What to Give a New Mom for Christmas (Three Ideas Under $40!)

You may be wondering after reading my last post about my birth story how things are going as a new mom. I have to say, things were pretty rough and overwhelming for the first six weeks. There is a major learning curve, and I felt a little lost for a while. Now that my son is two months old and is finally smiling back, cooing, and able to communicate more, I feel more confident and connected.

If you know a new mom, it can be hard to know what she might need or want for Christmas. With a new baby, almost everything she receives is for the little one! So I have a few suggestions for gifts that a new mom can use to feel better and pamper herself during a challenging time…

Lil Buds Breast Comfort Packs: These have been a LIFESAVER for me! If your new mom friend is breastfeeding, these are the coolest. Lil’buds (from $25) are a comfort pack, for your breasts that you can use hot or cold. They have a soft cotton flannel exterior, are filled with flax seed and can be used on all breast sizes. They are arc-shaped and slim, so you can wear them in a nursing bra or tank. There are two different types of fillings available: flax or flax+lavender. (The flax+lavender filled lil’buds have dried lavender buds mixed in with the flax seeds to add a calming scent when heated.) What I love about these is you can use them HOT to help clear clogged ducts, prevent mastitis, or relieve pain associated with infections, pumping, let down, etc. and then use them COLD to help relieve engorgement. I’ve used mine more times that I can count!
Rodan + Fields Redefine Holiday Gift Set ($99): I LOVE this set. New moms rarely have time to pamper themselves, so a lot of the usual self care goes out the window. This Ultimate Renewal Set features a pair of R+F’s best-sellers: REDEFINE Lip-Renewing Serum and REDEFINE Multi-Function Eye Cream. Eyes and lips are so important to keep hydrated and soft! (Plus, new moms often only do a little gloss and mascara, so keeping these areas lookig good is important.) The lip serum conditions, moisturizes and smooths lips and the multi-functional repairing eye cream helps visibly firm the eye area. I hadn’t used R+F products until now, and I can totally see what all the hype is about. These products work!
Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet: Now that the new mom has soft lips (see above,) she will love having a new lip color! There is a reason that during economic downturns, lipstick sales rarely wane. We need that little luxury to be our pick-me-up! I think Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet ($35) is one of the prettiest, longest lasting lip colors, and the packaging is beautiful. Oxblood is one of my top picks, but all the colors look pretty and stay on well without drying lips out.
The Happiness Project: I first got this journal ($19) as a gift from my dear friend Lorann. It’s an awesome keepsake for a new mom because she can write one sentence a day for five years. It takes up virtually no time, and will serve as both a journal and in many ways, a baby book. It’s filled with inspiring, fun quotes, too!