Which breastfeeding items would you bring to a baby shower?

Do you remember that Sex and the City episode in which Miranda reluctantly agrees to have a baby shower?  It sticks in my mind because one gift she gets from one of her co-workers is a breastpump.  The colleague says something like "I don't want you running into my office to use mine!" 

What would you bring to a baby shower for a mom who plans to breastfeed?  You can tell us what you think a new mom needs below in the poll below.  If you think I've left something out, tell us what you'd bring to a shower by leaving a comment.  To the left are the cakes my friend Abby brought to a friend's shower.  She even drizzled white frosting over them!

If you're pregnant and trying to figure out what you need for breastfeeding, click "view results" to see what your breastfeeding friends think makes a good gift.  You might also find a prior post about nursing products helpful.

Note:  If you don't see a poll below, refresh this page.  This poll works with Explorer, but not Firefox.

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Comments

[Stephanie (Adventures in Babywearing)]

I refreshed the page and still can't see the poll- it's all black. Anyway, I find some items helpful for women planning to breastfeed are: a baby sling (of course!), a nursing cover like Bebe Au Lait (aka Hooter Hider) for the moms that want to be a bit more discreet, nursing shirts, a nursing necklace, and maybe a book about breastfeeding (especially one that encourages nursing on demand and NOT on a schedule!!)

[Tanya Lieberman]

Ah, the nursing cover! Slings are also great. Do you have any favorites for nursing?

[Stephanie (Adventures in Babywearing)]

For nursing I found the pouch best when baby was really small and then the ring slings have always been my favorite- especially if they have a nice "tail" to use as a cover. As baby is older, the mei tai is a great option to accomodate baby's size and also have easy access when they are worn on your front!

[onetinkerbell]

I'm surprised that this one didn't make the list: a gift certificate from a store/website that sells nursing clothes.

I'm more likely to give a gift certificate if I don't know the person's size or my taste in clothing differs greatly from hers. I wouldn't want to buy something that isn't going to get used (clothing wise). Plus, I figure that a gift certificate will make the person look at what's available and see that there are a lot of nice-looking nursing clothes and that way she'll probably feel more comfortable about being able to nurse in public, especially a first-time mom.

[onetinkerbell]

Oh, I forgot to add that a nursing bra may seem like a no-brainer as a gift but people may not realize how necessary they are. My neighbor (a WIC counselor) related to me the story of one of her clients. This woman was close to her due date and discussing breastfeeding at her WIC appointment. She informed my neighbor that she wasn't planning on buying nursing bras because they were too expensive; she was just going to go to the local erotic boutique and buy some cheap peek-a-boo type bras. Fortunately for my neighbor she has a great poker face and was able to not laugh. Instead she told the woman that she would need the support of a nursing bra and suggested that she put some on her baby registry. I think that's a great idea, since people on a tight budget may find the cost of a nursing bra a little steep for them, particularly if they are larger than a D-cup.

[Jillah]

I'm surprized so few people voted for the nursing stool. It seems like such a "boring" unglamorous gift, BUT it made a HUGE impact for me after I was given one 3 weeks into breast feeding. I figured any old thing would do to prop my feet up on, but once I tried the nursing stool, I can't nurse without it at home now. It improved my comfort and positioning immensely.

[thelactivist]

When I give a "breastfeeding starter kit" at baby showers it includes:

A box of Lansinoh nursing pads (my favorite!)
A tube of Lansinoh (or PureLan)
A box of "soothies"
A MilkBands nursing bracelet
A really cool looking water mug for the bed side
A copy of "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding"
and of course an "Eat at Mom's" onsie from The Lactivist store. ;)

[Half Pint Pixie]

cool cakes :-) I voted for the pillow, because now that you've reminded me of it, it is definitely one of the most useful bf accessories (apart from my boobs) that I have ;-)