New Mom Survival Kit

Know any friends having a baby anytime soon? When one of my best friends had her baby back in September, I wanted to do something unique and thoughtful. So I posted a thread on my baby board asking for ideas of things to include in a survival kit. I was so excited about the responses! Tons of people chimed in. I just finished creating my second kit which will be delivered this evening (unless, of course, the baby is delivered this evening!). I thought I'd share the finished basket and the list for you all. Please comment if you have any additional ideas of things to include!

Contents:

• Bottle of wine - went 9 months without it, and it is said to help stimulate milk production
• Binder filled with take-out menus and gift cards
• Night lights - get the kind that turn on and off for midnight feedings
• Extra batteries - always seem to run out at the worst times, and most baby things need them
• Cute hair things - what new mom has time to dry and style their hair after a shower? These help her feel cute even in a pony tail
• Word puzzle book - something to do during feedings to keep you awake
• Hand Cream - to combat the million handwashings per day
• Kleenex - because the tears are plenty
• Dog bones - for dog owners to occupy their curious 4-legged friends
• Water bottle - it's helpful if it has a straw so it doesn't have to be tipped (hard to do when nursing)
• Distilled water - most microwave or countertop sanitizers recommend using distilled water
• Snacks - include several jars of healthy snacks to be stashed in all the nursing/feeding spots AND include lots of indulgent snacks as well
• Deodorant - new moms are shedding a lot of that extra fluid!
• Gum - for those times that people drop by to visit and you haven't had time to brush your teeth

Hope you have a new mom you can spoil soon!