When you’re nursing a baby, there are several items you need to have within reach, especially at the start of your nursing relationship. A great gift for a new or expectant mom is a breastfeeding basket that has all this stuff together in a handy basket.
I received a basket of snacks while in the hospital after the birth of my first child, and once I got home, I realized it was the perfect size to transfer all my needed supplies from room to room. I had burp cloths, ibuprofen, lanolin, nipple shield, bathroom supplies, tissues, and my water bottle. I would also throw in my phone and I was able to take it from my bed to the couch to the nursery every day without needing anything else.
Since I utilized mine so much, this basket has become my ideal baby gift. Basic items to include are:
- Breastfeeding book
- Burp cloths
- Nipple cream
- Nursing pads
- Hair ties
- Lip balm
- Water bottle
- Small notebook and pen to keep track of the baby’s feedings and diapers for those first few days
The best part about this gift is that it’s so easily customizable, and you can put anything in to personalize it. You can even include a few small items from their registry if they have one; an Itzbeen timer, washcloths, or pacifiers.
This is also a helpful gift for someone who may not be very knowledgeable about breastfeeding since you can include a book or some items they may not even know they need, like milk storage bags. If it’s for a close friend, you could include some nursing bras or camisoles, because they’ll definitely use those. A nice touch would be to print off the phone number and website of their local La Leche League or a lactation consultant for troubleshooting those difficult first feedings.
This basket has become my favorite shower gift, and it would also be a perfect Mother’s Day gift for an expectant mother!
Janalyn Cantu is a mom of two who lives and writes in Fort Worth, Texas. She loves attending playdates that don’t involve explaining what cloth diapers are to anyone.
