Hi Mama, in this blog, I’d like to start with a bit of a story and then get real with you about why you should put pumping products on your baby shower registry. My name is Maggie and I’m the Content Manager here at BeauGen. You might remember me from sharing my breastfeeding journey in this video, or heard my voice on our podcast.
Recently, I was in Target looking for sippy cups for my daughter and heard a mom with her pregnant daughter behind me agonizing over what to put on the daughter’s baby shower registry. Something tugged on my heart and told me to ask if they needed a random stranger’s advice. They were relieved to have another mom to talk to, one who recently had babies.
If you are shopping for what to put on your registry, stop and read this post. Creating your baby shower registry can be a bit overwhelming. After all, there are a lot of products out there and it can be hard to know what you might need.
My advice is to pick a place like Target, Buy Buy Baby, Amazon, or two, where there is a wide variety offered. Then, when in doubt, add it to your registry. I received the best advice when struggling with my wedding registry. A lovely woman told me that your friends and family want to buy you something, you are simply giving them a bit of help by letting them know what you might need or appreciate.
Reasons to Put Pumping Products on Your Registry
So why put pumping products on your registry? First, pumping is breastfeeding. Not only is it a form of giving your child breast milk, but it can help save your nursing journey in a number of ways. Having a pump on hand can help clear clogged ducts, clogged pores, relieve engorgement, and help manage your breast milk supply. It can also allow others to share the workload of feeding your baby while helping them bond with your baby.
Manual Pumps
If you have insurance, there is a good chance that you can get your double electric breast pump covered, or the cost of it reimbursed. Call your specific insurance company for more accurate information on this before you deliver. It’s helpful to have a manual pump on hand, and this is one you’ll most likely have to buy. They’re a lifesaver when it comes to troubleshooting. These give you control over the direction, duration, and power of suction which can help clear clogs. They’re also quick and easy to use while nursing on the other side.
For a whole list of reasons to use a manual pump click here. But adding it to your registry allows someone to be your breast friend, supporting your pumping journey and your desire to feed your baby. Scroll down to the themed gifts section for more on why you should add a manual pump to your registry.
Make Breastfeeding More Affordable
Contrary to popular belief, breastfeeding isn’t cheap. We’ve got a post on this too. Pump parts wear out and need replaced. Even our cushions need to be replaced depending on how much you use them. Your registry is a great way to stock up on some of these pumping essentials and accessories before you actually need them.
There’s a lot involved with pumping beyond the pump and its parts. The bras and breastfeeding friendly clothing, everything you need to manage your supply like vitamins or supplements, the bottles, cleaning brushes…it can add up. By putting these items on your registry you can make feeding your baby over the course of your journey more affordable.
People also love to give gift cards, so you can save these to use when you need to replace your pump flanges, tubing, membranes or valves, to buy soap, a tub for soaking, or a drying rack down the road!
Prime Your Friends and Family on Pumping
Breastfeeding, and more specifically pumping, is a hidden labor. We often take our baby to their room or nursery, or retreat to a quiet and private spot to pump. The prep work of cleaning and sterilizing pump parts and bottles isn’t something that people often see unless we share it on social media.
By adding your pumps, parts, and accessories to your baby shower registry, you are communicating a lot. You are sharing how you plan to nourish your baby and just how much work this will be. This is great for a few reasons. One, when people know, they can help. If someone sees the workload, they can help when they come to your house or check in and see how you are doing. Two, it can help establish boundaries. If people have questions or concerns about your plans, your registry might help them explore this a bit before burdening you with it. These questions might also come up at your shower and you can be supported by other women when they do. We have another post on setting, communicating, and protecting boundaries here that might also be helpful.
Themed Gifts
Adding some bottles here, and some tubing there, it might seem like there are a lot of little things that you could just buy yourself. If you have people who love gifting, or get really creative with it, these little things can all come together to make a fun pumping themed basket. The little things on your registry can be combined to make a personalized gift. You might be surprised when someone puts it all together and shares it with her personal story of pumping. Or, someone who wished they knew more about pumping might put it together, excited to support you in a way they wished they had been.
Little Gifts Mean a Lot
Yes, put the bigger ticket items like your crib, a pack n’play, or stroller on your registry. People might want to give one big gift, others might join together to get you what you need. But put the little stuff on there too. Someone in your life might not have a lot to give, but wants to give you something meaningful and impactful. These pumping parts and accessories will allow them to support you in a big way.