Everyone Says You Need: Good Stroller Storage
That built-in basket beneath baby is priceless real estate when you’re on the go.

But You Also Really Need: The Mommy Hook
At just $6.99, it is the best bang-for-your-buck item you will ever get. Some books will advise against hooks like this, saying that they can easily tip a stroller. And yes, you have to make sure your stroller is sturdy enough to handle it (umbrella strollers are too flimsy) and that you always take your bags off before taking the baby out. I used it with the Graco Snap N Go and the City Mini, which had one solid, balanced handle, and it worked perfectly for toting my filled-to-the-brim diaper bag and groceries all around New York City. Trust me—your back will thank you for it.

Everyone Says You Need: Baby Utensils
Colorful rubber spoons, dollhouse-size forks, plastic plates, sippy cups, containers filled with Cheerios and so on. Your diaper bag had better be roomy because you can’t travel light when you have a newly eating infant and you’re heading to a restaurant.

But You Also Really Need: Travel Place Mats 
OK, fine, your kid isn’t eating off the bathroom floor (hopefully), but who knows who’s touched/drooled on/licked the table your dear one just smeared his food all over and then popped in his mouth? I loved these disposable Sesame Street mats, with their adhesive strips. Granted, your baby will eventually be less entertained by Elmo and more entertained by the cool sound the adhesive makes when the mat is ripped from the table and crumpled into a ball, but even if you get in a few good months, that will translate into a lot fewer germs.

Everyone Says You Need: What to Expect the First Year
It’s the sequel baby bible of parenting, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, and it is indeed great. I pored over it for the entire first year of my baby’s life and learned a lot. But it left out some surprisingly essential information.

But You Also Really Need: 107 Things I Wish I Had Known with My First Baby: Essential Tips for the First 3 Months
It wasn’t until I had my second baby that I realized that new motherhood didn’t have to be quite so hard. Don’t get me wrong: It was chaotic with two kids, but since I already knew the best practical-parenting tips, the day-to-day of caring for a newborn was so much easier. When my daughter was just a few weeks old, I wrote down some of those tips—about diapering, burping, breastfeeding and more—in a post called 15 Things I Wish I Had Known with My First Baby. But shortly after I hit publish, I realized I’d forgotten a few things…and ended up with 107 tips and a brand-new book! It’s filled with 107 bits of important information that all of the baby books and all of your friends somehow forgot to mention. They’re things that may seem little, but they end up being huge in terms of making your life easier so that you can relax a little and get to the business of enjoying your gorgeous new baby.