Postpartum Recovery can be a grueling battle with pain, stitches, soreness, and exhaustion on top of all the hormonal changes going on. So, make sure to be prepared for this hard yet rewarding time in life with some postpartum essentials!
And as a bonus, I’ll let you in on a sneak peek on my postpartum essential kit that I kept in my bathroom for those first few weeks and everything in it!
*Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Postpartum Essentials
Painkillers
Check with your doctor about which painkillers you can use that are postpartum and breastfeeding safe (in case you are breastfeeding).
Having these on hand and using them here and there is literally going to be the only way you will most likely function those first few weeks!
Stool Softener
Nobody tells you this, but the first poop after giving birth can be scary and painful. So, taking a stool softener right after giving birth and in the days coming will really help move things along and make everything so much more comfortable!
Peri Bottle
If there is one thing on this list you CANNOT live without, it’s this Peri Bottle. It will save you so much pain and make recovery so much quicker. It is definitely my #1 postpartum essential item I cannot live without!
Essentially, you put warm water in the peri bottle and squirt it at your lady parts when you pee. It stops it from burning plus helps keep everything nice and clean down there when wiping just isn’t an option!
I used the hospital ketchup style peri bottle with my first and struggled big time. With this Frida Baby Peri Bottle, it gives you the perfect angle to get in there and make it so practical and easy to use. And you bet I packed it in my hospital bag this time!
Nursing Pads
If you are breastfeeding, you will want to get some nursing pads to catch all your leaking milk. Especially when your milk starts coming in or you deal with engorgement, having these nursing pads will save you a ton of outfit changes!
Whether you go for these disposable ones, or even get the reusable ones I have is totally up to you!
Padsicles
Padsicles is the one thing you don’t know you will actually need and use, until you’ve given birth and they are your best friends.
You can buy premade Tucks pads that provide a cooling and soothing effect on your lady bits, or you can DIY them like myself!
Belly Band
Wearing a belly band or belly wrap after birth will help in a speedier recovery and give you support when everything feels like it will fall out.
Some women swear by them, but I find them more a luxury than a necessity.
Postpartum Underwear (Diapers)
Oh, such a luxury, yet so embarrassing! But trust me, you will adore these women’s underwear diapers. They let you not have to worry about leaking and bleeding everywhere after giving birth and you can just dispose of them afterwards!
I didn’t think I’d use these as much as I did! They are literally a miracle invention!
Nipple Cream
Welcome your new best friend all you breastfeeding mommas. Nipple cream to the rescue! Make sure you have some Lansinoh Nipple Cream on hand at all times, as those ladies will be sore, cracking, and maybe even bleeding in the first few days.
So, slathering on some nipple cream after every breastfeeding session will provide relief and promote healing! And trust me, you will go through that tube of nipple cream quickly in those first few weeks!
Tumbler or Water bottle
If you are breastfeeding or not, make sure you always have a good water bottle on hand.
After birth, your body needs to get rid of a lot of extra blood, tissue, and more. This means you will be going to the bathroom more and your body will need some extra fluids to flush everything out.
Especially if you are breastfeeding, drinking water is so incredibly important to getting and maintaining your milk supply.
Good to Have:
Flushable Wipes
Having some flushable wipes on hand will come in handy, as girl you will be messy and sore down there. While it is not recommended to wipe down there for the first few weeks, especially if you had stitches, giving the area around a nice clean here and there will make you feel more human.
And that’s exactly what you want to feel like in those first few weeks!
Dermoplast
Dermoplast is basically a spray that you use after going to the bathroom that numbs, soothes, and helps the vagina heal after giving birth.
While I found using padsicles and preparation H was enough for me, dermoplast is also good to have on hand!
Sitz Bath
Disinfecting everything down there with a sitz bath will do wonders in helping you heal and recover. Plus, a nice medicated sitz bath with lavender and geranium oil will help soothe everything and ease some of the pain you are experiencing!
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Pregnancy Essentials Basket
Making and keeping a basket full of the items you need during your bathroom stay will be so helpful. I recommend having a basket in every bathroom that you use regularly with all of your postpartum essentials.
This will make postpartum recovery so much simpler and worry free.
But what should you keep in them? Below are the few things you should always have on hand, plus feel free to hand some necessities you think you may need as well!
Plus, make sure to check out -enter post here-
Peri Bottle
Again, the peri bottle is the #1 postpartum recovery tool, so I would highly recommend getting yourself a better one than the hospital ones.
The hospital ones are awkward as they don’t have the spout that changes the direction of the stream. With the hospital ones, you will almost have to bend over all the way to get under your vagina to direct the spray.
With the Frida Baby Peri Bottle, you can simply place it between your legs, and you are good to go!
Postpartum Underwear
Again, these beauties will be your new best friends, so make sure to keep a few on hand!
Pads
Make sure to also have some maxi pads on hand and some nursing pads for leaking as well.
As you recover, your bleeding will change, and you may find wearing the underwear to be unnecessary at times. That’s when having some maxi pads on hand is always nice and are definitely postpartum essentials you have to have!
Flushable Wipes
Even though the ones in the picture are not flushable, having any kind of wet wipes, especially flushable ones will make your recovery time so much less stinkier, and a quick fresher upper in the bathroom will work wonders on your mood!
Medicated Sprays or Creams
You will want to have all the help you can get, so make sure to keep some dermoplast, preparation H, or any medicated sprays, creams, or even pads on hand.
I also make my own postpartum essential oil spray which I use to help soothe and heal everything down there. I loved using it with my first and whipped up a concoction with my second as well!
Postpartum recovery can be hard but having all the postpartum essentials on hand will be sure to make your life so much easier!
Below I have written everything out on a spreadsheet, so be sure to grab this free printable on your way out!
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Until next time,
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