UPDATE: Since having my baby, I wanted to do a quick update to my postpartum essentials basket on what I actually used or didn’t use! Click here to see my postpartum must haves!
In preparation for delivery and postpartum, I wanted to create my own postpartum kit with everything that I might need when I get home from the hospital.
I am a huge researcher and planner and like to be as prepared as possible. Let’s get real here: labor is hard. Recovery is hard. Being prepared is going to help ease some of the stress
Some of these things the hospital should send home with you, however, I wanted to make sure I was prepared in both of my bathrooms so I would have access to all the necessary items on both floors.
- Pads – Apparently you will bleed (a lot) after delivery. Think of all the periods you were able to skip for the last 9 months seeking revenge! The hospital will give you pads, but you will need more and the hospital pads look pretty hardcore. For this I chose two kinds: Overnight, heavy flow for the beginning and a thinner, overnight for later.
- Tucks Pads – Hemorrhoids are real, ladies. They are pretty common after pushing out a baby. Not only are these Witch Hazel soaked pads perfect for easing hemorrhoid pain and discomfort, they also can help your whole area with swelling.
- Peri Bottle – After delivery, you are going to be swollen. You aren’t going to want to use toilet paper at first on such a sensitive area. So the hospital will give you this spray bottle to squirt warm water on your lady bits after using the bathroom. The hospital should send you home with at least one, but I wanted one for each of my bathrooms.
- Dermoplast – Again, you’re going to be swollen and in pain. This product helps to “freeze” the area to help with both of those things. Make sure you get the BLUE top! They may give you one of these to take home.
- Nursing Pads – If you are breastfeeding, you are going to leak. So I have stocked both of my baskets with Lansinoh Disposable nursing pads that I received free in gift bags from Target and Buy Buy Baby for creating a baby registry with them. I also purchased a set of organic, reusable nursing pads. I have read pros and cons to both types of nursing pads, so I wanted to try both and see which works best for me.
Other: (these items are not essential, but will be convenient to have)
- Earth Mama Baby Angel Postpartum Bath Herbs – Another way to help combat the pain, swelling, and discomfort post-baby is using a Sitz bath to soak in when you get home. The hospital may send you home with one. These bath herbs are like a large tea bag to put into your pad, sort of like a Tucks pad, but you can freeze these herbs to help with pain and swelling. I purchased these on Black Friday for a really good deal, so I thought I would try them instead of buying a whole Sitz bath and herbs to put in it.
- Lansinoh Hot or Cold Breast Therapy – I also received these for free in a registry gift bag from Target. You can use them hot or cold, which is perfect when breastfeeding to help let down milk and also to help with engorgement issues. If you didn’t want to purchase these, you could use frozen bags of vegetables or wash cloths.
Not shown: (the following items are either in my hospital bag or in my medicine cabinet)
- Earth Mama Baby Angel Nipple Cream – You will need some kind of nipple cream to combat the constant sucking. A lot of women like Lanolin Nipple Cream, however, if you have a wool allergy, you will want to avoid Lanolin. I just love EMBA, so I am choosing to use this cream instead.
- Ibuprofen – This is a must! It is what they will give you in the hospital post-baby and will help with pain and swelling at home.
- Colace – Your provider will give you a prescription for a stool softener to help with your first post-baby bowel movement. I have heard that it is not a pleasant experience. Yay. I didn’t want to deal with stopping to pick-up or drop-off a prescription after the baby, so I purchased this on my own.
- Padsicles – The hospital should offer you ice packs after delivery, which is helpful, but this DIY ice pack will help with swelling and pain using regular pads, aloe and witch hazel. I have stocked my freezer with a freezer bag full.
- New Mama Bottom Spray – This will be similar to Dermaplast, but with natural ingredients. I purchased a package of different things from EMBA on Black Friday and wanted to try this as replacement to Dermaplast.
- Bottom Balm – Again, this came in a package I purchased on Black Friday, but I have heard great things about this bottom balm, so I want to give it a try!
Is there anything else you would or did include in your postpartum essentials kit?
