Essential Items for Postpartum Recovery

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Let’s talk about the gear that’ll make your postpartum life a bit easier. These are the essentials you’ll want to have on hand:

Comfortable Clothing: Think soft, breathable, and stretchy. Postpartum body changes mean you’ll appreciate comfy loungewear and nursing-friendly tops. I know I wore my maternity pants for a while after having my babies. Or at least loose-fitting yoga pants.

• Check out these nursing tops for summertime and wintertime.

Postpartum Underwear: These are a must! You’ll need something super absorbent for those first few weeks of postpartum bleeding. I highly recommend disposable underwear aka adult diapers. Yay! You'll get to match with baby! I make sure I have them in my hospital bag. They are comfortable after both vaginal and C-section births. They also come in handy if your water breaks before you get to the hospital. You can wear them on the way to the hospital and keep your car seats clean.

Water Bottle: Staying hydrated is crucial, especially if you’re breastfeeding. Keep a water bottle handy to sip throughout the day. I prefer a big one that keeps cold so I don't have to constantly refill like this one.

Healthy Snacks: Stock up on easy-to-grab, nutritious snacks. You’ll need energy for those sleepless nights and busy days. There are also yummy snacks that aid in breastfeeding like these Chocolate Salted Caramel Cookie Bites!

Perineal Care Kit: This might include things like witch hazel wipes, peri bottle, padcicles, and soothing sprays to help with recovery if you had a vaginal birth. My hospital provides a peri bottle and also offered some ice pack pads. The ice pack pads were way too cold and uncomfortable for me. The peri bottle comes in handy when using the restroom postpartum especially if you have any stitches from tearing. Fill the bottle with warm or cool water to rinse off as you pee and after. It helps with the burn and pain. I recommend filling the bottle and leaving it on the back of the toilet for next use even though it won't be warm it's better than nothing. I can't tell you how many times I forgot to fill it before sitting down on the toilet.

Baby Carrier: A comfy baby carrier can be a lifesaver for keeping your hands free while soothing your little one. I have a few different kinds of carriers. I have an Ergo, Konny Wrap, and the Bellababy hip seat carrier. I love them all for different reasons.

• Ergo Baby- You can use this carrier for newborn to toddler stages. No need for an infant insert. It's comfortable but can be hot in hot weather. You can wear baby in multiple ways including inward facing, outward facing, hip carry and back carry.

• Konny Wrap- This carrier is very comfortable! I got it for our vacation to Gatlinburg, TN when my baby was around 3 months old. I knew it was going to be hot and wanted something cool, breathable, and easy to take on and off. Another perk, I could easily nurse baby in it and use it as a cover. You can carry baby in multiple directions including forward and inward.

• Bellababy Hip Seat Carrier- I LOVE this carrier! It's so handy for clingy babies and toddlers. I can tell my toddler is so much more comfortable in this seat. It works very well for outward facing. There are multiple ways it can be used including removing the straps and just using the seat.

Meal Prep: If you can swing it, having some Frozen meals will be very helpful. I like to do easy dump meals that you can put together ahead of time and freeze. Take them out and just dump them in the crock pot or put them in the oven. There are also easy prep meals that will come in handy. I was very thankful for loved ones who brought us food that lasted us a few days.

*PSA: PLEASE DO NOT LEARN THIS THE HARD WAY! Make sure you eat foods that aid in avoiding constipation. That first bowel movement after delivery can be BRUTAL! The doctor will offer stool softeners. I recommend taking them and drinking plenty of fluids.