When a new mom leaves the hospital with her baby, she’ll walk into her new home full of 1-million-and-one things that she registered for her little one. What she may not have planned for are the important things new moms need for themselves.

Particularly for the first child, the first few weeks is a hectic time for new moms. As she tries to figure out the best way to tend to her baby, she often loses herself. The baby becomes the first priority, and her needs always seem to come last.

However, it is difficult to be the best version of a mom when your basic needs aren’t being met! That’s why we’ve created this list of important things new moms need. If her life can be made a little bit easier during a very mentally and physically challenging period, it is worth it to get these things for herself, or for her to accept and make use of these gifts that are given to her.

Keep reading for what we think are helpful things new moms need for themselves.

Hands-Free Helpers

A new mom suddenly finds her hands full – quite literally. New babies like to be held, and need to be fed every few hours. Constantly holding a small human is going to make it difficult to do much, and we’re not just talking about things like housework or venturing out to do some grocery shopping. Basic things like looking through the fridge, eating, putting her hair into a bun, or brushing her teeth can be challenging. 

A baby carrier or sling will allow a new mom to still hold her baby as she goes about her business, while giving her the use of her hands. If she goes out of the house, she can carry the baby and while wearing a Kibou diaper bag, and still have easy access to all of her essentials while still being prepared to change a poopy diaper if needed.

For those moms who pump, a pumping bra is essential to allow a new mom to work on her laptop, change the channel on the TV, scroll through her phone or even eat a meal while she’s pumping. 

Food Delivery

If you’re looking for gift ideas for a new mom – she still needs to eat, and so does her family. Food is definitely one of the most important things new moms need. In those early postpartum days, cooking a meal is not easy to do for new moms. Gift cards to restaurants with delivery, or delivery services like Grubhub or UberEats can be a life saver for those first few days after coming home from the hospital. Of course, you could also offer to deliver homemade food or come over to cook a meal if she wants the company.

You could also buy her a gift card to Instacart or Amazon to have her groceries delivered, which is a huge help to families who have just welcomed home a new baby.

Breastfeeding Essentials

New moms who breastfeed will see there are a number of accessories available to them; however, there are just a few that we would consider absolutely essential. For the first few days in particular, nipple cream can provide much needed relief for cracked skin as she adjusts to the frequent feedings. A breastfeeding pillow will make it much easier to position the baby, and make both mom and baby more comfortable during feedings. For faster access to the breast, it is best to wear a nursing bra that she can easily open and close to feed the baby or to pump, instead of lifting up her entire bra. 

Finally, a breastfeeding cover is not absolutely essential but it is nice to have. There are many chic designs that double as a shawl or cardigan as well. In a pinch, a receiving blanket can do the trick, while some moms forego the cover all-together. We support all moms’ choices!

Postpartum Care Kit

Those first few weeks after giving birth are rough on new moms, so having things like a heating pad, perineal spray and perineal balm, and postpartum underwear and pads is going to make healing easier. Also, a bidet attachment for the toilet will be much easier to use than the little spritz bottle they give you at the hospital!

There are a number of postpartum teas available for new moms to sip on that help with recovery and are also safe to drink while breastfeeding.

Facial Care

Being a new mom means losing out on sleep. Losing sleep wreaks havoc on your face. Eye cream is a wonderful, rejuvenating item to have ready in those postpartum days, along with a full facial kit to make new moms feel like they are at least getting a little bit of self-care into their day. (PS - a jade or quartz roller will make applying the facial products more enjoyable while also de-puffing!)

Help & Support

It’s common for new moms to shirk offers of help from friends and/or family members. Let’s face it, most moms feel like a hot mess and they don’t necessarily want that on display. However, time for herself is one thing that every new mom needs and will help shake off that hot-mess feeling. Our best advice to new moms  is if a friend of a family member offers to watch the baby so you can catch some ZZZ’s, take it! Let them come bask in the glow of your messy house and head straight up to bed. You deserve it.

What’s more, a cleaning service is a great gift for yourself if you’re a new mom, and a great gift idea if you’re looking for your new mom friend!

What Do New Moms Really Need For Themselves?

In the end, new moms need things that will help reduce the stress of taking care of a newborn baby while recovering from a physically traumatic event. Whether it is items that can be bought, or time from a loved one, these things together will help new moms get through those challenging first weeks after welcoming home their bundle of joy.