New mom (or Mom-to-be) Mother’s Day Gift Guide
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and helping me continue to create helpful content for nurses and moms like you!This year is my very first Mother’s Day — my son is 5 months old — and wow, has it been a wild, beautiful, exhausting, heart-bursting ride. I’ve learned that motherhood is this crazy mix of deep love, deep exhaustion, and deep rabbit holes Googling at 3 a.m — hello:“is this normal for a newborn?!”. And balancing it all with a career? Some days I feel like Superwoman... and some days I feel like I deserve an Olympic medal just for drinking my coffee while it’s still hot.
The truth is: moms do it all — and we deserve to be celebrated.
Whether you’re shopping for a new mom, a seasoned mom, your best friend, your wife, or (gentle reminder) even yourself, this guide has something for every mama — and for every budget. From (actually cute AND practical) diaper bag, to organic makeup, to pre-made meals, or splurge on that stroller she’s been dreaming of: these are some of my favorite post-partum items or some I wish I had.
Gifts Under 50$
HYDRATION is so important for a pregnant or new mama. I would chug a entire bottle during those middle of the night nursing sessions! (but why are they so expensive?!) This is a super cute option without breaking the bank and comes in multiple colors.
Grab my cute tumbler here — in any color!
MY FAVORITE BELLY OIL
This is the belly oil I used during pregnancy and I think I went through three bottles. It feels luxurious and the best part: I made it through a 90th percentile pregnancy with no stretch marks.
Grab my favorite belly oil (that has over 100K reviews) here
Nurture by Nature's A MOMENT FOR MAMA Gift Set
One of the sweetest gifts I received was a spa box from a friend. It was so nice to receive a gift just for me— a gentle reminder to take care of myself too.
Grab a sweet spa gift set just for mama here
Okay, this was a game changer for me the last few weeks of my pregnancy for that back pain! Then I used it newly postpartum just before nursing/pumping! (see below for a pump I wish I had— WITH a built in heating element)
Shop my life-saving heating pad here
My new favorite sunglasses come in so many colors. They are polarized and still wont break the bank. I grabbed this “cute” pair for when I was finally ready to brave the world post partum and a “running” pair for when I was ready to start being active again.
Grab my sunglasses here
My favorite vitamin C serum that won’t break the bank. Those hormones can be a killer on your skin, amiright?!. I used this throughout my entire pregnancy and still love it post-partum.
Shop my favorite budget Vitamin C serum here
LMNT Electrolyte Powder Packets
A little unconventional, but hear me out: electrolytes are so important! Especially during those first few post partum weeks. I tried buying the ingredients separately but nothing compares to the flavor and convenience of these packets. Something mom needs but wouldn’t buy herself!
Grab my favorite flavor (watermelon, of-course!) here
Gifts Under 100$
My mother-In-love gave me three sets of these as a post-partum gift and when I say I LIVED in them those first few weeks... So comfy! So easy to wash (and get spit up stains out of). But also, if you are venturing out into the world, could still pass for a cute comfy set.
Grab my favorite lounge set here
I love this thing. The backpack - because as moms we already feel like we dont have enough hands. The insulated bottle pockets. The changing pad that comes with it. (and much cheaper than a popular brand- but just as cute!)
Grab my diaper bag here
IF YOU ARE A BREASTFEEDING/PUMPING MAMA YOU NEED THIS. Especially as a nurse with those long shifts! You can not only store breast milk for 24 hours in here, but also pump directly into it. You can tell it was designed by a working mama!
Grab the must- have Chiller here
Let’s be real, doing makeup is the last thing on our to do list. That’s why it has to be easy and quick. Enter: this palette. Help her feel like “her” again with clean, organic, cream makeup that wont break the bank. Pre-made pallets for every skin tone.
Grab my favorite ready-to-go makeup palette here
UNIQUE (but, SO PRACTICAL) GIFT IDEA for a new postpartum mom: FACTOR MEALS.
We had these delivered right after we got home from the hospital and they were a LIFE SAVER. No worrying about what was for dinner. Just pop them into the microwave and you have a delicious, nutritious meal. Pick out what diet works best for you and they are shipped right to your door. You can’t beat that. Use this link to get up to 150$ off your first box!
Splurge gifts
EUFY PORTABLE HANDSFREE BREASTPUMP
Having a portable pump is a GAMECHANGER. I like the one I have, but I wish I would have gotten this one! It comes with an app so you can see how much milk you’re making (unlike me who has to look down her scrub top to check) and — remember when I mentioned the heating pad^) this one is the first to ever have built in heating element which helps stimulate letdown faster, makes pumping more comfortable, and can even boost milk flow. I’ve personally talked to some moms that have it and they love it!
Grab the first-of-its-kind heated, portable pump here
APPLE AIRPODS
Let’s be real, silence is one of the best gifts you can give a mom! But I also used my airpods during labor, and then to listen to audiobooks to keep me up during those 2am wakeups. The new Airpod MAX over-ear headphones may be on **my Mother’s Day list because I use my airpods so much!
Grab the life-saving airpods here — or if you really want to splurge, the noise cancellation over-ear Airpod MAX here
Because caffeine is life, especially with a newborn! And mama doesn’t want to have to go out in public to get her favorite coffee.
Grab this at-home set— comes with a milk frother and variety pack— to make her favorite drink here
At the end of my maternity leave, I was going a little stir crazy and I did it: I had a SOURDOUGH ERA. My starter is currently in the fridge needing to be fed, but it is fun to be able make yummy things at home. I started hand mixing but ended up sending my husband out to get one of these and it’s a game changer!
Grab my exact mixer for your own sourdough era here
This one is definitely a splurge, but I can personally say: WORTH IT. We love our UPPABABY Cruz stroller and especially loved this bassinet with it for those first few months. Getting some sunshine (and also a nap!) made this stroller worth it. (bassinet is also overnight sleep safe! when paired with this bassinet stand)
Grab my favorite stoller— the UPPABABY CRUZ here, or if you have two (or even three!) kiddos, grab the UPPABABY VISTA here
We don't need grand gestures or perfect moments — we just want to feel seen for all the tiny, tireless, beautiful things we do every day.
So this Mother’s Day, whether it’s new headphones for some peace and quiet, a life-saving coffee maker, or simply a meal she didn’t have to cook herself, let’s celebrate moms the way they deserve: with love, appreciation, and a little bit of spoiling, too.
At the end of the day, no gift could ever fully capture everything a mom does — the late nights, the early mornings, the endless love she pours out day after day. Whether you’re celebrating a first-time mama or a seasoned pro, the best gift you can give is a simple reminder: you are enough, you are loved, and everything you do matters more than you know.
