The Best Gifts for New Moms, According to New Moms

As a new mom, you’re constantly hungry. “I wish everyone would bring me hot food I can eat with one hand,” home and lifestyle editor Elyse Moody, who just had her second baby, tells me. Coffee, along with granola (while not hot), are at the top of her list. “I like this one because the almond butter is super-filling,” she says.

This manual silicone breast pump passively collects milk using the power of suction and is a great alternative to an electric pump. It’s at the top of the list for Bethany Barnes, a mom of two and owner of Pensacola toy store Coral’s Closet, who says, “It was so helpful, especially in the beginning, as it’s hands free and easy to clean. I collected a freezer full of milk without really trying.”

A traditional receiving blanket like this supersoft muslin one from Loulou Lollipop — which also makes my favorite bibs and towels — can be used a million ways in addition to as a swaddle, including as a nursing shawl, car-seat cover, and burp cloth. The New York–themed print is especially sweet.

Giving your newborn their first bath can be a nerve-racking — and physically difficult — experience, but having the right bathtub can help. Yang used this ergonomic bath support from Angelcare with two of her kids. For infants up to 6 months old, the BPA-free plastic tub is concave in shape and has a mesh backing to keep baby propped up and comfortable. “It makes it easy to access whatever part you need to,” she says. “Some of those other tubs or seats make it hard to really get a good angle without wrenching your back.” Yang also likes that it’s light, dries fast, and is easy to hang up to dry.

A personalized piece of jewelry is always a thoughtful gift. Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo recently bought one of these tiny letter charms from Catbird in a lowercase a for her son’s name, Arlo, and wears it “nonstop.” While it’s quite small, it’s made of recycled solid 14k yellow gold, which, for $50, is a good value.

Stealing away for a shower can feel like the ultimate luxury during those first few weeks. These bath and shower “pebbles” from Kate McLeod that Moody received as a gift are made from a solid form of cocoa butter that will make the experience even more restorative.

If they can’t wash their hair, they can at least style it with this compact, hand-carved comb from Crown Affair for instant detangling and a light scalp massage. New mom Jenny Xie, content designer and author of shopping newsletter Ode, who owns this one as well as the larger size, says, “It’s just so pretty and luxurious-feeling. It makes me feel like the few minutes I could steal away to comb my hair is time well spent.”

Even if you’re not going far, schlepping diapers, bottles, and whatever else you need to prepare for the worst (a poop explosion) can get tedious, but a couple of moms told us that having the right diaper bag — that doesn’t actually look like a diaper bag — can make all the difference. Sadie Stein, a writer, Strategist contributor, swears by the long handles, zip top, and exterior pocket of L.L.Bean’s classic Boat Tote, which you can customize with the new baby’s (or mom’s) name.

No matter how compartmentalized a diaper bag may or may not be, having pouches like these from Baggu will keep everything organized. The set comes with three different sizes that can be used for stashing diapers and wipes, extra clothes and burp cloths, toys, and so much more.

I buy this bra — the only bra I wore for the first few months postpartum — for all my pregnant and new-mom friends. It’s perfect for when your milk starts to come in and your breasts are extremely sensitive because it’s made from the softest, stretchiest modal-viscose blend that still provides enough support to make you feel secure.

We spotted these nipple shells on the Instagram of Rudy Jude’s Julie O’Rourke, who recently had her third child. They’re a natural (and more beautiful) alternative to silver nursing cups, and they are meant to protect and soothe chafed, cracked, and sore nipples in the early days of breastfeeding.

It’s always a good idea to have formula on hand, especially one that you feel good about giving to your baby. Corsillo chose Bobbie after extensive research because it’s made with organic grass-fed cow’s milk, with no corn syrup or added palm oil. It also tastes like the real thing, according to Corsillo, and most importantly, her baby loved it.

Grace Lim Premvaree, owner of children’s clothing line SM. Dossier, used Artifact Uprising for her baby photos because she loves the “great quality and minimalist and sleek aesthetic” and the fact that it’s “very user friendly, with impeccable customer service.” Dana Rudolph, a mom and the founder of LGBTQ+ parenting site Mombian, told us Artifact Uprising’s Baby Book is a great gift for new mothers in two-mom households because the fill-in-the-blank book uses gender-neutral language to fit different family structures.

Takeout-delivery gift cards are always great for new parents, but there’s something to be said for having a stash of wholesome, ready-to-go frozen meals on hand when they’re feeling peckish. Ipsa, which several Strategist staffers and I swear by, allows folks to order high-end, actually delicious dishes like baked mushroom pasta and green-chicken enchilada bake à la carte.

Instead of a meal gift card, you could send a ready-to-eat box of fruit from a place like Frog Hollow Farm, one of Yang’s favorite sources for fresh fruit. “One of the best gifts I’ve ever received after having a baby was a five-pound box of stone fruit from Frog Hollow Farm,” she says. “The California grower is most known for its apricots, peaches, plums, and pluots, but if you want to send something in the fall, they have pears that are better than any others I’ve tasted.”

What a new mom might want most of all is some help, which is why a gift card from Tot Squad, which offers a range of virtual services including lactation consulting, sleep coaching, expert car-seat installation, and nutrition, would go a long way.

A trip to the spa is a great way to pamper a new mom, and with a Spafinder gift card, they’ll be able to go to a place of their choosing whenever they’re ready for it. “I can’t overhype how good a massage feels when you’re uncomfortably pregnant, then later when you’re tense all over from breastfeeding, baby schlepping, and parenting in general,” says DiGiovanna.

Postpartum hair loss is real and can be pretty distressing. Strategist senior editors Yang and Kitchens — plus fashion historian Ruby Redstone — all swear by these supplements for dealing with those pesky baby hairs around the crown of your head, breakage, and general growth. Kitchens wishes she had started taking them shortly after giving birth, to get a head start on the postpartum hair loss she noticed around four to six months.

To make pumping on the go a less stressful experience, consider this insulated bottle for breast milk that comes with glass storage bottles that you can attach to your pump. Corsillo loves that “you don’t have to mess with ice cubes to keep it cold and you can see how much milk you have in the glass bottles,” she says. “It makes the whole process of pumping at work, or at a wedding, or at your in-laws’ house so much less annoying and more discreet.”

Or try a sling, which Shepard says works especially well when the baby is past the newborn stage. She likes the slings from WildBird for their “luxurious fabrics” (they’re available in dozens of colors and patterns in both linen and modal) and the fact that they’re “really easy to get the baby in and out quickly once you’ve got it mastered.”

With my first kid, I had nothing comfortable to wear at home when I got back from the hospital and regretted it immediately. For the second baby, I made sure I was ready. These are the softest, most comfortable pajamas I’ve ever owned. Even though they’re considered maternity and postpartum PJs, I will never put them away because they feel so nice against my skin, have the perfect stretch to them, and don’t pill — unlike other modal sets I’ve tried.

At the Strategist, we love everything Sandeep Salter creates for her eponymous store in Brooklyn — including her line of sweet nightgowns that several of our editors and writers personally own (including me). The nightdresses come in a range of flowy, ultracomfortable styles that are ideal for new moms — which is why they’ve become some of our go-to gifts for friends who’ve just had babies.

Diapers always make a welcome gift, but ones that are free of fragrance, lotion, latex, rubber, dye, alcohol, heavy metal, parabens, and phthalates are perhaps a little more special, like these from Coterie, which several Strategist staffers and I love. Barnes is also a fan: “They’re simple, secure, soft, very absorbent, and the safest and cleanest diaper I’ve found, which is exactly what I want to put my baby in,” she says.

Three of the moms we spoke to say that a robe is one of the best gifts they received postpartum. Casino says she loves this softly textured cotton robe from Parachute because it makes her feel like she’s “heading to the spa every time I wear it.”

While this is only technically a gift for the baby, Mom will thank you much more. We’ve written a lot about the SNOO, a smart bassinet that uses motion and white noise to calm your baby back to sleep so you don’t have to. New moms say it’s priceless, but the $1,695 price tag indicates otherwise, which is why Kaufman, whose daughter started sleeping through the night when she was 2 months old using the SNOO, says gifting a one-month rental of the magic bassinet would be a dream. “I can’t imagine a gift a sleep-deprived new parent would appreciate more than anything that might get them an extra hour of sleep,” she says. I got one as a hand-me-down and used it for both babies and can attest that it’s a game-changer. The younger one basically sleep-trained himself, and we owe it all to the SNOO. If you commit to a six-month rental, the price goes from $159 a month for the first four months down to $49 a month for the fifth and sixth months.

New sustainable baby brand AU Baby recently sent me a beautiful hand-embroidered blanket made of the softest plant-dyed merino wool that would make a luxurious gift for a very stylish mom (and newborn). It’s available in five pastel colors and 12 embroidery-thread options, but I happen to think the combination I got — a sky-blue blanket with dark-chocolate stitching — is the best.

A decorative floor lamp like this sweet flower-shaped one from West Elm would make a surprising but thoughtful gift. Mom of two Edith Zimmerman, who writes the newsletter Drawing Links, bought one for her older daughter’s room and wishes she could give one to all her friends.

A wearable breast pump is a great gift for a new mom who might want a little more flexibility expressing breast milk on the go. Corsillo recently took the Willow 360 pump on an eight-day trip to Japan and fell in love with how convenient and discreet it was. “I used it on a 13-hour flight to Japan and was able to put it on and pump in my seat, then go to the bathroom to remove it,” she says. It was also very efficient. “It did a great job of getting all the milk out without feeling painful or too intense. I don’t think I could have done that trip without it.”

Shepard, who was expecting her second daughter when we spoke, told us that she wanted to make the postpartum phase a priority. “I vow to really luxuriate in the sweet lying-in time with so many newborn snuggles the second time around,” she said, adding that she would love this collection of luxury hospital essentials from Hatch that includes a pair of underwear, a robe, and nightgown — all made of organic bamboo — as well as a pair of cozy socks.

This portable, rechargeable baby-bottle warmer from Ember was the only new baby product that I was genuinely excited about with my second child. As I wrote in my registry redo, the beautifully designed product allows you to warm breast milk (or water for formula) on the go in about four minutes, no outlet required. Simply place the bottle (which includes a warming base that can go in the fridge, dishwasher, boiling water, and bottle sterilizers) on the rechargeable puck and press the button for perfectly warmed-to-body-temperature milk in an instant. It’s definitely pricey but great for a group-registry buy — or just a fancy new-mom gift.