Breastfeeding gift pack?

[KilgraveMadeMeDoIt]

Would it be odd if I got my pregnant friend (who is planning on breastfeeding) a gift hamper of things to help her? If it's not odd, what would you put in there? (except a stash of lanisoh and hobnobs )

This is a lovely thought - nipple shields, lidded coffee mug (keeps drink warm and won't spill on baby), iTunes gift voucher - for music or audiobooks to pass the time...

I wasn't able to BF - maybe someone else can suggest something better.

The name and number of a good BF support/advice worker?

But she may end up not being able to BF for various reasons so might be worth asking if anyone received similar and what they thought of it?

I did one for my friend and she said it was helpful! Nipple shields, breast pads and shells, manual pump and lansinoh. thegreat your ideas are brilliant!

I don't think it's remotely odd. It's a great idea (especially the lidded coffee mug someone mentioned).

I remember someone giving me Lanisoh and Storage bags when I was pregnant and they were completely invaluable.

Breast is Best by Penny Stanway. I wish I had had this book for my first. Tiny bottle of spray. A cabbage if she has a sense of humour. I think it is a lovely idea.

I think it's a lovely idea. I recommend the womanly art of breastfeeding. Lots of hints and tips in there

And deffo the hobnobs. I could eat a pack a day when I was expressing for DD2 in NICU!!

It's a lovely idea, but I wouldn't have got much use out of many of the mentioned things. I never needed lansinoh or shields, and pumping isn't advised in the early days. I did go through a mountain of disposable breast pads though- but only one brand were any good for the amount of leaking I did. Maybe things that would be useful even if breastfeeding is tough- breastpads, muslins, magazines/easy to read books, suggestions for box sets and snacks.

If anyone has left over Lanisol, it makes great lipbalm btw.

I also wouldn't have got any use out of breast sheilds or pump. It is a nice idea but what if she decided she doesn't want to breast feed or can't and has all this stuff to remind her that she didn't?

Put it all in a basket so she can pick it up one handed and have everything she needs with her for a big feed. I'd put in a few muslins, breast pads, chocolate / energy bars, mini hand sanitiser, sports top water bottle and leave room for her phone and the remote control. Maybe also some Infacol and / or a medicine syringe in case she needs them.

I think it's a lovely idea. You will always get people projecting some of their own insecurities on any thread relating to breastfeeding. True, some things like nipple shields or cream might not get used but these items are more 'just in case' rather than 'here, you'll definitely need these!' Still good to have in the pack.

Here's some of the things I'd consider including as I used all of these items while BFing and would have been more than happy to receive in a gift hamper:

• Lansinoh - Just get it! If she doesn't use it, no harm done, if she does use it, she'll be grateful. I am so grateful to the work colleague who recommended it before I went on maternity leave. It felt a bit awkward having a random office woman telling me to buy nipple cream but it really helped.

• These bamboo breast pads - Much softer and less scratchy on sore nipples than disposable ones.

• Netflix subscription for the hours on the sofa with baby feeding and napping on her chest.

OR Kindle gift cards I read loads of books using the Kindle app on my iPad while breastfeeding, easier to hold one-handed than a paperback.

• Nursing pillow - Very comfy, the pillow sits on your lap and basically holds baby for you while they feed, you can rest your arms, sounds silly but I found it very relaxing. DS is nearly 2 and no longer BF but I still find it comfy when reading him bedtime stories in his room.

• A bunch of these £2 vest tops from Primark in all different colours - Link is just FYI, they always have tonnes in store. Turns any top into a discreet nursing top as you just flip the normal top up and pull the vest down. You could make them into little rolls in the hamper.

• You could also include a nice pack of muslins, not only do they mop up mess but they also make quite a good cover up. Or you could get a pretty, lightweight scarf for this purpose. I didn't cover my baby up for modesty, just to stop him getting distracted. (When they get to about 2 months and want to keep feeding but keep pulling off every few seconds to look around...!)

• If I had a big budget for this gift hamper I'd also include a stretchy wrap but that's probably going a bit too far as they are usually well over 30 quid. although you can get cheapies from Amazon which are actually surprisingly good quality as you can see from the reviews. (I used one and it was perfect for the first 6 months when they are not very heavy)

• Finally, definite YES to biscuits, flapjacks, etc. If you're putting together a hamper you could also include some nice soft drinks to add to the variety of the basket, breastfeeding does make you very thirsty.

Projecting my insecurities! fuck off

I've done this for a couple of friends, although only after birth when I was sure they were breastfeeding!

In addition to the above, I included some relaxing lavender bath/shower stuff to encourage the woman to be able to take a bit of time for herself making sure it was a brand appropriate for bfing (not leaving the boobs covered in stuff which would make baby spit it out!).

And, as one of the pps said, a load of things like breastpads and muslins and white baby vests which are not pretty gifts but are useful! And it looks ok once you do it in a nice basket with some cellophane and a ribbon.