Postpartum Essentials for Mom

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It’s no secret that having a baby is hard on your physical and mental health, so as a nurse (but more importantly, someone who does far too much research on literally everything), I’ve put together a list of postpartum essentials for mom.

If you’re a postpartum mom looking for products to use specifically while breastfeeding or pumping, check out my post on Postpartum Essentials for Mom: Breastfeeding / Pumping. Otherwise, read on!

• Pads of different thicknesses
  • Thicker maxi pads for first few days
  • Thinner overnight pads for when the postpartum bleeding eases up a bit
  • Panty liners
  • *Remember that most OB/GYNs will tell you that you are not allowed to use tampons for 6 weeks postpartum. As always, ask your doctor*
• It sounds silly, but adult diapers are a must have. After my water broke unexpectedly, I went through several of these between the time we left home to the time I was admitted. There was nothing like them available at the hospital I delivered at, and I continued to use them for the first few days after delivery. Don’t bother with the thick pads and mesh underwear. I promise it’s messier than necessary.
• Once I healed up a little bit, I liked having extra underwear to use after birth in case any pads started leaking. This set is great because all of the underwear is black. If you want something a little less granny-like, this set from Amazon Essentials is SO comfortable.
• If you would prefer to buy disposable underwear, those are also an option. I’ve found them generally messier and harder to deal with than just your run of the mill black granny panty. But I figured I’d put it here as an honorable mention.
• TUCKS medicated cooling pads. Pop these in your adult diapers for extra cooling relief. Change them out every time you use the restroom
• There are so many different peri bottles on the market. This one by Frida Mom is my absolute favorite. If you have a multi-level home, have one of these by each toilet. You will want to use one every time you’re actively peeing and afterwards. You can also use a bidet if you have one, but I personally didn’t because the water comes out quite aggressively and would’ve caused more pain than I was willing to deal with at the time.
• Any brand of Colace (stool softener), Ibuprofen or Tylenol, and your usual prenatal (yes, you should keep taking these after birth).
• A heating pad like this one that stays warm (for those after-birth cramps).
• Perineal Cold Packs. For the first few days, I lived in adult diapers. These are great because they have adhesive, so a cold pack stuck inside a diaper worked beautifully. You just bend them in half to activate, use them, and toss them when they’re no longer cold! Pretty neat.
• I’ve also heard great things about (but haven’t personally used) Earth Mama Perineal Healing Spray or Frida Mom’s Perineal Medicated Witch Hazel Foam
• You can also make DIY padsicles. Mommy Labor Nurse, a labor & delivery nurse and mom, has a great article on this. To make these, you will need:
  • Pads
  • Aloe vera
  • Witch Hazel in a bottle or Tucks pads
• I personally have never had a c-section, so I won’t pretend to know what you need. I have heard great things about the Frida Mom C-section recovery kit, which includes many of the things listed above. Again, I refer you to Mommy Labor Nurse (can you tell I love her? She has no idea who I am, but it’s fine). She’s got so many great resources including packing lists for the hospital!

Other tips I learned the hard way:

• Take disposable ice packs, pads, puppy pads / chucks and whatever else is available in your room, home from the hospital. No shame in clearing out the cabinets, you’re paying for them anyway (and yes, yes they do charge you for everything).
• Wait to get items you don’t think you will use immediately (because you’re going to take them from the hospital, and also because your method of delivery might be different than what you planned). For my own personal situation, the hospital didn’t have nearly as much to take home as I thought they would.
• Make a list on Amazon beforehand of all the products you might need. This way you can easily order them while you’re at the hospital. If it’s easier (because hello mom brain), you can split them up by body part (ie peri area, breasts).

If I missed anything you loved postpartum, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. I hope this list of postpartum essentials for mom helps you feel more prepared!