5 Must-Have Items for New Moms (That You Might Not Have Thought Of): New mom? Here are 5 items that can make your transition into parenthood easier.

As a first time mom, it may seem like everyone has an opinion on what you need when baby arrives. I’ve seen short lists, and I’ve seen overwhelming lists that swear you will fail as a mother if you don’t buy their fifty recommended items.

To be honest, all you need is somewhere safe for baby to sleep, diapers, milk or formula, and something for baby to wear. If you have nothing else, your baby will be just fine. However, there are things that can make your transition to parenthood a bit easier.

Below I’m sharing five items I didn’t know I’d love as a first time mom.  Many were not even on my registry! We were blessed with several of these items as hand-me-downs. I plan to use each item again as a second time mom when our second daughter, baby H, arrives in December!

5 Must-Have Items for New Moms

As with any list, opinions may vary. These are items that our family loved!

Boppy Newborn Lounger

We were blessed with a hand-me-down lounger from a friend. I honestly didn’t know if I’d use it. After all, I already had a Boppy Nursing Pillow. Yet the lounger soon became our favorite baby item. It allowed us to have G right by our side, when resting on the couch or bed, in a stable, comfy place. We often rested it on our laps as we talked or played with G as well.

I found out later that you can purchase a removable cover. We didn’t have one with G, and at least once we had to wash the entire lounger due to an accident. This time, I found a cover at a local resale shop so that we can simply wash the cover if any spit up or blow out episodes occur on the lounger.

Munchkin Steam Guard Microwave Sterilizer

This was another hand-me-down that I didn’t think I’d use much. I planned to exclusively breast feed, and though I had a pump, I just didn’t think we’d use bottles enough to really need this. We ended up using it all the time! Though G didn’t drink any formula for the first 9 months, we used Dr. Brown’s bottles with pumped milk. Though I loved our bottles, they had so many tiny parts to clean! I liked the peace of mind knowing that, after being scrubbed down, the sterilizer would help clean any areas I may not have been thorough enough with. We also used it to sterilize G’s pacifiers.

Skip Hop Moby Tub Thermometer

I know, I know: You can check the bath water temperature with your wrist, but as a first time mom I always second guessed if it was too hot, or too cool. This thermometer set my mind at ease, and made a cute bath toy when G was old enough to play. Simply let it float in the water, and it will read and display the temperature. If the water is too hot, the temperature window will turn red. If it’s in the right range, the window turns green. We only bathed G two times a week as a newborn, and I still felt as if this was worth every penny!

Vicks Baby Rectal Thermometer

Taking baby’s temperature with a rectal thermometer can seem awkward, but it yields the most reliable reading. This thermometer makes it easy. Not only does it provide a quick reading, the rounded body of the thermometer makes it easy to know how far to insert the thermometer. Now that G is a toddler, I use a regular thermometer to get an under arm reading, but I plan to use our Vic’s thermometer with baby H.

Baby Carrier/Wrap

When it comes to baby carriers, there are so many to choose from! I’ve heard great things about many, but there are two that I’ve personally used and recommend: The Baby K’tan Carrier and the Moby Wrap.

What I like about both: They keep baby’s legs in a healthy position, while some carriers allow baby’s legs to dangle in a way that could lead to hip displacement. The Moby is one size fits all, meaning Gary and I can use the same one. It also allows a very snug, custom fit. The K’tan comes in specific sizes, but is incredibly quick to put on.

I often used the K’tan when out running errands with G. It was a breeze to get her from her car seat and into the K’tan. The Moby takes a little more practice to figure out. I watched YouTube videos and practiced wrapping with a baby doll while pregnant with G. Around the house, or when I had more time to put the wrap on, I preferred the Moby because I was able to get a more customized fit. We were fortunate to get a K’tan as a hand-me-down gift, but each wrap sells for less than $60.

Swaddle Blankets

I couldn’t resist adding a 6th item to the list. Not all babies like to be swaddled, but G always slept better this way. We loved Muslin Baby Swaddle Blankets when she was a newborn. Then, we began using SwaddleMe Blankets, which take all the guess work out of how to wrap the swaddle. We plan to use both again this time around. Once G began breaking out of the swaddle and rolling, we switched to a HALO SleepSack.

What items would you add to the list?