Breastfeeding, and being a new mama in general, can be harder than a lot of women expected! This easy guide will show you exactly how to build a gift basket to support a new nursing mama using items you can order online. Scroll to the bottom to see the finished basket.
Before you build this basket, please be absolutely sure that the mama is breastfeeding and wants to continue doing so. If the mama is using formula, this gift could come across as passive-aggressive and judgmental.
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OK, let’s get shopping!
Start with a sturdy, medium-sized basket.
Go with a simple design so the basket can be used for many different purposes later on. A neutral basket is much more versatile than one that’s covered in butterflies.
Whitmor Woven Strap Small Tote (Amazon)
This basket is available from Amazon in several different colors. I like this style because it’s sturdy and clean. It won’t flop over, like some of the canvas ones, or get little basket bits all over everything.
I bought a similar basket for my sample basket at a local craft store for under $10. I also added some plain white shredded paper to the bottom.
Then, add between 3 and 7 coordinating but not matching gifts to your basket!
Choosing items in the same color palette will help make the basket look cohesive but interesting — not random and not matchy-matchy. For this basket I chose purple, white, pink and black items to easily mix-and-match with the other gift baskets in this group.
I don’t know why, but gift baskets look better with an odd number of items. (That’s true of other kinds of arrangements too, like bouquets of flowers.)
Here are 6 ideas:
She Series Collage Mug, Version 2 (Society6)
This is my favorite mug! I love it so much, I also gave ones to the badass librarians who run my book club. I think it would make a fun and empowering addition to this support basket. A mug is a great thing to include in a gift basket because pretty much everyone drinks either coffee or tea.
This artist actually has a whole series of designs with colorful illustrations of iconic women, including a version with real people like RBG and Malala.
This all-natural nipple cream from Earth Mama is very popular (and it goes with the color scheme I’ve got going here), but Badger also makes a good one.
I usually try to make sure that all my Amazon recommendations are Prime-eligible. These socks are not, but I had to include them anyway! They come already gift-wrapped. For my sample basket, I tucked them into the mug.
“You Got This” Primitive Sign (Amazon)
Simple words of encouragement can mean a lot! This sign is great for a gift basket because it’s not huge — it’s about the size of an iPhone, just thicker.
“Nevertheless, She Persisted” Carry-All Pouch (Society6)
This message applies to so many situations! You could put this useful little pouch in the basket as-is, or tuck an extra gift inside: pens, lip balm, whatever you think she’d like. I added an extra-long phone cord — a must-have for nursing or pumping mamas!
A nice body lotion always makes a great addition to any gift basket with a relaxing theme.
Chesapeake Bay Peace + Tranquility Candle (Amazon)
This is a nice, not terribly expensive candle to add to your basket.
Here’s what my sample basket looked like when it was done!
This basket includes 7 gifts, not including the phone charger tucked into the pouch or the socks tucked into the mug. See how the color scheme pulls the whole thing together?
(My sample basket includes Republic of Tea’s “Get Maternal” tea, which seems to have been discontinued.)
Other Ideas for the Basket if You’re Feeling Fancy
You should have all the makings of an awesome gift basket already, but if you want to add something, here are some ideas.
Every nursing mama I know absolutely raves about Target’s nursing tank tops! You could add one of those to the basket, or a gift card so she can buy her own.
Gift cards to a local coffee shop, homemade treats, and snacks also make great additions to a gift basket.
I’m Jenn! Here I am with my beautiful twin boys. My pregnancy was possible thanks to fertility treatment for PCOS.