Best Services for New Parents

Amazon Prime members get loads of perks, like access to thousands of movies, TV shows and books along with free, two-day shipping on millions of items. But as a new parent, there are even more benefits to becoming a member. You can save up to 20 percent off diapers, wipes, formula, baby food and more when you sign up for monthly delivery of your family’s staple items. Plus, you can invite five family members to post pictures in your account’s unlimited photo storage—so you can all ooh and aww over the latest pics of your little one. In some regions, you can also upgrade to a Prime Fresh membership, which costs more, to get unlimited deliveries of fresh groceries.

Many parents swear that Pampers are the best fitting and softest diapers for their babies. Now there is another reason to choose this top brand: Pampers Rewards. It’s a loyalty program that gives you points for every Pampers purchase you make. Just download the app, scan the code inside Pampers products and rack up points. Redeem points for coupons, children’s toys, books and accessories.

When you’re staring at an empty fridge but can’t bear the thought of loading up your baby to go grocery shopping, Instacart can help. Available in hundreds of cities across the nation, the grocery delivery service finds nearby shoppers to pick up what you need and bring it to your house the very same day. You choose the grocery store and the timing (there’s an option to get your stuff in under an hour!). The minimum order is $10 plus service fees.

You don’t need to whip out a single pan when you order takeout. Even better? Getting it delivered. GrubHub is an online portal that connects you with restaurants that offer delivery near you. The homepage shows the most popular dishes ordered in your area and the eateries that deliver the fastest. You can also filter by which restaurants offer free delivery. The app is free to use, but restaurants may charge delivery fees or have minimum order amounts. See a list of other convenient apps and sites in our food-delivery guide.

Parasol delivers diapers made from sustainably sourced materials to your door every three to six weeks, depending on what you choose. A typical box of these hypoallergenic, fragrance- and lotion-free diapers lasts about four to five weeks and comes in cute patterns like banana leaves and abstract art.

If it’s been far too long since you’ve had a date night or done something for yourself, it’s time to call a babysitter. But who can you trust? UrbanSitter lets you see how people in your community are reviewing nearby sitters and nannies. You choose a local parent group, church, school and other type of local organization to see which caregivers are most popular among other parents in that group. All sitters are vetted to make sure identities are real and their profiles are manually reviewed by a member of the UrbanSitter team. Many also have completed background checks, but if not you can pay to get one done. And you can pay them through the UrbanSitter app.

The Honest Company makes products you can feel good about using on your baby and in your home, from biodegradable diapers and organic baby formula to plant-based cleaning sprays and lotions and shampoos. And, you can get all of it delivered on a regular basis by subscribing for a diaper and wipes bundle or customizing a bundle with other products. An email reminder before shipment gives you the chance to update diaper size and choose prints, or adjust other products in your bundle.

We know: You want to squeeze back into your pre-pregnancy clothes right after delivery. But in truth, your body won’t be ready to do that for awhile. The solution? Borrow designer duds in the sizes you need right now. Rent the Runway has an amazing maternity section (because you’ll still have a bump—it takes time for your uterus to shrink down) with options that are nursing-friendly. You can select up to four items to wear at a time. Send back whatever you want, whenever you want to get fresh pieces.

Prepare to make the speediest, homemade meal ever with Gobble’s everything-is-done meal kits. Ingredients come chopped, peeled and measured out so there’s zero prep work for you to do. Choose from 24 dinner options each week—chicken, beef, pork, fish and vegetarian—all designed to be cooked in one pan in 15 minutes. See our guide to other meal-kit options to find the one that’s best for your family.

Similar to Costco or Sam’s Club, Thrive Market cuts out the middleman and provides wholesale prices for members. The difference? They only sell organic and non-GMO products. Here you can purchase natural baby care and hard-to-find pantry items for 25 to 50 percent off retail prices. If you’re a regular at Whole Foods or other natural grocers, you’ll dig the stuff at Thrive Market. And, they guarantee you’ll make your membership fee back in savings.

It’s no secret that new parents have their hands full. When doing one more thing is going to send you over the edge, it’s time to call on TaskRabbit. They have more than 60,000 fully vetted people willing to help out with almost anything from cleaning your house to assembling furniture, doing yard work and washing laundry. You create the job listing, review responses and connect with the person who seems to be the best fit. TaskRabbit is available in 47 metro areas in the U.S. Note: you’ll pay the Tasker their rate, plus a 15% service and 7.5% trust and support fee that both go to TaskRabbit.

Life changes for your fur baby after you have children. You might have less time, attention or energy to devote to walking your dog or visiting the dog park. But your love for your four-legged friend is certainly no less. To keep your dog fit and happy, consider a dog walker. Rover lists thousands of sitters (who’ve passed a basic background check) in cities and neighborhoods across the country. You can check out profiles, availability and reviews for each sitter before booking and paying online.