No baby products can bring my old life back, nor would I want it to; life is truly better because now we get to share it with our son. But a few thoughtfully chosen items helped me regain little pockets of independence throughout the day. Those small moments make a surprisingly big difference in protecting my mental health and helping me show up as the best mom possible. These are the four baby products that give me a little freedom when I need it most:

Protecting my baby was my absolute top priority during pregnancy, but maintaining some level of activity was really important to me to protect my mental health after everything we had been through. As someone who had always identified as a “fit” person, I needed to adapt my identity when I could no longer approach fitness the way I always had. Here’s how I adjusted my expectations while protecting something that was more important than working out.

Before having my son, I had no idea how much time we would spend on this breastfeeding adventure together. It sometimes felt like my baby and I spent half the day attached to each other on the couch. As much as I enjoyed spending time with my son, I often felt guilty sitting still for hours each day. I thought back to that first magical moment after his birth, and realized I was looking at breastfeeding all wrong.

Babywearing gives moms freedom, flexibility, and connection with your baby—not just productivity. To give you the confidence to get started, this post answers three key questions you may have if you’re considering babywearing for the first time.