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The decision to breastfeed is an incredibly personal one. But if recent news about contaminated baby formula has you leaning toward breastfeeding your infant or delaying the weaning of your baby, you’re bound to appreciate these five essentials to keep you and your milk supply going strong.

1. Avent Isis Manual Breast Pump ($39.95). Mom’s love this manual pump. It’s easy and comfortable to use–and it’s priced right.

2. Medela Pump in Style. Working moms rave about Medela’s electric pump!

3. Babylife’s WeeGo Glass Bottles ($17.99). The perfect bottle for storing mama’s “liquid gold.” It’s 100% non-toxic.

4. Adiri Natural Nurser ($34.95). This eco-friendly and health conscious baby bottle is incredibly easy to use. It offers a natural feeding experience–and when mama’s not around, drinking her breastmilk from one of these makes for a comforting substitute.

5. The First Years’ Soothie Newborn Pacifier. When mom needs a break between nursing sessions, these soothers can come in handy, offering mom and baby piece of mind!

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Gifts for the Breastfeeding Mom
The Psychology of Pumping

Have you ever recognized a woman carrying the bag on her shoulder?  The tell-tale sign that she pumps breast milk.  Pumping milk is matter of necessity for women who choose to continue to breastfeed while away from their babies.  Although the pump is often associated with the 9-5 working mother, it’s a common gadget on a new mom’s checklist of baby-related gear. 

Just as the decision to breastfeed is deeply personal, so is the decision to pump.  These decisions can be riddled with anxiety.  Blogger Jennifer Lance explains that for some women, breastfeeding can create such a high degree of anxiety that they opt to feed their newborns exclusively pumped breast milk.  For some, the decision to pump has to do with support–or lack of support.  For others, the decision to exclusively pump resolves the tug-of-war between wanting to provide a newborn with milk and the psychological hurdles of breastfeeding.  Though exclusive pumping–and pumping in general–can have its own challenges, who would have thought that a pump lurking in the bag could be so empowering?

For breastfeeding support or to read more about breastfeeding, check out La Leche League and BreastFeeding.com.  

Has the pump empowered you?  

If you really want to rock that breastfeeding mom’s world this holiday, I have some great ideas for you–affordable ones, too.  These gifts are sure to make her happy.  And, what she might just love even more is the message behind the gifts:  that you support her decision to breastfeed.

Scarf.  Scarves are not only trendy this season, but they double as “emergency” cover-ups while nursing in public.  Of course, she’s also bound to appreciate a true nursing cover.

Nursing Bra.  There is nothing quite like wearing a nice bra, especially when it comes to nursing bras.

Nursing Necklace.  Nursing necklaces are designed to keep babies focused while breastfeeding.  Necklaces are soothing play toys.  They also offer babies visual and tactile stimulation.

Nursing Pillow.  Nursing pillows are multi-functional–a huge hit among breastfeeding mothers.

Nursing Stool.  Nursing stools allow mom to get comfortable while nursing–something that’s not always easy to do. 

Breastfeeding compatible carrier or sling.  If there’s one product on the market that makes breastfeeding easier, it simply has to be a nursing sling–one that allows a mom to easily, and even discreetly, nurse on the go.  The secret lies in finding a quality and comfortable sling.  Of course, a hip and trendy carrier is good, too–after all, breastfeeding shouldn’t mean foregoing style!

Baby wearing is hip. But, baby wearing is trendy not just because there are so many chic kid carriers on the market today that allow you to show off your adorable new bundle of joy.

Rather, according to pediatrician William Sears, M.D., there’s actually a development psychology theory behind baby wearing, and engaging in other activities that encourage baby-parent closeness like co-sleeping and extended breastfeeding.

This theory, or parenting philosophy, is known as Attachment Parenting. According to Attachment Parenting International, Attachment Parenting is the practice of developing strong bonds—a.k.a. “a secure attachment”—between infants and parents (or their caregivers, like Grandma). Secure attachments built from infancy provide the essential foundation for creating a lifetime of healthy, trusting, and secure relationships.

It’s easy to get “hooked” on Attachment Parenting philosophy and practice. Long before my first child was born, and well before I purchased my first Ergo Carrier (and well before Ergo was a household name), I knew Attachment Parenting was the way to go for my family—for me, it made life with a baby much, much easier—think less crying, more cooing). Now, two babies and two Ergo Carriers later, saying I’m “hooked” on Attachment Parenting is an understatement.

Thanks to some great products on the market today, I’ve found easy ways to bond with my children—sometimes with fringe benefits, like more or better sleep for everyone in my household (see #1 below).

While it’s not “stuff” or the acquisition of “stuff” per se that makes emotionally healthy children, there are a lot of products available to new parents that make practicing Attachment Parenting and developing those bonds easier.

Here are three quality products that complement Attachment Parenting which I’ve used over and over again with each my children:

1. Snuggle Nest. The Snuggle Nest provides a safe co-sleeping area within your own bed for your infant. Besides making co-sleeping safer and giving you more time with your infant, the Snuggle Nest is convenient—think, less time running down the hall to check on your baby (I can’t be the only mom familiar with those “is she still breathing?” checks!), easier nighttime feedings, and extra sleep for mom and baby!

2. Ergo Baby Carrier. I can’t imagine parenting little ones without this versatile carrier. I swear, I’ve tried dozens of different carriers with my babies, and time after time I return to the Ergo. You can wear your baby (up to 40 lbs) on the front, back or hip. Ergo, the company, supports the 8 Principles of Attachment Parenting. That’s another plus in my book.

3. Boppy. I loved using this pillow with my children, although I admit it has seen progressively less use with each child—though, I attribute this to my increased confidence and comfort with breastfeeding and not as a fault of the pillow. The Boppy is more than a pillow for breastfeeding support. It is also great for “tummy time” and for those early learning to sit days.

Even if your “baby” is no longer a baby, don’t think you’ve missed the Attachment Parenting boat. Empathetic parenting (the core concept of Attachment Parenting) never goes out of style.

For more reading on Attachment Parenting, check out Natural Family Online which features links to articles on Attachment Parenting.

Now, it’s your turn. What products are on your Attachment Parenting must-have list?