20 of the best gifts for new moms (that aren't for the baby)

Low effort, tasty and healthy: those are the three biggest selling points of Blue Apron's pre-portioned meal kits and prepared meals. They also happen to be three big must-haves that new moms are looking for when it comes to preparing easy meals with a newborn in the house. Blue Apron is not only our top-tested meal kit for seniors, it's our top-recommended meal kit for everyone.

AOL's very own April McCormick, who calls her "a meal kit connoisseur," has tested several meal kits through the years. "One of my all-time favorite weekly meal delivery services — and the one I recommend the most — is Blue Apron." Choose from meal kits with pre-portioned ingredients or prepared ready to heat-and-eat meals with more than 80 choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and snacks. New moms will enjoy having ready-to-eat meals that not only taste good but are good, meaning they’ll finally take that break from Seamless.

"The bottom line is that Blue Apron saves me time from planning meals each week and creating a shopping list, and money from not having to grab a large cart when going to the grocery store and inevitably filling it with junk I don't need," McCormick writes.

Personalized name necklaces are a great idea for new moms who still can't believe they're now responsible for a tiny human being. If this isn't her first kid, gift her one for each of her kiddos names so she can layer them. This kind of personal gift will definitely be a hit and something she'll cherish for a long time.

You can be sure she’s drinking enough water when she has one of these Stanley Quencher insulated mugs. These 40-ounce containers come in 20 different stylish colors, and come with a lid and straw. Reviewers say that it’s “worth the money,” making it Amazon’s no. 1 best seller in the home and kitchen category.

It might look silly, but this neck reading light is a great gift new moms who need a helping hand — literally. Whether she likes to read during 3 a.m. feedings or prefers to pass the time by cross-stitching or knitting, new moms will love this gadget that keeps their hands free while their little one is snoozing.

Out of over 120,000 reviews, many of them “highly recommend” this neck reading light and say it’s “great for reading without disturbing” their partner in bed.

New parents carry around a lot of stuff. Make it easier for them by gifting a new diaper bag — but one that doesn't look like a diaper bag. This one looks like a backpack, but holds all of baby's essentials. It can easily clip onto a stroller and includes an easy-to-access zippered pocket for wipes. It comes with a mini changing mat and extra pouches that can be used as shoe bags, dust bags and to store other small essentials you don't want to loose. It's also a good size to store a small tablet or e-reader, too. 

Girl math is having 10 nice purses, but still using a canvas tote bag nearly every day. Mom's have a lot of stuff to carry, after all. If she’s going to gravitate toward a tote bag, it might as well look nice and be sturdy, like this striped Duck Bag from Baggu. It comes in many other colors and prints, too.

If they're all set on a diaper bag, get them something they can use in their diaper bag. New parents will quickly learn that wet bags will become the hero of their diaper bag, used for holding wet and dirty clothes, organizing clean outfit changes, and storing snacks and toys from other essentials. 

AOL editor Katelyn Mullen swears by them, saying they're an absolute essential for parents of kids at any age. "They are awesome. I use them for dirty clothes, wet clothes and snacks or medicine. Anything I'm afraid will leak." 

I like to say that women need day PJs and night PJs. Night PJs are for, well, sleeping. But day PJs are a sort of nebulous wardrobe, not quite for sleeping and not quite for lounging. So, if she's all set in the robe department, a nice set of fancy daytime PJs are another option. She'll appreciate having some luxurious PJs just for herself, especially after her first few months postpartum when sleepwear meant whatever was clean and easy for breastfeeding. These PJs from Eberjey are designed with the classic contrast piping associated with menswear and are made of a soft, flexible modal and spandex material that feels luxurious.

Upgrade her slippers and house shoes with ones she’ll wear all the time. It’s easy to see why these Ugg Coquette slippers are a best seller. They’re made with a sheepskin cuff and sockliner, while the rubber base provides support and traction. They’re available in whole sizes from 5 to 12, but reviewers note that they tend to run large, so it’s recommended to size down if you’re between sizes.

These Birkenstock Clogs can be slipped on or off hands-free — important for new moms! — and are comfortable enough to wear all day, with or without socks. Plus, they're not all that terrible looking for when you need to step outside for a quick stroll to the mail box or a grocery-shopping errand. After all, practical gifts oftentimes make the best gifts of all.

It might not be a sexy gift, but it’s a practical gift. Tide To-Go Pens are the MVPs that belong in every woman’s purse and every mom's diaper bag. Pair them with other new mom essentials such as wet bags and you have a cute and custom gift basket idea. 

It’s hard to buy makeup and beauty gifts for someone, but what we love about this TULA under-eye brightening balm is that you don’t need to know someone’s complexion number or shade preference since it’s good for every type of skin tone. It goes on with a cooling sensation, and is formulated with skin-loving probiotics to help brighten and refresh tired skin over time. As a devout user of this eye balm, I also recommend using it like a highlighter, putting just a dab on cheekbones and brows for some extra brightening power.

She’ll love this mulberry silk eye mask that looks a lot more expensive than it actually is. It also includes a silk-wrapped elastic band that won't pull hair while sleeping, which can happen with eye-masks that are designed with Velcro closures.

If she wants an ereader that’s not an Amazon Kindle, might we introduce you to the Rakuten Kobo? I’ve owned one of these for nearly three years, and it still works as well as it has since the first day I got it. It’s easy to connect to Libby, where you can access your local library’s database of ebooks, and has all of the features you’d expect for an ebook, like adjustable screen brightness, bookmarking, note taking and more. You can even find Kobo-specific cases to protect them, too.

If she loves coffee, then this coffee subscription gift from Trade Coffee is something she’ll actually use. Choose from 2-, 3- 6-, 9-, 12- or 24-bag subscriptions to brews from some of the nation’s best coffee brands. We recommend the 3-bag plan, which allows the new mom to choose her preferred frequency of delivery for her grounds. Each delivery includes freshly roasted coffee that’s personalized based on her unique tastes, so she’ll always receive a blend she’s guaranteed to love.

If there’s one thing you know about parenting, it’s that new moms are probably running on less sleep than ever before. While it might be tempting make jokes about all of that sleep deprivation, the Breville Bambino Plus espresso machine might actually help her conquer it. Family and friends know that I've long been a fan of Breville's smallest espresso machine, the Bambino, due to its ability to pull a quality espresso shot in a compact size without sacrificing taste. Not only is it easy to use, but it includes single and double-shot features. There’s even an automatic steam wand for milk texturing. Pair it with some cute espresso cups, and you’ve got a gift she'll use for a very, very long time.

Taking care of a new mom's wellbeing has never been easier. Gift her a Soothe gift card so she can book an on-demand massage, facial, hair appointment, nail appointment or other beauty service — right to her door. Appointments are available daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. so she can book at whatever time works best for her and baby's schedule. It's an especially thoughtful way of gifting a new mom some time to treat herself, but without needing her to leave the house and be far from baby.

Let’s be honest, new moms aren’t spending much time in anything other than loungewear. Even if she is no longer on maternity leave, a well-made robe is something she'll use for years. I highly recommend these “super plush” robes from Brooklinen that are made with 100% Turkish cotton and feature deep pockets, cuffed edges and a piped collar. I've owned one for years and it's still still the robe I reach for every morning. I love that it's thick enough to keep you warm on a cold morning, and plush enough to use like a bath towel after a shower, if that's your jam. Best of all, it keeps its fluffy feel even after dozens of washes. That might not mean much to you, but to the new mom who is adjusting to a new routine full of messes to clean up, she'll be grateful for a cozy gift that's easy to clean.

Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding shouldn't use retinols or Retin-As, which is why Tatcha's Japanese-inspired skin care products are an excellent fit for breastfeeding moms who miss their luxurious skin care routine. 

Tatcha's Silk Serum is a retinol alternative that's instead made with cranberry extract, sea fennel and silk protein to create a a radiant complexion while visibly firming skin, reducing redness and smoothing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Treat the new mom to a care package full of the postpartum essentials she'll need (and want)! This care package includes: herbal relief body mist, boob balm, postpartum cream, lavender soaking salts, barrier oil, coconut milk bath, a muslin burp cloth, almond and cocoa body cream and a cute scrunchie. New babies get a lot of care packages — mom will love getting something just for her.