rose Shop blankets are a great size (47″x47″) to accomplish these various tasks. They are beautiful and faith-inspiring, too. The medium weight Aden and Anais blankets work well, also. The medium weight blankets have a little texture to them (see orange blanket below) that is great. The thinner Aden and Anais blankets can be difficult to swaddle in because they are a more slick material and the swaddle comes undone easily. Another blanket that works really well is one made by a family member with the edges simply surged. It does not need to be fancy. It can be cute and useful. Ours were given to us by Great-Grandma. They are 41″ by 39″ which I have found to be a great size to do all the things I listed above. I love to go through my stash of these and if I have extra to gift these special blankets to mom friends.
4. Breastfeeding Pillow
I have a basic Boppy pillow. This is another item that has so many uses making it a great gift for a breastfeeding mom! We use it for support while breastfeeding, while bottle feeding if I’m away, to help siblings hold the baby, for tummy time, for reflux, and to help prop the baby up during photo shoots.
5. Nipple Cream
Now, it is not considered normal when breastfeeding hurts. It is, however, very common so nipple cream can be a great tool in the tool belt. It can help make breastfeeding feel better while you work to get rid of the pain but make sure you’re also getting lactation help to get rid of the pain!
Here is one nipple balm option and her explanation of it. I love this nipple balm! My 7th baby had a hard time opening his mouth wide and I ended up with very sore nipples. This nipple balm is full of ingredients to ease the pain and heal the nipples. I immediately felt relief when I started using it!
For lanolin creams, I prefer Medela over Lansinoh. The reason is that I find Lansinoh hard to get out of the tube and harder to spread. The Medela glides easily out of the tube and spreads onto nipples with little effort so minimal rubbing of the nipples is needed.
Consider printing this article for Mom to give her with the nipple cream gift. It will explain how she can express breast milk and use coconut oil in addition to the nipple cream to really help them heal fast!
6. List of Breastfeeding Resources
Gifts for a breastfeeding mom? How about assistance with getting over any hurdles that arise in her breastfeeding journey? Make sure Mama knows who she can call if she has nipple pain… or questions… or wants to take a medication… etc. Just search “Breastfeeding” and your city and you should get options both hospital based and outside of the hospital to call when needed. Then you can make her a handy list to place on the fridge so she has phone numbers to lactation consultants.
You can also gift her my breastfeeding class! This class is self-paced so her and dad can watch it whenever their schedule allows. Help them gain confidence in God’s beautiful design as they learn all about breastfeeding with 4 hours of useful content! Class can be purchased at courses.breezybreastfeeding.com.
7. Wubbanub
I happen to love when babies will take pacifiers. My first two loved their pacifiers. We would offer it when it was time to sleep and no matter where we were, their eyes glazed over and they were quickly snoozing. I thought we were pretty good at this parenting thing. Then came babies 3, 4 & 5. They all had their own little story but overall didn’t want a pacifier.
Now, I definitely like to include a note like this one when I gift a pacifier to a first time mom. The great thing about Wubbanubs is that before baby is coordinated enough to get a pacifier back into their mouth, they can get the foot or some part of a Wubbanub back in their mouth. That means they can calm themselves while you’re driving and in all sorts of others scenarios where you can’t get to them right away. My favorite ones to gift are Mary Meyer Wubbanubs as they are extra cute. I mean, check out this dinosaur, duck, and super hero! We have a Leo, which means lion, so of course, he had the Lion Wubbanub. The cow and reindeer are darling, too.
8. Books
Ah, books. My husband may tell you I have a book problem. I believe it started when we started homeschooling. Reading to your babies and kids has so many benefits! Here is a podcast on what happens to your child’s brain when you read aloud. Reading to a baby can become a great part of their nap and bedtime routine. Close the door to decrease stimuli and snuggle with them while you read. Baby will start to learn this means it’s time to sleep.
Books are also a great way to include siblings while nursing a newborn. When you sit down to nurse, have a pile of books within reach. When brother or sister wanders over offer to read to them and they’ll feel like they’re getting your whole attention while you multi-task! It’s a very helpful trick to easing the transition for them to having a baby sibling. In general, I prefer books with a cadence (a rhythmic beat or flow) because I find them more fun to read. I also love beautiful pictures.
For book ideas, consider:
- Who Sang The First Song by Ellie Holcomb
- This book meets all my favorite criteria: great message with a cadence, beautiful pictures, sturdy for little hands
- Little Blue Truck
- All the books in this series are loved in our home but start with the original. If it’s for a baby gift, I recommend the board book!
- Family Favorites
- What books were loved by your family when you were a baby or were raising babies? My in-laws gifted all their children the same three books when they each had their first baby. The Giant Jam Sandwich, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and Katy and the Big Snow. These are treasured books in our house! They’re great for reading over and over again. You don’t need these as board books because you’ll continue to read them as kids grow. It has happened where for some reason we ended up reciting these books out loud at a family gathering (New Years Eve?) because we all have them memorized.
- Read Aloud Revival Suggestions
- Some of our favorite read alouds have come from these lists. (Peter and the Starcatchers, Frindle) There is a board book list, too!
9. Cross for their room
It’s wonderful to have a cross at the doorway of each of your kids’ bedrooms. That makes this a great baptism gift. Beautiful and fun ones can be found randomly at boutiques but when I’m in need of finding one in a short amount of time, going to Hobby Lobby is where I have the most success (by far).
10. Quilt
Specifically, a throw on the ground, get dirty, use for anything quilt. We were gifted a scrap quilt from a good family friend. She made sure to tell me this wasn’t a “sit in the house and keep nice” quilt. She encouraged me to take it anywhere, lay it on the ground anywhere, and use it. This information is a very important part of this gift! Lay it on the grass (or a dirty gym floor) so the baby can lay down and stretch. Let it live in the car so you’ll have it when you need it. Use it for a picnic. Use it for a photo op. The opportunities are endless. It is very helpful and I always think of the gift giver when I use ours.
11. Stroller
If you have the means to purchase larger gifts for a breastfeeding mom, great! Or if multiple people go in on a gift, skip the smaller items and go for one big gift!
When I had a bunch of little kids, and only little kids, I felt we could conquer the world… if the stroller was with us. With our first baby, I didn’t think much about the stroller. We bought the one that came with the infant car seat. I never used it again after that first baby. It didn’t match any of my goals and my goals became very specific. I created a spread sheet of double strollers to evaluate their different qualities and find the one I really wanted. Then, I found it used from a co-worker. I bought the $500 stroller from her for $250 and it has proven to be immensely more valuable than that!
Everyone may have slightly different criteria, but here are mine:
- Fits at least 2 kids
- Has larger than average tires (normal ones are only good on flat, smooth sidewalks)
- Fits through a regular doorway (collapsing the stroller to go through a doorway, up a ramp, or across a bridge is extremely annoying!)
- Easy to get in and out of the car (or you won’t use it as much)
- Has a place to clip bags to (diaper bag, lunch bag)
- Has a place (or you can add a place) to store drinks for yourself: water, coffee, honey bee latte 🙂
- When you walk, you can make a nice, full step without kicking the stroller
I found this in the Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller. Mine is an older version so where the kids’ feet go, it is possible to sit two extra kids, like I imagine you could with one kid on this BOB. I have used this extra seating a lot. The Baby Jogger can also attach a skateboard. I have this and used it some but the stroller wouldn’t fold up with it attached so it ended up getting left behind mostly. It’s also hard to push the stroller and not kick the skateboard. I did attach a drink holder and while it doesn’t seem to belong on the stroller I use it constantly anyway!
A great gift to go with the stroller?
12. Stroller Hooks
Need small gifts for a breastfeeding mom in your life? A stroller hook is cheap but so helpful! Like this or this. So mama can have everything she needs with her and in easy reach when she’s at the zoo, on a walk, or any other adventure! We attach the diaper bag, our lunch bag(s), water bottles and camelbacks to our stroller hooks.
13. Infant Car Seat
When I was working as a nurse in the NICU, this car seat was recommended to me and I love it! Since car seats expire, we have had three of these throughout our 7 kids. I have encountered many infant seats throughout my years as a nurse and mom. Chicco has always been the easiest brand to use. Ease of use is important because if grandparents or others use the car seat incorrectly it isn’t as safe.
14. Baby Carrier
I have a Beco and I do like it but I wish baby could face outward. Sometimes, you have a baby who only wants to face outward! Actually, I have four different carriers but once they weigh more than 15 pounds, I mostly only use the Beco. Here is what I suggest looking for in a baby carrier (and save the receipt because it is important that it fit her well):
- baby’s weight falls on hips and not shoulders
- baby can face in or out
- baby can be worn on the front or the back
15. Toiletries
I would steer clear of any baby toiletry sets. Many items targeted for babies are unnecessary or potentially harmful. I have a few, favorite, choice items though that I am currently compiling for baby gifts for some special parents-to-be.
Earth Mama Diaper Balm
We were on vacation one year, miles and miles from a store, when our 6 month old started responding poorly to his disposable diapers. Every area the diaper touched looked like it had been burned. A friend had Earth Mama Diaper Balm and it worked wonders! We stopped using those diapers once I could get different ones and I continue to love Earth Mama Diaper Balm. It smells like delicious herbs.
Baby Vac
I keep wanting to say each item on this list is amazing. That’s because this list is compiled of all my favorite baby things. This Baby Vac… there are almost no words for it. Of course we have had multiple bulb syringes. We’ve also had a Nose Freeda. None of them hold a candle to this Baby Vac. You attach it to the hose of your regular vacuum. There is a flow restrictor so it only applies light suction to baby’s nose. I tried it on myself to see what it feels like and it is very gentle. It sucks out boogers and snot so well! No more congested babies! One night, I grabbed the bulb suction while I was changing his diaper out of convenience and he screamed when I used it. Plus it didn’t do a very good job. He doesn’t cry at all when I use the Baby Vac.
3 reviews out of 200+ on Amazon said the Baby Vac killed the motor on their vacuum. Our vacuum doesn’t seem troubled by it and I have friends who use this, too, without complaint. Maybe just don’t run your vacuum for a long time with the Baby Vac plugged in so the motor doesn’t struggle.
Everyone Soap
Remember how I like to keep things simple? Everyone in my family can use the same soap… the baby, the teenager, me! Unscented is a safe bet if you don’t know how sensitive mom is to fragrances. Otherwise lavender is lovely for before bed and they have other scents that sound fabulous. This soap is Environmental Working Group Certified which is important to me so I limit our exposure to toxins and hormonal disruptors. Soap is an easy switch!
16. Try to avoid bottle feeding gifts for a breastfeeding mom
There are so many other options of gifts for a breastfeeding mom. They don’t need bottle feeding items right away. If and when mom goes back to work or they decide to give a bottle of breastmilk, they can get a bottle then. They don’t need gobs of bottle feeding paraphernalia at the beginning.
The World Health Organization wrote an International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes because
- baby stomachs are immature
- exclusively feeding breast milk offers more protection against illness
- introducing formula often leads to weaning breastfeeding before the mother wanted to.
In fact, in this International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes it says companies who make breast milk substitutes should not advertise or provide samples to pregnant mothers. Can you think of any who violate this? When I was pregnant, samples would just show up at my door! Yuck.
I hope these gifts for a breastfeeding mom inspire you to put together the most wonderfully useful and personalized baby gift for the special mom to be in your life! Share this with someone who needs ideas! What was your favorite gift to give or receive? Comment below!
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