Gift ideas for new moms

Slings & Supplies for New Moms:

I’ve been asked a few times about gifts for new moms who plan to breastfeed as well as what sling I would recommend.

Gift Ideas for New Moms

The most valuable gift that you could get from a place like Target would be a Boppy, Boppy cover, some lanolin (put out by Medela or Lansinoh). Lanolin is a great cream for nipples, but doubles as a great lip balm too. My husband loved it! The Boppy is a special pillow that fits around the body to help support the baby while nursing. Other things can be used, but it's really helpful & the Boppy Brand has a good design. I have three in my home I still use. They can be used to support baby while sitting. So, they are valuable even outside of nursing. When baby is new, these are super helpful. I kept one in my car and one in our bedroom and one in baby's room. Oh, and I'd highly recommend bringing it to the hospital (tell the new mom that). For my first birth, I did not have a Boppy on hand, and in hindsight, wish I had.

The other thing that is great for moms, especially nursing ones, but really any, would be a good sling. Now, Target sells some, but I'd recommend some other brands that I trust more. Target sold the Infantino sling that was recently recalled for safety issues (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10177.html)   I've had lots of experience with "Over the Shoulder Baby Holders." This is a padded ring-style sling. These were sold at the hospital where I delivered both girls. Of all the varieties of slings I've used, they've been the most useful and versatile.   The Over the Shoulder Baby Holder is no longer manufactured, but I found some comparable ones below (see “More on Slings”).

Other breastfeeding supplies would be milk storage bags put out by  Medela or Lansinoh. Disposable breast pads, I preferred Johnson & Johnson. Please advise any new mom to bring some breast pads to the hospital.  A couple of days after birth, when the milk comes in, a new mother usually wake up with a soaked bra, shirt, and sheets.

Helpful Links:

Medela: http://medela.factoryoutletstore.com/?cid=11779&chid=1&gclid=CNqjkNmJiKcCFQTrKgodXySGdw

Lansinoh: http://www.lansinoh.com/

Boppy: http://www.boppy.com/

More on slings.

 "Over the Shoulder Baby Holder" has been discontinued by the manufacturer, which is why it's so hard to find on Amazon. There are lots of good brands. Maya wrap is another well known, trustworthy name. On Amazon, I see, "Light on the Shoulder" which looks very comparable to what I have. The key thing I'd recommend is that it be a ring style wrap. Padded or unpadded. I've tended to use padded, but I've seen lots of women use and enjoy unpadded ones. These are the safest and most versatile. Here are a few links that might help:

http://www.amazon.com/Lite-on-Shoulder-lime-Baby-Sling/dp/B000MOKPTK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296233419&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Original-Maya-Wrap-Padded--Black/dp/B000JT0VTC/ref=sr_1_5?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1296233650&sr=1-5

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dbaby-products&field-keywords=maya+wrap#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dbaby-products&field-keywords=ring+sling&rh=n%3A165796011%2Ck%3Aring+sling

I would not recommend any slings that look loose or pouchy. Here is an example: http://www.target.com/Karma-Baby-Organic-Cotton-Twill/dp/B001TEGPGO/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=baby+sling&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-11&qid=1296233879&rh&searchRank=target104545&id=Karma+Baby+Organic+Cotton+Twill&node=1038576%7C1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0

They need to be adjustable to hold baby high up on the body, with head out, mostly. Not safe to be buried deep or loose in a low fitting sack.

Any ring sling would be a good buy. I'd stay away from some of the new fangled ones.

Moby Wraps, as I said, are nice early on. I used it a bunch with my second in the first couple of months.  The baby stays in very securely.  These are particularly nice when they're light and little & sleep a lot. You can really move around (or sit) easily with them snuggled in well. Here is a link from amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Moby-Wrap-Original-Carrier-Chocolate/dp/B000X4WORU/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1296234084&sr=1-1

But for ease of use, length of use, and the money spent, I do think the ring carriers are a better buy. Just my opinion though. Moby wraps are very 'popular' right now.