My Top Ten Postpartum Must Haves

You've just experienced one of the most difficult but beautiful moments of your life, the birth of your child! What happens next may leave you in pain and grossed out, but I'm here to share my experience and must-haves to hopefully shed some light.

While I was pregnant, I read many articles on birth and after birth, and it's the reason I felt a little more prepared for the aftermath. Some of the items on my list I had bought in preparation on the word of someone else's blog and found them super helpful. I wish I could give credit where credit is due, but when I said I read many articles, I meant A LOT.

I also need to state that my must haves are based on the fact I gave birth vaginally, if you have a cesarian this list may not apply to you. A lot of my must-haves helped me heal and ease pain in my nether regions;)

My Top Ten Postpartum Must-Haves

1. Depends Silouette- When I was reading articles written by new mothers, a lot of them mentioned how much they loved the mesh underwear the hospital gives out. I hated them! You're suppose to wear them with this gigantic pad and I found it uncomfortable and unstable. When I got home I had a package of these depends made for women and meant to feel like underwear. For me, it was night and day, I felt so much more comfortable. They tear off for easy clean up, and do a pretty good job when you can't make it to the bathroom. Trust me you don't want to wear normal underwear AT ALL.


2. Irrigation Bottle-This is something the hospital will give you because you're not suppose to wipe with toilet paper after birth. You use this to rinse and dab, when I got home I found dabbing with a soft wash cloth was better than toilet paper. I just put a small pail near the toilet for used washcloths and put clean ones on the back of the toilet. Fill up your irrigation bottle with my next must have.

3. Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera, and Lavender oil- this mixture is amazing. I put a diluted version of this mixture into my irrigation bottle for a cleansing rinse. I got the idea from the popular padscicles. I loved wearing a padscicle but I quickly became raw because of the moisture. I found using it as a rinse worked much better for me.


4. Dermoplast- I was given the miracle spray at the hospital as well. After rinsing and dabbing, use a quick spray of this and the pain is numbed for a while. I had to use very little pain medication, only tylenol and ibuprofen. I believe that I was able to deal with a lot of the pain because of this stuff.


5. Postpartum girdle-This is an expensive must-have, but I had my baby right before my birthday so mine was a gift. I loved my Mamastrut girdle for several reasons! Firstly, it has compression for your vagina. A lot of my pain had to do with the feeling that there was a lot pressure going down down down. It also was the reason I felt I couldn't make it to the bathroom. The compression from the three straps between your legs makes getting up and down a breeze and making it to the bathroom easier. Another thing I loved was the insert for an ice pack!

6. Ice packs/heating pad-After I left the hospital, the nurse told me to lay off the ice and start using heat. That was hard for me because the ice felt so good, but I basically sat on ice or heat for several days after I left the hospital. I definitely felt alternating heat and cold helped my healing process and my pain tolerance.

7. Errand People-I had friends and family help me out so much when I got home from the hospital, but don't be afraid to ask for help. For me, I could always ask my mom for anything. She brought us groceries and necessities everyday, and I never needed to get out for those errands. Find that person for you and take advantage, trust me getting out is a huge deal and painful.

8. Casseroles-Accept casseroles with appreciation because I was extremely hungry from being up all hours and breastfeeding. It's so easy to pop a square of casserole in the microwave on a paper plate for an easy meal when you're alone. I was eating casserole at 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning! If your still prepping and nesting, I suggest making a few now and putting them in the freezer.

9. Coconut oil-Your best friend! Trust me so many uses, this stuff is amazing. For postpartum mommy, I never had chapped nipples. I thought it was easier than using lanolin because it melts and spreads easily. I just kept a jar near at all times and every time I fed I put a little on. Since it was so handy I also used it for dry hands. For baby, wiping is so much easier with a little oil and keeps baby soft skin super soft. Check out my newborn must haves for more info!


10. Disposable Breast Pads-I had reusable cloth pads but they would leak and get stuck to my nipple! I much preferred the disposable and trust me you'll need something. In those early days, your milk supply is increasing and decreasing rapidly to try and find the balance for your baby's needs. I always leaked a little but I especially leaked if my baby fell asleep on my chest or I got too hot. The warmth I think was the main issue.

I hope you found this list helpful in making you more comfortable to enjoy that beautiful baby of yours!

My Favorite Newborn Products

The day my daughter was born was the day my life began! It's so cliche to say, but I never knew I could love someone so much. Parenting is an interesting fun ride and you have to find what works for you and your baby. Here's some items that worked for us:

My Favorite Newborn Products

1. Swaddlers-One of the things I struggled with the most was is my baby safe. Your going to see me discuss that a lot in this article. When your newborn gains enough strength to break free from a normal swaddle, this is the next step. This swaddle sleep sack keeps your baby safe and swaddled. These are meant to be used until your baby can roll over, but we used them longer with the addition of the next product.



2. Anti-roll Pillow-I am not advocating that you go against your pediatrician and any safety guidelines, but I had to do what I thought was best for us. I kept my daughter swaddled a little longer than what is recommended with this pillow. She could not roll out of it and suffocate, but I also felt she was safe because of the next product.



3. Owlet-This amazing product may be out of your budget because it was out of ours, but that's where grandma comes in! This was a gift from my mother and I was so incredibly thankful. We used this at night to allow me to relax and sleep a little. Before I was constantly waking up touching her chest making sure she was alive. The owlet has an alarm that goes off when your baby's heart rate or oxygen level goes below a safe level. It also has a different alarm that goes off if the sock is not on properly or isn't connected to the internet. It was amazing to wake up a little worried and check the app and know her heart is beating and she's breathing.



4. The Puppy Chair- We called it the puppy chair because it looked like a puppy but the rock and play is amazing. I didn't register for this item, it was given to me by another new mom who insisted I needed it. She was right! Light weight and easy to move, this product makes putting your baby down at anytime and anywhere possible. I brought it into the bathroom to take a shower, the kitchen to make a meal, the living room to fold laundry, etc. Be carful when you put a swaddled baby into the chair, you want to make sure the baby's bottom is at the base. If the baby slumps, they could suffocate. It also vibrates which makes it comforting to a gasy baby. Trust me you need this product!



5. Swing-Not only did we have the puppy chair, we had the puppy swing. My daughter loved the swing and laughed and smiled the whole time she sat in it. I didn't like having to put her down a lot, but when you see your baby enjoy something it's equally amazing as holding her. It was also great in a pinch, there were a few nights where I needed some extra sleep and I'd put her in the swing for a little while to get a few more minutes.



6. Natural Changing Supplies-I prefer to use products I know do not have toxic chemicals or fragrances so I use natural products. Most of these products are expensive which is why I cloth diaper as well. I used mainly Bumgenius cloth diapers and washcloths. When I needed disposable products, I used Seventh Generation, Honest, and Simple Truth brands. I typically just chose the brand for which I had a coupon or deal.

7. Honest Bath Products- I have only used Honest bath products since my daughter was born, so I cannot tell you if they're better than another product. I haven't had to buy too many bottles because they last a long time, but I'm extremely happy that Costco carries the wash!

8. Little Remedies- I love these medicine products! We've used the gas drops religiously and they work so well. We use they're acetaminophen product for pain relief and fever. I hate to see my baby in pain so I never hesitated to use medicine and I wasn't worried with these products. We haven't tried the cough syrup, saline spray, or gripe water, but we recently recieved this essentials kit and plan on trying all of the products when needed.

9. Nose Frida-So much better than the typical aspirator, I would highly recommend the nose frida. You get so much suction and a clear baby nose in seconds. Yes, it's gross to suck your baby's snot, but when you have a congested, annoyed baby you'll thank me! This company also sells a new product I'm going to try for my next baby and that's the Windi. It is a one time use bottom tube that releases gas without having to use medicine or constant patting.


10. Coconut oil-I use this for everything: Baby and Mommy moisturizer, diaper rash, cloth diaper wipes, nipple relief, removing band-aids and medical tape, etc.


I hope you found this post useful and maybe gave you some products to try with your little one!