The first month of motherhood is a tender mix of joy, exhaustion, healing, and learning.
Every mom finds a few things—big or small—that help her get through those early days. To support new mothers stepping into this beautiful but overwhelming chapter, I reached out to moms and asked them to share the five things that helped them the most in those first 30 days.
Their answers were honest, comforting, and full of tiny reminders that no mother walks this journey alone.
The Must-Haves That Saved Our Sanity
Across dozens of stories, a few items kept coming up again and again:
- Feeding pillow – The undisputed champion. Moms said it reduced back pain, made latching easier, and gave them the confidence to hold their newborn securely. “I was scared to hold the baby, worried I’d hurt her. The feeding pillow made it possible to hold her securely without effort.” – VM
- Wedge pillow – Especially for C-section recovery, this was a lifesaver. “My back pain was unbearable—I can’t imagine life without the wedge pillow.” – Sriranjani
- Swaddles – Helping babies sleep longer and preventing scratches from tiny hands. “It stopped the startle reflex and gave us extra hours of sleep.” – Prachi
- Baby carrier – Keeping baby close while freeing up mom’s hands. Several moms said it was surprisingly underrated.
- Breast pump – For moms whose babies struggled to latch, pumps were essential to maintain supply and feed with confidence. “It helped me feed my baby and maintain my supply as he would not directly feed.” – M
Other essentials mentioned: mosquito nets, muslin towels, bedside caddies, insulated sippers, night lamps, and even snacks for those long nights.
Unexpected MVP: The Most Underrated Item
Many moms also shared small, unexpected things that turned out to be surprisingly useful. These didn’t always make the top-5 list, but they were definitely appreciated.
Some of the underrated heroes were:
- Bedside or hanging caddy to keep everything within reach
- Baby nail cutter or electric nail file
- Simple table fan for comfort
- Baby carrier for hands-free movement even in the early weeks
Several moms also mentioned support systems as their real “must-haves” — a sister, a dedicated helper, an online community like IPF, or even an AI assistant to answer frantic 3 a.m. questions.
What Moms Thought They Needed — But Didn’t
Just as important as what to buy is what you can skip, at least in the first month. Moms openly shared items they barely used:
- Fancy toys and sound-making gadgets
- Play gyms in the early weeks
- Multiple baby creams and body washes when babies were barely bathed
- Expensive rash creams that were never opened
- Extra onesies and flashy outfits
One mom bought a whole range of baby products only to realise that, in the first month, the baby hardly needed baths and lived mostly in simple, easy clothes.
💬 The Best Advice for the First Month
Finally, here is the collective wisdom from these amazing mothers, preparing you for what’s ahead:
- Trust Your Instincts: “Trust your instinct. Don’t do any home remedy for newborns. You know and want the best for your baby than anyone else in the world. Take a stand for yourself against people who give unnecessary advice”. Also, “Follow your instincts”.
- Prioritize Rest: “Sleep as soon as the baby sleeps, or if you have a good help then after feeding ask them to put the baby to sleep and you sleep off immediately”. Also, “Get lots of rest and try delegating tasks to others if you can”.
- Be Gentle with Yourself: “Don’t try to be perfect — just respond with love”. The first month is for learning, bonding, and surviving, not perfection. If you can keep your baby fed, clean, and loved, you are doing amazingly well.
- Focus on Comfort: “Try to visualise where you will sit while feeding and how many hours you will be feeding and do everything to make that a comfortable and ‘me-time’ zone – so comfi chair, pillow, throw, healthy snack box, sipper, ear pods, tablet!”.
- Be Prepared: “Keep all things around so you can find them easily mostly at night”.
❤️ Final Thoughts
The first month of motherhood is not meant to be mastered.
It’s meant to be felt — through tired eyes, sore bodies, quiet moments, and deep love. The experiences shared by these moms remind us that while every journey looks different, the emotions are often the same.
If you’re in your first month right now, know this:
You don’t need everything.
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
And you are doing better than you think.