When you’re already a pair of hands down, having a newborn can be exceptionally overwhelming. As a single mom by choice, I had to rely on tools to fill in the role another person would have taken. Nothing is going to make momming alone the same as momming with a partner, but there are at least a few things we can try to make life a little easier.

So if you’re on your own (or just need a bit of a helping hand) here are 5 products that changed my life when I was parenting alone.

 5 products for single moms

1.  The Snoo

   If you don’t know about the Snoo it’s as close to magic as you can get in the baby world. This smart bassinet rocks on its own in response to your baby’s movements. So if the baby is fussing, the bassinet’s movement and white noise will kick up a notch in hopes of calming the baby back to sleep. The website boasts parents get an extra 1-2 hours of sleep a night and let me tell you, there comes a time when you’d pay any amount for an extra hour of sleep.

   Using the Snoo saved my sanity and acted as a robot assistant in terms of lulling my babe back to sleep when I’d do a bumpy transfer. I think the Snoo is far too expensive to buy new, but I found someone renting one by the month in my city and it was a much more affordable option for me. My son slept and even learned some very basic sleep skills that made moving to the crib easier later.

2. Any sort of star projector

   When my baby was in consolable, one thing that worked to distract him almost without fail was a star projector. I got a cheap $20 one on Amazon that works wonders. It has a red light setting (which is recommended if you’re using light at night) and rotates so I’d throw on the red stars for 15 minutes and usually my baby would be asleep before the timer ended. This was most useful in the newborn phase but I still use it at 8 months when getting my son to sleep is particularly bad.

3. Baby Bjorn Bouncer

   I loved my baby bouncer. I got the Bjorn one second hand but any kind of seat like this would do. It’s very hard to find time to eat dinner yourself as a single mom. Luckily this bouncer was worth it’s weight in gold. I’d pop my son in it and pull it next to the table so I could bounce it with my foot while I ate my dinner. My son loved it and I got to eat in peace. I’d say this was most useful (I used it every day) under 3 months.

4. A baby swing

   Again, any sort of baby swing will work. I used one like this that would swing side to side. Baby swings are great when you need just a few minutes with your hands free. My son would be safe and entertained while I did a load of laundry or cooked a meal. Just be careful never to leave your baby unattended and don’t over use containers like a swing. I tried to keep my usage under 30 minutes a day.

5. Keekaroo diaper pad

   I cannot say enough great things about my Keekaroo. Space was tight so I never had a formal changing stations for diapers. Instead I whipped out my Keekaroo any time I needed to do a diaper. On the floor, bed, table, dresser, couch, you name it. It’s so easy to move around and it keeps your baby safely contained so they can’t roll off the pad. Plus, any messes that accidentally happen while changing are totally contained in the Keekaroo. It’s quick and easy to use which I really appreciated. I would say, however, any diaper pad would likely be as good. Amazon sells a similar pad that’s cheaper if you’re looking.

 Changing the game

There you have it. Those are my top 5 product picks that made my life as a single mom so much easier. Look for these products second hand if you can find them. I used Facebook Marketplace for most of my shopping and found everything on there. If you’re feeling burned out or overwhelmed, try a few of these products and see if it helps you catch your breath the way it did for me. Good luck, mamas!