Postpartum Must-Haves

Alright ladies, we are about to get real personal around here. Let’s chat about those ‘down there’ essentials that no one tells you about!

Today, I am sharing everything you could need following a vaginal or cesarean delivery + nursing must-haves. Obviously, I only have experience with a cesarean delivery, but I have had countless friends fill me in about vaginal deliveries and the postpartum period.

Let me tell you this: your postpartum kit is just as important as your baby registry. Following the delivery of a baby, it can be easy to get swept up in those precious newborn snuggles, but don’t forget to take care of yourself and give yourself time to heal. Those first three months postpartum, or the “4th trimester” as it is sometimes called, is such a whirlwind. Adjusting to life with a newborn while running on minimal sleep can take its toll on anyone + your are recovering from birth.

Your postpartum kit should have everything you need to help you recover as quickly and comfortably as possible after the physical trauma of giving birth. Yes, buying supplies like postpartum pads and perineal spray isn’t nearly as fun as browsing through teeny-tiny baby clothes, but your exhausted, sore self will be grateful to have a bit of relief. After all, your baby needs you, and you deserve to have the best post-birth are as you dive head-first into motherhood.

Postpartum Must- Haves: Your Recovery Checklist

CESAREAN DELIVERY

• Postpartum Pads: I prefer these incontinence briefs instead of adding a massive pad to my underwear- I found them comfy to wear and not too bulky under my clothes. Heads up- no matter what type of delivery you have (c-section or vaginal) you will bleed post-delivery…it will slowly taper off over a few weeks.

• Underwear: As the bleeding let up, I downsize to heavy-duty overnight pads, then regular pads over the course of a few weeks. Since you’ll be wearing pads, I highly recommend a comfy pair of underwear – in particular these or these. I have only used the Amazon ones, BUT I have heard amazing things about the Bodily brand, so I may try those too!

Side note, now that we are talking about underwear, I do want to mention a not so pleasant *possible* part of pregnancy: hemorrhoids. I actually had them pretty bad when I was pregnant with Oliver, but this time around I haven’t had any. I know not everyone gets them, but I thought I would leave a few tips here just in case you ever find yourself dealing with them. Many women experience hemorrhoids later in their pregnancy due to pressure from the increasing weight of the developing fetus and uterus on the pelvis, increased blood volume, and/or constipation. Many women also develop hemorrhoids after a vaginal delivery due to the pushing and increased straining. Things that will help:

1. Increase fluids: helps decrease constipation
2. Preparation H ointment/suppository: provides rapid hemorrhoid relief from pain, burning, itching and discomfort
3. Tuck’s pads: medicated, cooling pads provide immediate relief from burning, itching and discomfort caused by hemorrhoids.
4. Sitz bath with epsom salt sprinkled in: you can absolutely just get in a tub with a little warm water, but a sitz bath may be a bit easier. You just sit the container on your toilet, fill with warm water, and add in epsom salt. Sit down and your perineal area (using medical terms here haha) will be submerged into the water. Helps soothe irritated skin and promote healing.
5. Increase fiber in diet + start taking a stool softener like Colace/ Miralax to help keep bowel movements easy and soft.

• Abdominal Binder: while I was in the hospital, my doctor gave me an abdominal binder to help support my core. You’ll be shocked once you realized how much of your core you use for simple movements like sitting up, standing, etc. This binder helped me feel more ‘secure’ and made moving around much easier. When I got home, I ordered this one and wore it most of the time over the first few weeks. Another option can be found here.

• Medication: For the first 48 hours following my c-section, I took prescribed pain medication, but afterwards I switched to Ibuprofen around the clock. I also highly recommend starting either Miralax or Colace around 34/35 weeks of pregnancy just to keep your bowel movements easy and soft- believe me, you don’t want to be straining to poop after having a c-section!

• Scar Sheets: Personally, I didn’t use anything on my c-section scar, but I know lots of women who recommend these.

• Comfy Pajamas/Loungewear: After delivery, I lived in loungewear from Aerie. Everything was so soft and comfy- perfect for lounging around the house. I especially loved their foldover jogger as it was high waisted (didn’t bother my incision) and was incredibly comfortable to wear. I also recommend a good pair of pajamas- bonus if they are a button down style (nursing friendly!) and black (hides any bleeding accidents). I linked some options below!

Other than these items, I didn’t really use anything else after my c-section – I mean, you didn’t have a baby via your vagina, so you don’t experience any pain, swelling, or discomfort down there. Your biggest concern is pain management and getting up to start moving. YOU CAN DO IT!

Below, you can find all the items I recommend after a c-section delivery.

VAGINAL DELIVERY

• Postpartum Pads: I preferred these incontinence briefs instead of adding a pad to my underwear- I found them comfy to wear and not too bulky under my clothes. Heads up- no matter what type of delivery you have (c-section or vaginal) you will bleed post-delivery…it will slowly taper off over a few weeks.

• Underwear: As the bleeding lets up I downsized to heavy-duty overnight pads, then regular pads over the course of a few weeks. Since you’ll be wearing pads, I highly recommend a comfy pair of underwear – in particular these or these. I actually bought both of these a few weeks ago when I was having hemorrhoid trouble (yup, it sucked) and I needed to give my thongs a break haha. Both of these were winners in my book!

• Cooling Packs/Wipes: Following a vaginal delivery, you will be swollen, tender, and in pain ‘down there.’ These instant ice maxi pads can be placed in your underwear/incontinence briefs to help decrease swelling and pain. These medicated wipes with witch hazel can also soothe tender skin and reduce swelling (*tip: keep in the refrigerator so they stay cool- will feel amazing!). Tuck’s pads are another great option to use! You can also DIY your own ‘padsicle’ by pouring a teaspoon of witch hazel down the middle of a maxi pad. Add a few drops of lavender oil. Fold the pads back up to how they were and stick them in a gallon sized plastic bag, then freeze. Pull them out of the freezer, one by one, as needed and let them thaw for two or three minutes before use.

• Peri Bottle: This is for cleaning yourself after you go to the bathroom. You are in pain and swollen and the last thing you want to do is rub toilet paper on your. skin- YIKES! Instead, you’ll this bottle to squirt water and clean yourself.

• Pain & Itch Relief Spray: this spray can be applied to provide immediate pain and itch relief for postpartum care

• Sitz bath with epsom salt sprinkled in: you can absolutely just get in a tub with a little warm water, but a sitz bath may be a bit easier. You just sit the container on your toilet, fill with warm water, and add in epsom salt. Sit down and your perineal area (using medical terms here haha) will be submerged into the water. Helps soothe irritated skin and promote healing. I also found this salt +. essential oil combo that can be added to the warm water as well to promote healing.

• Comfy pajamas and loungewear: see my picks above!

Below, you will find all my recommendations for postpartum care following a vaginal delivery!

NURSING

I do plan on nursing this baby just like I did with Gray and Oliver. I highly recommend utilizing the lactation consultant in the hospital if you have any questions or concerns- nursing can be difficult, especially your first time, and they can provide you with lots of tips and tricks. Once you are discharged, you can continue meeting with lactation consultants either in your home (I did this!) or through the hospital (they usually have classes you can go to).

• Nursing Pillow: assists you in getting into a comfortable position while nursing and helps keep you and baby in an ideal feeding position – lactation consultants always recommend this pillow!

• Nursing Bra: I used these with Gray and really liked them. I recently purchased these (great Amazon reviews) and have the Soma Enbliss Wireless nursing bra (looks more like a true bra) as well. If you like more of a ‘sports bra’ feel, this one is great! I will definitely keep you guys posted with my preference once I start using them!

• Haakaa Breast Pump: this is a manual breast pump that lets you express milk using the power of natural suction! Simply squeeze, attach to your breast and let it work its magic. I would apply this to the opposite breast while I was feeding and would be able to get a little bit of milk that otherwise would have likely leaked into my bra and would have been wasted. Great way to catch ALL the milk!

• Breast Therapy Pack: When cold, these relieve engorgement, swelling and pain (common in the first few days post-delivery). When heated, can relieve plugged ducts and mastitis + encourages milk let-down during breastfeeding.

• Nipple Butter Cream: soothes and alleviates dry, cracked skin and nipples (yikes, I know!).

• Reusable Nursing Pads: you will leak milk (some more than others) and these reusable pads can be placed inside your bra to help soak up any milk.

• Lactation Massager: By providing gentle pressure and vibration to the affected breast, the lactation massager helps express breast milk and restore your flow. The milk expressing tool will help make emptying breasts easier, while also assisting in reduced supply, undersupply, and oversupply issues.

• Elvie Stride Breast Pump: This is the breast pump I am planning on using. I had the original Elvie pump last time around and although I really liked it, this newer one has more powerful suction which I need. I really struggle with milk production (can be a side effect of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which I have), so the more powerful the suction the better. In the past, I have also used Medela pumps (that plug into the wall), but this time around I am only planning on using the Elvie Stride.

As a side note, I highly recommend utilizing the Aeroflow site to see if you can get a pump covered by your insurance! I have used this with all 3 of my pregnancies and all my pumps have either been fully or partially covered by my insurance. All you do is input your insurance information and they will show you what is covered/partially covered.

Below, you will find all my nursing must-haves!

BEDSIDE MUST- HAVES

• Adjustable Light: Oh my gosh this little light is amazing! Instead of turning your bedside lamp on to feed your baby in the middle of the night, you just tap it and it gives the perfect amount of light. I felt like this kept everyone more calm during nighttime feedings. *We also will be bringing to the hospital for our room*

• Baby Cart: I have stocked this in our room full of everything for baby boy: diapers, wipes, burp cloths, swaddles, etc. His nursery is upstairs and it will just be much easier to have everything we need nearby since he will be in our room for a while.

• Water Bottle: HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE! Nursing or not, fluids are so important post-delivery! I love these insulated tumblers and will have one by my side always!

• Lip mask: Dry, cracked lips are super common post-delivery from the anesthesia and medication. Highly recommend keeping a moisturizing lip balm nearby.

• Books: I read the this book about nursing (lots of tips and tricks!) and this book helped us get both Gray and Oliver on a routine after a few weeks. Highly recommend both!

• Baby Tracking Notebook: you can definitely find an app on your phone to help keep track of feedings, diaper changes, and sleep, but if you are old-fashioned like me and prefer writing things down this is a great tracking book.

You will find my bedside must-haves below!

I am by no means an expert, but hopefully I shed some light on the postpartum experience. Not one birth is the same which means we all recover differently and may prefer different products. I am just sharing what worked for me + what has worked for my girlfriends. I hope this helps- and if you have any tips/tricks you would like to share, please comment below! I know that I love hearing about postpartum products other people used and loved! As always, thank you for reading! -A