As the co-founder of Our Place and an early architect behind Malala Fund, Shiza Shahid has long centered her work around care, community, and creating a better future for the next generation. Now, in the early months of motherhood with baby Sophia, she’s experiencing those values in a deeply personal new way. From nourishing postpartum rituals to thoughtfully designed essentials that make long nights softer and daily routines easier, Shahid’s approach to this  transformative season is equal parts practical and intentional.

What emerges most clearly from her Mother Essentials list is her belief that motherhood doesn’t require leaving yourself behind. “Continuing to show up for Our Place—the brand I built before I built a family, has been grounding in a season of so much change,” she shares. “It reminds me that becoming a mother isn’t a replacement for who I am, but an expansion of it.” Below, Shahid shares the products, practices, and people helping her feel supported, connected, and herself through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.

Nestig Nursing Chair. “I knew this would become the most-used piece of furniture in our home, so I wanted something beautiful enough to sit in at 3 AM. Nestig’s Drift Glider Recliner is modern and soft and doesn’t scream ‘baby’—it holds us through every feed and looks like it belongs in our living room.” The Drift Glider Recliner, $1499, Nestig.

Nuna High Chair + Rocker Combo. “Two daily-use items in one footprint, I love anything that earns its place in our home. The rocker was a lifesaver in the newborn weeks, and we won’t be re-buying as Sophia grows into solids.” RAVA Convertible Car Seat, $580, Nuna. LEAF Chair, $299, Nuna. BRYN High Chair + Newborn Rocker Seat Set, $650, Nuna.

Coterie Bun Balm. “Clean, effective, and gentle on Sophia’s skin. Coterie’s approach to nontoxic ingredients mirrors how I think about every product I bring into our home, especially anything touching her.” Bun Balm, $40, Coterie.

Our Place Rice Cooker. “Postpartum runs on warming, healthy carbs, and not just rice. I use our Rice Cooker daily for oatmeal, quinoa, congee, khichdi…all the nourishing things my body has been craving. It quietly does the work while I tend to Sophia.” Rice Cooker, $139, Our Place.

Lansinoh Pumping Spray. “An unsexy but absolute essential. Pumping is hard enough, anything that makes it more comfortable, I’m here for. This little bottle has saved me more than once.” Lansinoh Pumping Spray, $14.88, Amazon.

Sézane. “Sézane carried me through pregnancy, postpartum, and now dresses Sophia, too. The cuts forgive a body in flux, they are soft enough to nurse in, and everything photographs beautifully—which is important when you’re capturing a once-in-a-lifetime season.” Paolo Cardigan, $185, Sézane.

Our Place Cookware Set. “I co-founded Our Place because I wanted a kitchen that was beautiful, nontoxic, and easy—the cookware I’d actually want to gift a new mom. Now I am that mom, and I’m so grateful past-me built present-me’s lifeline.” Cookware Set, $360, Our Place.

Lovevery Play Gym. “Thoughtfully designed, developmentally appropriate, and beautiful enough to live in our living room. Watching Sophia engage with it has been one of the unexpected joys of new motherhood.” The Play Gym, $150, Lovevery.

Counter All Bright C Serum. “I’ve always cared about clean ingredients, and pregnancy turned that into a non-negotiable. What I put on my skin matters as much as what I put in my body. This Vitamin C serum is one of the few products I never skip; it gives me brightness and that ‘I slept eight hours’ glow (I did not), with nothing I’d worry about while pregnant or nursing.” All Bright C Serum, $89, Counter.

Movement (Even 15 Minutes). “Yoga, pilates, light strength, and pelvic floor therapy at Origin—none of it has to be long, just consistent. Fifteen minutes is what reconnects me to my body in this enormous physical transition. It’s medicine.” TheOriginWay.com

Family. “Especially her nani (grandma), and friends in the same season. My mom (Sophia’s grandma!) has been a force of nature, and so have the friends going through this exact stage alongside me. Motherhood is one of the most communal experiences of my life, a daily reminder that we were never meant to do this alone.”

Staying connected to the work I love. “Continuing to show up for Our Place—the brand I built before I built a family, has been grounding in a season of so much change. It reminds me that becoming a mother isn’t a replacement for who I am, but an expansion of it.” OurPlace.com

For more MOTHER ESSENTIALS, peep our recent features with Bumo founder Joan Nguyen, art world multi-hyphenate Dominque Clayton, food star Jing Gao of Fly by Jing, Sarah Fritsch of Studio Tigress, artist Lena Corwin, Hello!Lucky’s sister duo, doula and author Latham Thomas, Carla Wingett of Idlewild Floral, Andrea Faulkner Williams of Tubby Todd, Hana Getachew of Bole Road Textiles, artist & author Carissa Potter Carlson, actress & activist Hilary Swank, the co-founders of Hearth Display, author and organizer Aida Mariam Davis, design consultant Joyce Lee, self-care advocate Rachel Garahan, and DJ and director Va$htie Kola.