Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Cost-Effective Gifts for the Breastfeeding Mother

by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor on December 4th, 2006

These gift ideas run the gamut from free to $35, from practical to just plain fun. There’s something for every budget and every nursing mother, from the mother-to-be to the die-hard lactivist.

Free

1. Your time. If you are a close friend or relative of the nursing mother and can offer your assistance with house-cleaning, laundry or babysitting, this gift will likely be much appreciated. There are a few caveats though. Don’t just dive in and start cleaning or the mother might be offended! Find a nice way to ask, starting with a compliment. “You are doing such a fabulous job with your baby. I remember how overwhelming it can be at the beginning, though. Is there anything I can do around the house to help? I’m not shy about pitching in where it would be appreciated!” Personally I liked to do my own laundry, but I gratefully jumped at the chance for someone else to wash the dinner dishes! As for babysitting, the nursing mother may not wish to be far from the baby for long, depending on the baby’s age and temperament. Whenever I went out on the town, I took my baby and even my toddler with me, but I readily accepted an offer for someone to watch my child while I napped or soaked in a relaxing, hot bath. Once I had two children, it was lovely to have someone play with my older child for an hour or two so I could focus some time on my baby (or the other way around).

2. Your nursing paraphernalia. Offer to loan the nursing mother your nursing clothes, nursing pillow and any breastfeeding and childcare books you found particularly helpful. The one thing that shouldn’t be shared though is a breast pump, unless it’s one of the rare models where every part of the pump that comes into contact with breast milk is replaceable.

3. A downloadable children’s book. Remember the beautiful breastfeeding art by the artist Birgit? Not only does she sell her prints and a breastfeeding goddesses calendar, she also offers a free downloadable children’s book called “What Babies Eat.”

Under U.S. $10

1. A hot meal. My playgroup friends arranged to deliver hot meals to each mother in the group for the week or two after the mother gave birth to her second child. When one of my friends was expecting her third child and she did not need any new boy or girl clothing, I arranged a “once-a-month cooking” baby shower during which we prepared 14 meals for the mother to take home and freeze for after the birth. Each guest at the party contributed toward the grocery bill, and as a party favor I handed out copies of the recipes we’d used.

Even now I enjoy some help with the cooking, and I often ask for a gift certificate to a shop where meals can be made ahead, like Super Suppers or Dream Dinners (these cost a lot more than $10 though!)

2. A sling. Last time I checked the gifts poll (vote now in the sidebar if you haven’t already), a sling was the top item nursing mothers said they liked getting or would like to receive. Slings can be very expensive, which is why I shared a free pattern and tips for how to sew your own baby sling.

3. Magnets, buttons and bumper stickers. Cafepress.com features a wide variety of inexpensive and unique gifts. If you need to stuff a stocking, consider a magnet that says “Choosy Toddlers Choose Breastmilk” ($4.99) or a bumper sticker that says “I make breastmilk. What’s your superpower?” ($3.99)

4. Breastfeeding-friendly books for children. It’s hard to find quality books with positive images of breastfeeding. My children love this sturdy board book that has the following passage:

Mama, Mama, soft as silk,
give me warmth, and give me milk.

Mama Mama lists for $5.99 (purchases of Mama Mama through this Amazon.com link support Breastfeeding 1-2-3 at no extra cost to you. In this post I’ve only linked to Amazon products I have tried and liked).

5. Lansinoh. At just $8.34, Lansinoh Breast Creme is a must-have for new mothers. For those who need it, the lanolin soothes and heals cracked and sore nipples and does not have to be rinsed off before the baby nurses. I use my leftover lanolin to heal hangnails and soothe chapped lips!

Under U.S. $20

1. A nursing necklace. If you’re feeling crafty, try your hand at making your own beaded nursing necklace with this gorgeous design.

2. A Breast of Canada calendar. This controversial photographic art calendar sells for U.S. $17.95 or CDN $19.95 and the net proceeds benefit the Canadian Breast Cancer Network.

3. Lactivist t-shirts. Fellow breastfeeding blogger Jen (The Lactivist) designed these fun shirts for children, women and men. Many cost under $20 and some “value t-shirts” are as low as $11.99. Just like the buttons, stickers and magnets mentioned above, these shirts are offered through cafepress.com, which for a limited time is offering free holiday shipping on purchases totaling $50 or more.

Under U.S. $35

1. Boppy pillow. I loved using a nursing pillow (and it looks like poll voters agree). I got a Boppy pillow as a gift and found it very comfortable and effective for getting the baby to the proper height for nursing. I also used the Boppy for supporting my baby during tummy time (pictured at right, my baby is four weeks old and not too sure about being on her tummy!) and once she began working on sitting up, we used the Boppy to support her back just in case. With a Boppy you have a few options. You can choose a Boppy Bare Naked ($19.99) and buy a super-soft, removable and washable Luxe Slipcover in pink ($14.99) or in blue ($14.99) or two regular slipcovers ($19.99), or you can buy an original Boppy pillow without a removable cover ($24.99).

2. Manual breast pump. If you plan to pump a lot and can afford an electric pump then that’s definitely the way to go, but for those who only wish to express the occasional bottle of milk, the Avent ISIS Breast Pump with 2 Reusable Bottles (4oz) ($34.50) works great. I used this model and liked it. When one of the plastic parts cracked because I put it in the dishwasher when I shouldn’t have, Avent sent me a replacement part at no charge.

Anyone have any product reviews to share on the products I mentioned? Feel free to share your comments below.

Share This

Related Stories

Gifts for the Breastfeeding Mother: the Second Carnival of Breastfeeding
Nursing Pillows: A Poll
Poll Results: Best Gifts for the Breastfeeding Mother
Top 10 Posts
Last Minute Low Cost or No Cost Ways to Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week 2008

POSTED IN: activism, books, cancer, donation of breast milk, products