Postpartum Essentials for Mom’s Recovery
You did it, mama! You brought your little one into the world and now it’s time to go home and rest. But what do you need aside from a comfy bed, yummy food and a jug of water to recover from all that work you just put in? Below, I have listed the top 8 postpartum essentials I needed to make my postpartum journey easier.
Pads
Whether you deliver your baby vaginally or via C-section, you will have some vaginal bleeding (also known as lochia.) You can expect the first few days to have a heavier flow of bleeding and then have it taper off like it would with a regular period. You’ll need a lot of pads, preferably ones with wings to keep them secure.
For those heavier first few days, I recommend using the long nighttime pads. I like OCBON Ultra Thin Overnight Pads for the heavier days. When the lochia gets lighter, I’d switch to OCBON Ultra Thin Regular Pads. Aside from being made from organic cotton grown in Texas, these pads are soft, fragrance-free, minimize leaking, and comfortable to wear.
Underwear
You’re going to need underwear to put those pads in. And I know you may not want to hear it, but Granny Panties are probably your best option. I bought these Cotton Panties High Waisted C Section Recovery Postpartum Soft Full Coverage Underwear. They’re super comfortable, inexpensive, and come in a 7 pack. You can get them in different colors or all black. I opted for the high-waist underwear because it was more comfortable for me and the waist band on these isn’t very tight. It was just the right amount of snug I wanted/needed for postpartum.
If you really don’t want to rock the oh-so-stylish Granny Panties, you could go for Ruxia Women’s Seamless Boyshort Panties. They’re stretchy and breathable and will do the job. Honestly, any underwear that has enough coverage, is breathable, and comfortable on you will work. TIP: Make sure you have quite a few on hand because doing laundry every day is so tiring, especially when you have a newborn to care for.
Nursing Bras
If you are breastfeeding, combo-feeding, or pumping, you are going to need a supportive and easy-to-use nursing bra to meet your needs. Now, I went and bought a bunch of different bras before and after I had my baby and I have pros and cons for each of them. But I suggest you do your own research on which one will best meet your needs. I will link the ones that I bought and still use down below:
Momcozy Nursing Bras – Best nursing bra that I have in my dresser. It’s the most similar to a standard bra I would have worn prior to being pregnant, so you won’t have a case of uni-boob. They are very soft and easy to unclip in the front for breastfeeding or hands-free pumping. They are really cute and wireless, providing the support I need postpartum. However, they are not very great for the hospital-grade pumps with tubing and they are on the more expensive side, compared to the ones listed below.
Momcozy Pumping Bra – Works great for breastfeeding and pumping moms because it unclips in the front and makes pumping/feeding easy. It can work for the hospital-grade double electric pumps and the hands-free pumps without tubing. But there isn’t any sewn padding in it. You’ll have to insert the nursing pads it comes with and they tend to move around when you sleep. And if you’re going out wearing these, beware of the uni-boob.
Suekaphin Nursing Bra 5pack Wireless V Neck Maternity Nursing Bra – Much cuter bra that is soft and unclips in the front. It comes in different colors, which I always love. These are more for breastfeeding moms and hands-free (no tubing) pumps. They have the padding in between the fabric which is nice, but they always move around and I have to adjust them when they come out of the dryer.
Evercute Sports Bra for Women – These aren’t marketed towards breastfeeding/pumping mothers. But I absolutely love using them when I am pumping. They are super stretchy and soft and they have enough support to keep me comfortable. When I pump, the bras stretch enough to accommodate the pumps but also provide a sufficient amount of pressure for me to create a good suction with the flange. And, I still use these for when I can squeeze in a workout. Downside is it isn’t breastfeeding-friendly.
Nursing Pads
If you have decided to breastfeed/pump, you will likely experience moments where you are leaking milk (and that is completely normal, especially in the beginning.) FYI, you may even leak milk if you hear a baby crying on the tv. Crazy, huh? Anyways, it’s always handy to have a couple of nursing pads on hand to slip into your bra to make sure you aren’t leaking all over the place. TIP: Again, the more you have the better. Doing laundry every day sucks.
I use these Organic Nursing Pads from KeaBabies (I am a huge fan of this brand!) They are made from 100% viscose and washable/reusable. They come in a 14 pack, you can choose different sizes depending on your needs, and it is made with 4 layers making them highly absorbent for heavy leaks.
Nipple Butter
If you are planning on breastfeeding and/or pumping, any kind of nipple butter will be your best friend. The constant tugging and wear to your nipples may cause them to dry up and crack. Having a nipple butter on hand will help soothe any discomfort and help heal your nipples in between breastfeeding/pumping sessions.
There are a lot on the market that are available to buy. Personally, I use Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter™. It is a blend of organic herbs and oils, creating a perfect balm to soothe dry and cracked nipples. It is lanolin- and preservative-free and doesn’t need to be wiped off in between feedings/pumping sessions. It also works great to moisturize and soothe dry lips and skin. I bought a few so I could keep one on my bedside table and another in my diaper bag just in case.
Peri Bottle
Now, if you delivered at the hospital, you were likely given a peri bottle to bring home. It’s that cylindrical plastic bottle with a spray spout that they probably threw in the bottom of your belongings bag. Personally, I hated using the one the hospital provided me. Even though you can technically fill the whole 8oz bottle with water, I wouldn’t be able to use 1/3 of it from squeezing it. The issue is that when you squeeze the bottle, you are working against gravity and will only be able to squeeze out so much water from it.
I opted for this Popped Peri Bottle for Postpartum Care because it is used upside-down, meaning that the water will push towards the open spout and actually spray out all the water you put in. It also has a guided spout, allowing you to control the direction of the water being sprayed. So, you will be able to thoroughly clean your peri area much better than with the hospital-provided one.
Though a peri bottle is mostly associated with vaginal births, this can also be used by women that went through a C-section as it may be uncomfortable cleaning down there with your surgical scar. Just point the spout to where you need to clean and spray. And after your postpartum journey, you can still use this bottle to clean yourself during your period or to help soothe hemorrhoids.
Ice/Hot Packs
Whether you delivery vaginally or via C-section, you are bound to need some extra TLC from an ice pack or heat pack. These Reusable Perineal Ice Packs for Postpartum are a lifesaver. They can be placed in the freezer or microwaved, depending on your needs, and provide relief to key areas including the peri area and your C-section scar. It comes in a 3 pack so you can keep one in the freezer, and the others ready to microwave. And it comes with a washable sleeve to make cleaning up easier and dampen the temperature of the pack if needed.
If you don’t want to use these, other mamas have shared their success with making padsicles. Padsicles are basically a regular pad with witch hazel and aloe vera gel squeezed on the top and frozen in the freezer. I tried making some myself but they didn’t work for me. The aloe vera and witch hazel froze to the pad making them hard to unwrap and they were ice cold, making them very uncomfortable to put on my skin (even with a towel wrapped around it.) Again, these didn’t work for me. But it might have been just me making them incorrectly. You may have better success than I did using these if you want to opt for this option.
T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Alcohol-Free Moisturizing Astringent
Comfy PJs
After doing all that hard work bringing your baby into this world, you’re going to want to get into some comfortable pajamas and get some sleep. You can go out and buy a nice maternity pj set or you can just pull out your old fuzzy pajama bottoms and a few stretchy tank tops or graphic tees and pair them with a nursing bra to get the perfect “mom look.” I did both. TIP: Make sure your clothes are on the stretchier side. During those first few months, you may still have some extra weight around your midsection and you don’t want to put any unnecessary pressure there.
The Bearsland Maternity Women’s 3 Pieces Soft Nursing Pajamas Set was an awesome addition to my wardrobe because it was super soft and comfy to wear after I birther my little one. It is nursing-friendly and comes with a light robe to keep you warm. The waistband is very stretchy so you shouldn’t have any trouble using it throughout your postpartum journey as you start shedding off the baby weight.
I also recommend these Ekouaer 3 Pack Women’s Nightshirt I bought on Amazon. They are very soft and comfortable to wear. You can easily unbutton the top portion for breastfeeding or pumping and they made me feel a little prettier wearing these around the house than my Adam Sandler look. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t care how I looked most of the time as I was more focused on taking care of myself and my baby. But it was nice to feel a little more “dressed up,” if you will, while walking around the house.
Your postpartum journey is going to be challenging but also very rewarding. Though you will need to balance taking care of yourself and your little one, you are also learning about each other and figuring out what you and your baby need. The list provided above allowed me to tackle some of the difficult parts of my postpartum journey a lot easier and I hope that it does the same for you. Remember to also add in the extra essentials: nutritious food and lots of water to help with the recovering process.
As always, please leave a comment below if you found this information helpful or if you have any other suggestions I may have left out. Remember to seek extra support from your healthcare provider to ensure you and your baby are receiving the care you need during this time. The postpartum journey is different for everyone and your healthcare provider may have additional tips that will benefit you.
Happy Postpartum, Mamas!
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