Motherhood: My 5 New Mom Essential Items

At 1 week old

Now that my lil' one is 3 months old, there were things that I picked up during my "nesting" period during pregnancy that I ended up not using as much and other items that I either bought during that time or sometime after he was born which I don't know how I could do without! I'm sharing five items which I found that are essential for me as a first-time mom.

Pandawill Nightlight

As a new mom, I was anxious for the first two months with how the baby was sleeping. I checked on him frequently while he was sleeping to make sure he was doing okay, so I slept with the lights on for the first 6 weeks until I bought this nightlight! Standard nightlights didn't cut it for me since they were not bright enough. However, with this nightlight, I was able to turn off the bedroom light with ease. This nightlight radiates a soft yellow light that is bright enough to see the baby while he's asleep, change diaper, and nurse in the middle of the night without turning on the room light. Bonus that the nightlight has cute art on it. Game changer for an overly anxious new mom!

NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator

The standard blue bulb suction didn't work well most of the time and my baby ended up fussing every time with that. Sucking snot for me all changed once I got this. It works incredibly well and the baby never fusses, which makes the job so much easier.

Baby Glass Nail File

The one thing that I did not expect about new motherhood and that no one ever mentioned to me before is...how often I have to cut the baby's nails! It is quite impressive how fast a newborn's nails grow. I found myself needing to trim his nails every other day, otherwise he would end up with scratch marks on his face. I first had the sandpaper kind of nail file, which became dull pretty quickly. Then, I bought this glass file and it made filing nails so much more easy as it worked better so I was able to get it done faster and I don't have to worry about the file wearing out.

Tiny Love Take Along Mobile

I chose this mobile because the bright colors, distinct shapes, and black and white patterns are perfect for a newborn's (blurry) vision. It comes with different attachment options so I can take it with me on the go. It also has music that can play for up to 30 minutes before needing to be reset. I typically can barely get anything done around the house when the baby is awake because he always wants to be held (sleeping or awake!), but with this mobile, he stays happy in his bassinet while he's awake and I can actually do some work or eat!

White Noise Baby App

There are many different phone apps for this, but I downloaded this particular one as I read that Katie Couric recommended this. The best $0.99 purchase that I've made! No need to spend a large amount on a white noise machine. This has multiple options for different white noises (my favorite is conch shell). It also has some classical music that is perfect for babies. The white noise is meant for the baby to sleep better, but it seriously helps me sleep better. Even though I wake up every 2-3 hours to nurse the baby, my sleep quality seems so much better during those couple hours of zzz's with the white noise on.

My bassinet review:

Graco Dream Suite Bassinet

There is a large selection of bassinets, so everyone will prefer a different bassinet that fits their needs. This bassinet is not an essential item, but I am happy with the one that we got so I want to provide my thoughts on it in case anyone may be debating between some with this being a contender. I was deciding between 2 different bassinets, but I ultimately decided to go with this one as I like that the bassinet is reversible in becoming a changer. I typically use a regular changing table, but this was super helpful during his bath times. I would just wheel the changer to the bathroom right next to his bathtub that we place on the sink counter, so it was convenient to undress/dress him and quickly dry him off right then and there, since I always get nervous that he would slip out of my grip while he is wet when I take him out of his bathtub. With the bassinet also having wheels was really convenient for us as we wheeled the bassinet between our bedroom and living room multiple times daily, sometimes with him still sleeping in it.


I would love to read what items are/were essential for you and your newborn!