Postpartum Essentials for Mom

postpartum essentials for mom list

Postpartum Essentials for Mom That You Can’t Live Without!

You have a sweet little bundle of joy coming your way and you are sooo excited! Congratulations!

You are probably focused on making sure that you have everything you need for your new baby before their arrival, but make sure that you stop and think about the postpartum essentials for yourself as well!

You will want to have these postpartum essentials for mom ready before baby comes because, trust me, you’re gonna want to use them RIGHT away.

Postpartum Essentials for Your Lady Parts

Cold Packs: These babies are a MUST for anyone delivering naturally. When I was pregnant with my first, I figured I’d just make my own “padsicles” following one of the many recipes I found online. So I did. The hospital provided about four of these ice packs, and they felt like HEAVEN on my sore and torn perineum. I wasn’t too concerned when I ran out because I had some of my own…. until I used my own and realized the DIY version doesn’t compare. Not. Even. Close. Invest in these. You will NOT regret it!

Stool Softener: There are many mommas who have agreed with me about the fact that going number two after birth is terrifying. If you are even a little constipated, colace could help ease that fear. You definitely want things coming out easily with as little pushing as possible.

Peri Bottle: With everything that’s going on down there after birth, it’s a must that everything stays clean, but you also don’t want to wipe a lot. That’s where the peri bottle comes in handy. I like to fill it up with warm water before I use it, as I find it more comfortable. Use the peri bottle after you use the bathroom and then just dab dry with the softest toilet paper you can get. This kind is way easier to use than the traditional one since it is made to hold upside down and has a skinny spout.

Perineal Spray: This spray is designed to comfort and help heal your lady parts after labor. My favorite is the Earth Mama spray because of the clean ingredients in it. (I can actually pronounce them and know what they are.) And it does NOT contain harmful ingredients that are often used in other sprays, such as parabens, propellants, benzocaine and artificial fragrance. I love natural products and Earth Mama company is definitely known for that!

If you have a two story house you might consider getting two. You can keep one in the upstairs bathroom and one in the downstairs bathroom for quick relief when you need it!

Depends: These disposable undies are definitely postpartum essentials for moms. They are soft and comfy, and catch all the postpartum bleeding without you having to worry about ruining any underwear that you like.

Nursing Postpartum Essentials for Moms

Nipple Cream: You might not be sure if you want to buy nipple cream. Maybe you don’t want to invest in it if your baby will be really good at nursing. Trust me, you do. I have exclusively nursed all my babies. You NEED nipple cream. Maybe you will have a unicorn baby who nurses wonderfully, but even if you do, your body is not used to someone eating out of your nipples. There is an adjustment period and it is good to have something to help ease the soreness and prevent infection if your nipples are starting to crack (sounds fun, I know).

This Motherlove Nipple Cream is great because it uses all organic ingredients. I love this because the ingredients in the cream go into my baby’s mouth, so I want them to have the best of the best. Also, Motherlove Nipple Cream is lanolin-free. Some of the most popular nipple creams contain lanolin, so you might be wondering why lanolin-free is a good thing. There is some research that ties lanolin to breast infection, so just be cautious with what you use.

Extra Tip: If you are reading this and freaking out about breastfeeding, don’t. Take this class to help prepare you for nursing your baby as long as you want with as little stress, fear or difficulty as possible.

Nursing Pads: Nursing pads are really handy in keeping your clothes dry during those unexpected letdowns and nursing sessions when you are out and about. Once your milk comes in, you will definitely want to have these on hand. You can use these disposable pads, or you can get some of these reusable nursing pads that are super soft and absorbent and can be used again and again.

Nursing Sleep Bra: I never sleep in a bra, but I realized that as long as I’m nursing a baby at night, I need it to keep that nursing pad in. You want to wear something super soft like this.

Nursing Pajamas: When you are up for those nursing sessions in the middle of the night, you want easy access, instead of having to lift up a shirt, especially if it’s cold! These nursing pajamas are perfect just for that!

Water Bottle (or 2): The instant you start to nurse your baby, you feel parched. Weird, I know. I always forgot to have water next to me when I nursed, and as soon as I started I was sooo thirsty. So, the options are stay thirsty for however long the baby nurses or do the awkward walking while you’re nursing thing (don’t worry, you’ll get good at it). Anyway, the solution is to have a full water bottle next to where you nurse. If you have a two story house, it might be a good idea to keep one upstairs and one downstairs. Make sure your bottle doesn’t have a screw top, since it can be tricky to open a bottle while you’re nursing.

I recommend the Hydro Flask because the quality is just unbeatable. It is on the expensive side, but well worth it. It keeps your water cold for up to 24 hours, is made out of high quality stainless steel (yes, it makes a difference!), and has a much needed reliable straw.

If you are looking for a more affordable option, this one is a good choice. The straw mechanism isn’t as good, and not quite as leak-proof as the company suggests, but overall still a great option with tons of great reviews.

Hakka: I didn’t find out about this amazing product until my third baby. I wish I had known about it sooner. This is a manual pump that attaches by using suction and catches the milk while your baby is feeding on the other side. It is made of food grade silicone and is BPA, PVC, lead and phthalate-free.

Mamas often get engorged when their milk first comes in. Our milk is a supply and demand deal. If you have too much milk already, you don’t want to tell your body that you need more milk by pumping. The hakka is a perfect solution to helping release and save some milk without pumping. And it is so much easier than the traditional pump that has tons of parts to clean. You can save tons of milk in the early days just by attaching the hakka to the opposite side of baby while nursing.

Postpartum Essentials for Mom

So, mama, make sure that you prepare to take care of yourself after baby is born. It is easy to overlook what YOU need, but you will be better able to care for your little one if you are well cared for.

Did any of the items on this list surprise you? I’d love to hear where you are at in your preparation journey!

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