Fourth Trimester Necessities

Must-haves for eating, drinking, saving and surviving.

By Jamie Davis Smith April 11, 2021

If you buy something from the links in this article, we may earn affiliate commission or compensation.
Your first few months with a newborn is a special but overwhelming time with you and your baby adjusting to your new lives. Even if you received everything from your baby registry, stocked up on health and safety items and know which resources to contact for support, these are the fourth-trimester necessities you’ll need to survive and thrive during those sleepless nights and amazing days.

fourth trimester necessities wooden keepsake box

Keepsake Boxes from Mad Tree Woodcrafts

$123+ BUY NOW

From baby's hospital bracelet to their first swaddling blanket, new parents will start amassing keepsakes as soon as baby is born. Make sure these precious memories don't wind up in a shoebox that will get crushed or lost. A keepsake box is the perfect solution. Have your baby's box engraved and get one large enough to keep adding to as your little one gets bigger and bigger.

fourth trimester new parent necessities YETI tumbler

YETI Rambler

$80 BUY NOW

New moms need to stay hydrated, especially if you're nursing, so this is one of the fourth-trimester necessities you won't want to miss. But getting in all that water is tough when you have your hands full. Larger water bottles, like the 46-ounce YETI Rambler, can help, since you won't need to make as many repeat trips to the kitchen. It's well insulated and can keep your water cold from sunup to sundown. It also has a chug cap so you can down a lot of water quickly in those rare moments baby lets you have use of your hands.

fourth trimester new parent necessities portable throw and eye mask

Open Road Portable Throw Set

$165 BUY NOW

New parents are always told to sleep when the baby sleeps. Easier said than done. A good quality sleep mask blocks out light to get you much-needed naptime, and a cozy blanket is your new best friend. This Kailu mask is made out of light-blocking black mulberry silk that is soft and easy on sensitive skin. It comes with a portable silk throw perfect for catching naps on the sofa or snuggling with baby.

fourth trimester new parent necessities loop earplugs

Quiet Earplugs from Loop

$20 BUY NOW

Noise-reducing earplugs, like this pair from Loop, blocks some noise to help you relax and sleep but still hear what's going on while someone else cares for baby. Paranoid parents will appreciate that these fourth-trimester necessity lets some sounds through.

refillable hand sanitizer fourth trimester new parent necessities

Refillable Pocket Hand Sanitizer Five-Pack from Noshinku

$42 for 5-pack BUY NOW

Even though you lived through a pandemic, having a baby means using more hand sanitizer than ever before. Noshinku is a great choice for anyone with a newborn since it's made from gentle, organic ingredients and comes in a variety of pleasing scents like lavender and citrus.

Garmin smartwatch fourth trimester new parent necessities

Garmin vivomove Sport Hybrid Smartwatch

$180 BUY NOW

Between lack of sleep and lack of time to cook healthful meals or exercise, parental health and well-being can go downhill quickly. A smart watch can give new parents the information they need to be the best they can be for their little one. The Garmin Vivosport has a traditional face that works with any outfit. Plus, it has the hidden capability to track how much shut-eye you get, your activity level, heart rate and even stress level.

single serve coffeemaker fourth trimester new parent necessities

Single-Serve Coffee Maker from Art and Cook

$60 BUY NOW

New parents often find themselves in a conundrum: They are exhausted, so they want a caffeine boost. Yet they rarely have time to wait for an entire pot of coffee to brew. The solution is a single-serve coffee maker that brews a cup of Joe quickly so you can drink it before the baby needs you. It's small enough to fit on almost any countertop.

gooseneck electric kettle fourth trimester new parent necessities

Gooseneck Kettle from Ulalov

$70 BUY NOW

If tea is more your speed, use an electric kettle to heat water quickly to the perfect temperature. This kettle has pre-set temperatures for different types of teas. Best of all, its keep-warm feature means that if the baby wakes up just as you were ready to enjoy your hot beverage, this kettle will keep your water warm until you're ready.

Anker magnetic battery fourth trimester new parent necessities

MagGo Magnetic Battery from Anker

$70 BUY NOW

Keeping phones charged can be a challenge under the best of circumstances. Having a newborn only makes this harder. The solution is a portable battery that can be used around the house or thrown in a diaper bag. To make sure you always have enough juice when you need it, get a charger that is compact but powerful. This one is thin, light and comes with a kickstand to make viewing comfortable while charging.

Kindle Paperwhite

$140 BUY NOW

New parents may find themselves pinned under their adorable sleeping baby. The Kindle Paperwhite is the perfect solution for any new parent who likes to read and needs to be able to hold a book with one hand with the lights off. This ultra-thin, super light device can download the latest bestseller or your favorite magazine with a couple of taps. It's small enough to stash in a diaper bag without adding additional weight so it's a great item to bring on-the-go for those times your baby falls asleep in the stroller or the car.

headphones fourth trimester new parent necessiites

UE Fits from Ultimate Ears

$164 BUY NOW

File this under fourth-trimester necessities you'll love for years to come. Wireless earbuds are key since there are no cords for babies to pull on or get tangled. These have fast-charge capabilities, meaning users get an hour of use in just 10 minutes of charging. This is perfect for sleep-deprived parents who can't remember what day it is, let alone that they need to charge their earbuds. They also mold to your ears so they will be comfortable and less likely to fall out.