Today we talk all things postpartum. I spent most of my time during pregnancy prepping for the actual birth and not near enough time prepping for postpartum. So, I’m just going to give you a giant list of all the postpartum products I used (most of which I bought in the middle of the night nursing Miles haha) and you just take what you like! This is my warning that I give you all the details and it’s probably TMI (and definitely embarrassing) but it’s me trying to save you 🙂 Okay diving right in.
For Mama
- Padsicles – combine Witch hazel + Aloe and soak a giant pad in it. Then FREEZE. They are a dual purpose soothing ice pack while also promoting healing. I pretty much changed mine every time I went to the bathroom. I’ve also seen recipes that add lavender for more soothe.
- Peri bottle – life saving. I actually sprayed it while I was peeing because it helped it not to burn. I literally didn’t wipe with toilet paper for a month after birth. I would even pack peri with me when we went places. This specific one I linked is nice because of the angled nozzle!
- Herbal sitz bath – very soothing and promotes healing.
- Preparation H – hemorrhoids are no joke. They were honestly one of the most unexpected painful parts of postpartum. I’m pretty sure I had like 6 (tmi sry). But if you do have hemorrhoids this is a need!! I went through almost an entire bottle and it definitely helped. While I’m giving advice, I would also say just wait to go (#2) until you really HAVE to go AND use a squatty potty or something to prop your feet on! Then you really don’t have to push at all (which is likely what caused the hemorrhoid in the 1st place).
- Inflatable seat – I would sit on this in bed while I nursed Miles!! I stayed in bed as much as possible for the first 2 weeks, so my bootie did get a little sore sitting all the time. This definitely offered some relief!
- Giant underwear – call me a grandma but these were THE BEST. The hospital actually does send you home with some of these but depending on your stitches/healing time it might be helpful to have backup!
- Diapers (for you) – I recommend having these BEFORE birth! If you read my birth story, you might remember that I needed these during labor because my water broke and I was leaking water with every contraction. Also beneficial after birth if you don’t want to deal with a pad and want full coverage lol.
- Earth mama nipple butter – my virgin nipples were NOT prepared for breast feeding! So I lathered this on after every feed and it definitely helped soothe my raw baby nipples.
To Eat
- Magnesium – everyone knows. After birth, it’s scary to poop. This helps just keep things moving along.
- Prunes – again with the bowel movements. But prunes are a natural laxative and helps make it a little easier to go.
- Smooth move tea – if desperate, this will for sure help you go! It hasn’t failed me yet. My advice is only soak the bag for 30 seconds and try that (before you soak it for the recommended 5 minutes and are on the toilet for the rest of the day).
- Brewers yeast – this is good for milk production! I add a couple tablespoons to my energy bites and can’t even taste it!
- Earth mama milkmaid tea – also for milk production. I actually make tea lattes with this using my raw milk and it’s so yum. I genuinely felt like it helped my production!
- Coconut water – has electrolytes and is good for hydration (especially if you’re breastfeeding which makes you very thirsty).
- Meal train – my sisters made a meal train for me and it was THE BEST thing ever. I 10/10 recommend asking family or a friend to create one for you and send it out to your people because preparing dinner definitely won’t be the first (or second or third) thing on your to do list.
- Snacks – I prepped energy bites and made sure to have some other easy snacks on hand. I kept them by my bed for middle of the night cravings. It was also nice to just have them next to me so I didn’t have to make Nick get up every 30 minutes to make me food during the day!
For Babe
17. Earth mama diaper balm – I obsessively put this on Miles after every diaper change but he has yet to have a diaper rash and I’m proud. It’s also made with clean ingredients which I love.
18. Diapers – I’m linking our current fav diapers (clean and reasonably priced)! I would recommend having size newborn and size 1 diapers on hand! I’ve tried a couple different brands and their sizing is all a little different, so you just want to make sure you have the right size for your little babe! Also, we went through a million (okay maybe lk a hundred) diapers in the first couple of weeks, so make sure you have plenty!
19. Swaddle – we did not prep well for swaddling. We hadn’t even decided if we wanted to swaddle or not. My advice is to have a couple swaddle options so you can see which one you and your babe like best! If you’re just going to use a blanket, I would recommend practicing swaddling a doll or a friends baby before hand!! This will definitely save you some middle of the night stress. I linked our fav swaddle!
20. Egg light – I think Nick actually liked this more than Miles lol, but really. It’s a portable night light that you just double tap to turn on and off and it’s so convenient. It has 5 different color options (for mood) or just white light and it’s very helpful for middle of the night feeds.
Wrap up
Okay, that’s all for now. I definitely covered my fav postpartum products (also prob forgot some) and I genuinely hope my list helps you feel more prepared for your postpartum experience! Comment below YOUR favorite products for postpartum or what you’re most nervous about postpartum – I’d love to encourage you! In the spirit of postpartum preparation, click here to see my stroller comparison post if you’re having a hard time choosing your stroller! Talk soon!
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