In the weeks right before my baby is due, I always suddenly remember all of the baby items I forgot to get. Pacifiers, burp rags, did I get enough diapers? Somehow, within the nesting frenzy, I completely forget about an entirely separate part of post pregnancy. Or rather, postpartum. I completely forget about me. Newborns are just so much more fun to look forward to than the healing and pain that comes with postpartum life, so I think my mind conveniently wants me to forget. There were definitely a few too many times I sent Seth the store immediately after Rosen was born.
The things that every postpartum mom needs
Okay, postpartum life isn’t pretty. Let’s just establish this right now. It’s definitely uncomfortable and painful. And there are a lot of things that you will need, and I mean really need, that you’ll wish you wouldn’t. But these are all of the things that keep me going through those first few weeks after giving birth.
–Depends and Maxi pads. Yes, really. Depends are your best friend in the first few days after. And make sure that you get yourself a few different sizes of pads. The really, REALLY big ones are necessary for a few days, but then you won’t be bleeding as heavily and you’ll be wishing for smaller ones that aren’t so bulky.
–Granny panties. This goes hand in hand with the pads and depends. I like buying a cheap pack of high waisted underwear to wear for the few weeks after giving birth. That way I don’t have to worry about ruining any of the underwear I actually like.
–Peri bottle. I promise this is the last thing on my list for your lady parts, but the first week ish, this thing is a godsend. I always fill it with warm water and a little bit of witch hazel to help with healing!
–Reusable nursing pads. Girl, you will leak. Everywhere. I definitely didn’t realize how much milk leakage there was with my first baby, and I went to bed without a bra a few nights. After waking up to absolutely soaked sheets, I learned from my mistakes. Sleeping bras and nursing pads for months for me.
–Sleeping nursing bras. Speaking of which. A few of these are necessary, in my opinion. Since I basically am always wearing a bra for the first months of postpartum life, I make sure I have a handful.
-Nipple cream. This stuff is only really necessary for the first few weeks, but in my opinion isn’t optional in those first weeks. Last time I used this kind with Lanolin, and this time I used a Lanolin free one. I liked them both!
–Haakaa. This would normally be on my “newborn essentials” list, but I think it deserves a place on both lists. Because again, when your milk comes in, you are a leaky mess. This is something I didn’t have with Bastian, and it has made all the difference this time around. Last time, I got mastitis three times in the first month. So far(knock on wood) I haven’t even had any majorly clogged milk ducts. I try to only use it when I’m really engorged and letting down really hard, to avoid creating an oversupply. But I’m already running out of freezer space for milk, just from what I catch/pump when I am already feeding Rosen.
–Prenatal vitamins. Yes, you should still be taking these after your baby is born! Pretty much immediately after having my baby, I start to see my hair fall out. After Bastian, I stopped taking prenatals and after a few months I had a few bald spots near my hair line. This time, I’m not taking that chance, and will be taking my prenatals religiously. (this isn’t the only reason to take prenatals after birth, but it’s a pretty big one in my opinion haha) It also helps with breastfeeding and milk supply!
–A new water bottle. It doesn’t necessarily have to be new. But breastfeeding always makes me so thirsty, so having a water bottle by your bed and for you to carry around the house is a necessity.
-Frozen meals. Before I had Bastian, my mom made a bunch of freezer meals for us. We didn’t have to cook dinner for almost a month after he was born. This time around, we weren’t quite expecting Rosen the night he was born, so our freezer was not really stocked. My mom left us with about a weeks worth of frozen dinners. After those ran out, we have gotten both frozen skillet meals and frozen crust club dinner pies(if you’re local, use my code “aurorafreeship”). Minimal effort dinners are my favorite. Also, anytime a friend or family member wants to come over and visit your new baby, tell them to bring you dinner.
Did I miss anything? These are the things that personally have made a big difference during my postpartum recovery. But I’d love to hear what I left off the list that is a necessity for you and your recovery!
Photo taken by Dana Sophia Photography