I recently asked a friend of mine who is a new mom how she was feeling. Her answer: “I’m good—but so tired.” Well of course! She—and you, breastfeeding moms—are busy sustaining a human being by creating food with your body (aka breastfeeding). And you definitely deserve pampering, which is why I’ve pulled together this breastfeeding gift guide!

Maybe you’re looking to buy yourself something nice. Maybe you want to gift something to a friend/sister/coworker who is a new mom and is breastfeeding. Maybe you want to conveniently leave this tab open so someone will take the hint and buy you what you need. Either way, this breastfeeding gift guide is sure to give you ideas for Christmas shopping, a birthday wish list or just because!

I breastfed my two kids for something like 38 months all together (but who’s counting—ha!). That’s a lot of experience, and a lot of trial and error. So instead of poring over hundreds of reviews or blindly searching through online listings, look on through this breastfeeding gift guide for wish list ideas.

And keep up the good work, mama!

This post contains affiliate links, which earn me a small amount of income at no extra cost to you. By clicking through and purchasing items, you help me continue to provide motherhood tips for free.

Your go-to breastfeeding gift guide

Whether you’re shopping for yourself or another lucky mama, you’ll find plenty of ideas here to help breastfeeding moms.

Gifts to make breastfeeding easier

1. My Brest Friend pillow

These nursing pillows are the #1 thing I recommend to new breastfeeding moms. Especially when you’re just getting started breastfeeding, a good nursing pillow offers crucial support to mom and baby. I like that this My Brest Friend nursing pillow also has a pocket for a water bottle (or your phone).

2. Milk-savers

I’ll say it: Milk-savers are genius. You put it on the side where Baby isn’t breastfeeding, and it catches the milk that leaks/lets down. I have a friend who would catch ounces that would have gone to waste otherwise.

3. Nursing hoodie

Cute and practical nursing clothes aren’t always easy to find. That’s why I like this adorable nursing hoodie. You don’t have to pull it up, leaving your belly bare and cold, to nurse your little, so I had to include it in this breastfeeding gift guide.

4. Muscle balm

Sometimes you tweak a muscle in your shoulder or neck when breastfeeding—I know I did at least a few times. That makes breastfeeding painful, but an all-natural muscle balm can soothe inflammation and make you feel less sore almost instantly. I love and use the Sweetbody Laboratories muscle balms, which are made from essential oils and arnica by two massage therapists in Portland. They work great—and smell good, too.

5. Nursing necklace

The other day I was laughing with a friend about how Kiwi used to pick at my moles whenever she nursed, and she ended up scratching them all the way off sometimes. It’s only funny in retrospect; at the time, I could have used a cute nursing necklace. They give something for Baby to play with while she breastfeeds, and if you get a good silicone one, they double as a teething necklace.

I like this geometric nursing necklace because it looks modern and cute. What’s more, the beads don’t go all the way around the necklace, so they don’t pull out your hair—something no mom needs on top of postpartum hair loss.

6. Extra-long phone charger

I’m not sure why they make standard phone charging cords so short, but they’re never long enough to reach from the plug to an armchair. That’s why I recommend buying an extra-long phone charger cord in this breastfeeding gift guide. You want that phone charged so you can snap photos of your munchkin!

(If you’re looking for ideas to upgrade your breastfeeding setup, take a peek at my guide to upgrading your nursing station.)

Gifts to make pumping easier

7. Water bottle

Every breastfeeding mom needs at least one cute water bottle to encourage her to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate to make pumping easier. I like this cute #MomLife water bottle and this water bottle with a built-in diffuser. Breastfeeding moms need to drink a lot of water, and when plain H2O gets boring, this bottle makes it easier to flavor water with fruit, herbs or whatever’s delicious.

8. Lactation cookie subscription

Lactation cookies are not only practical because they contain ingredients that help support milk supply; they’re also delicious. Why not set up an automatic delivery for a breastfeeding mom you love? (Or yourself?!) Milky Mamas makes lactation cookies in six flavors and has an option to ship automatically so you never run out.

9. Qeepsake subscription

Qeepsake is an app and company that prompts you on its app or texts you with questions about your baby (and other kids, if you have them). It’s an easy, no-brainer way to keep a sort of journal or baby book, but you’ll actually do it because it’s all on your phone. Then you can print out a physical copy of your entries with photos and everything.

Why include this in a breastfeeding gift guide? You can set up your account to send you a push alert to write an entry during the time you typically pump, and if you’re thinking about your nugget, you’ll let down faster and pump more milk.

10. Phone stand

When I pumped while working, I got so bored because in spite of my hands-free bra, I needed to compress my breasts to make sure I was properly emptying. I wish I’d stashed a phone stand in my pumping bag so I could set up my phone to watch cat videos or Netflix.

Super-practical breastfeeding gifts

These gifts are sure to get used by breastfeeding moms. Above all, they’re practical (and most can fit in a stocking or be combined in a breastfeeding gift basket!).

11. Nipple cream

I relied on Lansinoh lanolin nipple cream for both my kids. They had tongue tie, which is a whole other story, but even after that was corrected I occasionally needed it to heal sore nipples.

12. Nipple soothing pads

I gift these nipple soothing pads to almost all new moms who are breastfeeding. The first few days or weeks can make nipples really sore, and these are next-level to making your most tender bits feel better.

Pro tip: Keep them in the fridge so they’re extra-soothing when you use them.

13. Freezer milk bags

You’ve got to put all that liquid gold somewhere!

14. Milk storage organizer

When I was pumping and freezing milk, I stuck the milk bags in a gallon ziplock, and it was so awkward and unwieldy in the freezer. I wish I’d gotten smart and used these milk storage organizers. Anything to make your life easier, amirite?

15. Pretty burp cloths

If you’re going to get spit up on, you might as well look good doing it. These pretty burp cloths are a huge upgrade from the tan tri-folds I used.

16. Vitanica lactation supplement

I’ve written about how lactation supplements helped me increase my milk supply. I recommend Vitanica lactation supplements because it’s a blend of all the herbs that naturally support your milk supply in one capsule.

17. Nursing pads

If you’re a leaker (like I was!), nursing pads are a must. I went through so many of them that I now recommend reusable nursing pads that you can wash and use again.

Pampering gifts for breastfeeding moms

18. Bath soak

Taking a bath was pretty much the one place I could go where the kids weren’t allowed to barge in. Adding some aromatherapy bath salts like these lavender mineral soaks is a way to upgrade your relaxation.

19. Aromatherapy diffuser

I like this aromatherapy essential oil diffuser not only because it makes the air at home smell good but also because it’s attractive. It looks like it would fit into your home decor without looking like it’s a spaceship. You can add whatever essential oil or blend you like and transform the mood in moments.

20. Heated neck pillow

This is the microwaveable aromatherapy neck pillow I own, use and swear by. It’s big enough that it covers your neck, shoulders and upper back, offering relief for sore muscles. (After all, we breastfeeding moms sometimes tweak something by holding babies all the time or looking down at their sweet faces as they nurse.) I love this gift for breastfeeding moms because it smells good, too.

Just because gifts for breastfeeding moms

21. Breastfeeding t-shirt

I love this hilarious Eat Local breastfeeding shirt. You can’t get more local than Mom, right?

22. Caffeine

I’m not a coffee kind of a gal, but I do love tea—and when my kids were little, I drank a ton of black tea to stay awake. (Kiwi in particular was a terrible sleeper.) Some of my favorite tea is this Labrang loose-leaf tea with smoky, warm hints of cardamom and other spices. (Labrang is owned by an old friend of mine and a mom of two, so you are supporting a mama entrepreneur when you buy!)

23. Self-heating coffee mug

You guys, have you seen this yet?! It’s a coffee mug that keeps itself warm. Basically, it was a cup invented specifically for moms who make themselves coffee and reheat it 179 times before actually drinking it. Imagine: No more nuking old coffee!

Do you have any suggestions you’d add to a breastfeeding gift guide? Are any of these items on your wish list now?

PS – If you haven’t already read my posts on how to increase your milk supply and the little-known trick to pump more breast milk, check those out because they’re the most-visited posts on this blog!