Postpartum Recovery Kit: 10 Essentials For New Moms

Baby is coming soon! What happens next?! Well, while you are still “patiently” waiting for your little bundle of joy, you may realize a new era is about to begin. And just like most things in life, preparation is the name of the game here. This is why putting together a postpartum recovery kit will make your life SO much easy as you’ll appreciate having your needs covered. Your postpartum care is just as important as your baby’s first smiles and cuddles.

In this article, you’ll find all the essentials for a top-notch postpartum kit, for both vaginal and C-section childbirth. From keeping it all together with a postpartum girdle to helping you heal from ‘classics’ like hemorrhoids and sore nipples, we cover it all! At the end of the day, every woman out there with a newborn has gone through this. Have fun and savor the joys of baby-prep!

How To Put Together A Postpartum Kit List

We know this is not like grocery shopping but here’s where fans of lists can go all in! It’s not a matter of buying heaps of products. It’s about knowing the main things that may or will happen once your baby is born.

You will experience vaginal bleeding, maybe get hemorrhoids or sore nipples, feel your body swollen -and you’ll definitely need to keep good hygiene as you you begin to heal. Always try to get either natural, recommended, or medical-grade products.

Talk to your doctor, your friends, and the ladies in your family to get a better perception of what’s coming next. For example, some women suffer from swollen legs after delivery, which may be a condition running in the family, and you’ll need to act on it. Always try to get good advice, and then make your own decisions.

Good research and checking testimonials about products can also help, as you’ll find out the ins and outs of each item. This is not about becoming obsessed, but to get clear on what you really need.

It’s best to start months ahead, so when the time comes you’ll have all your postpartum essentials waiting to assist you!

The 10 Essentials Of A Postpartum Recovery Kit

1. Maternity Pads For Postpartum Bleeding

After your baby is born, you’ll start experiencing postpartum bleeding, known as lochia.

To keep you covered, you’ll need maternity pads, like…heaps!

It’s recommended to start with 2 or 3 packs of 12 pads each. Right after childbirth, you’ll need to change these every couple of hours -the quantity will decrease as days go by. Keep in mind, maternity pads are much more absorbent and bigger than your average sanitary pad.

This type of postpartum bleeding is absolutely normal and will happen regardless of the type of delivery you had. As days go by the amount of blood will decrease, but you can expect heavy bleeding for the first 10 days. Lochia usually lasts from 4 to 6 weeks.

2. Disposable Underwear

Give your sexy undies a break and focus on panties that will keep you clean and comfy through messy times!

Postpartum panties are bigger, keep your pads in place, stretch wider on the legs, and can be quite absorbent. You can get mesh disposable panties or just buy cheap ‘granny’ underwear. Always make sure the fabric is soft and breathable as you don’t want to promote sweat down there!

3.Perineal Spray

The perineum, the area between the genitals and the anus, is oftentimes cut during childbirth. This practice is called ‘episiotomy,’ and is done by your doctor or midwife to ease the baby’s birth and prevent future tissue tearing. Even without an episiotomy, it’s very common to feel pain in the area, so there are several things you can get to help your perineum heal and stay clean.

A Perineal Spray made of natural and organic soothing and anesthetics ingredients will help calm the discomfort and keep the area fresh.

4. Padsicles or Cold Packs

A ‘padsicle’ is, basically, a DIY frozen sanitary pad which, combined with some scent-free essential oils and natural products, helps your perineum heal, and reduces swelling.

Another option is to apply cool packs in the perineal area for about 30 minutes every couple of hours. The packs shouldn’t come into touch with your skin as this can cause damage and hygiene issues. So always wrap the pack with a clean piece of fabric!

5. Perineal Irrigation Bottles, aka Peri Bottles

Here’s our third recommended postpartum kit essential for your perineum! As we mentioned before, keeping your perineum clean is a must during the first stages of postpartum recovery.

Peri Bottles are simply hand-held squirt bottles that make rinsing the perineal area way easier. With a simple jug, you may need to bend uncomfortable to reach this stretch of skin, and that’s precisely what you want to avoid!

6. Medical-Grade Postpartum Girdle

Having a compression garment in your postpartum recovery kit is a must. Think of all the little things you’ll need to do after childbirth, like…cleaning your perineum -dah! Or even getting dressed or going to the toilet. If on top of all the cares and precautions you need to take, you add a lack of support, you are not doing yourself any favors!

Choose the best postpartum girdle for you, and free time and mind space to take care of the important things.

7. Nursing Bras

If you don’t have this in your postpartum kit list yet, you need to add it ASAP! You could even have 2 different types of nursing bras. One to wear during the day, and another one designed for sleeping and late-night feedings.

Some of the main benefits of wearing a nursing bra are ease of access for breastfeeding, and flexibility plus support for holding enlarged breasts. It can be very painful to feel your tender boobies heavily pulling down!

8. Sitz Bath Bowl

Let’s talk hemorrhoids. Let’s just say it, these swollen veins around the rectum and anus are a hideous byproduct of an amazing feat like giving birth. They can be annoying and just so painful!

A great tip for relieving pain and also help with your perineum postpartum recovery are sitz baths. A sitz bath is simply sitting in warm, shallow water to reduce pain and keep the genital area fresh and clean. A great essential item for this is a sitz bath bowl -a container designed to be put inside your toilet, sitting inside the edges.

If you have a bathtub you may skip this, but if not, we highly recommend it!

9. Skincare Products

Soothing, hydrating and natural products will help your skin recover its glow and texture over time. Feeling your skin fresh and hydrated can go a long way. More so when your hormones are working 24/7, and you may even be sleep-deprived, which is not ideal for your skin!

Try to find Vitamin-rich creams and/or serums, organic belly butter, coconut oil, eye contour creams with decongestive. Focus on skincare products that will revitalize your skin.

10. Nursing Pads

How do breast pads work? Well, these little godsends are designed to aid your nipples, big time! You can either get reusable or disposable ones and also get them in different materials like hydrogel and silicone.

What makes nursing pads a must for every postpartum recovery kit is how they absorb the milk that leaks from breastfeeding. The key is to find highly absorbent pads that cover your whole nipples and fit comfortably. If you prefer silicone pads, note these are not designed to be absorbent, but to pressure your breasts gently to prevent leaks.

If you are suffering from sore nipples, then you may want to go for a hydrogel cooling pad that will alleviate the pain.

Another great tip for sore nipples is to spread a few drops of your own milk to help your skin stay hydrated.

More Optional Products For Your Postpartum Recovery Kit

Of course, we could keep adding to this amazing care package! But we wanted to cover the 10 main items you should absolutely have.

Every woman is different or has a different approach to taking pain killers, or reading books, or focusing on a certain type of product. Here are some final recommendations to finish putting together the best postpartum kit any new mom could wish for!

• Painkillers – Keep some Ibuprofen handy to help with abdominal cramps or general discomfort. Always consult with your doctor though!
• Stool Softener – After giving birth, many women experience constipation on top of feeling abdominal weakness, hemorrhoids, and an impossibility to push -like you didn’t push enough, right?! Check with your doctor and find out if a stool softener is the best option for you.
• Herbal Teas – Herbal teas can help improve mood, digestion, sleep, encourage milk production, rebuild iron levels, and are just healthy all-rounders that will help you stay warm and cozy.
• Nipple Shields – If you find breastfeeding is painful to the point you wish to give up, you are not alone! Although nipple shields are not a long-term solution, these silicone pads are placed over the nipples when breastfeeding. Their main function? To avoid getting your areola hurt while your baby gains more practice. Before using them, learn how to do so correctly with the help of your doctor or midwife. If the nipple shield is not placed correctly, it can be hard for your baby to get the right amount of milk.

What’s Essential For New Mums

Beyond all the products we’ve shared with you, we recommend you list all the little things that give you comfort and keep you happy.

Is it reading a book? Is it the smell of lavender? Or maybe taking great care of your skin, your hair…Whatever it is, and whenever possible, try to take some time for yourself, even if only 5 minutes, and celebrate this stage of your -and your baby’s- life. At the end of the day, you’ve prepared for this. And you are now as ready as ever!

Keep Your Postpartum Girdle Handy!

Last but not the least, make sure to wear your postpartum girdle regularly after the birth of your baby to speed up the recovery process. You’ll be surprised to see how fast those inches fall once you make it a habit to wear one!

Sources:

https://www.whattoexpect.com/baby-products/survival-kit-recovery-after-vaginal-birth/

https://www.mother.ly/life/your-postpartum-recovery-kit-feel-your-best-after-a-vaginal-birth

https://www.whattoexpect.com/baby-products/survival-kit-recovery-after-c-section-delivery/

https://mommyonpurpose.com/postpartum-care-kit/https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/ob-gyn/obstetrics/after-delivery/common-conditions.aspx

https://themamanotes.com/19-postpartum-essentials-every-new-mom-needs/

https://theexperiencedmama.com/after-birth-care-kit/https://www.drugs.com/cg/postpartum-perineal-care-aftercare-instructions.html

https://www.babycentre.co.uk/x553475/how-many-maternity-pads-will-i-need-after-the-birth

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/lochia

https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/patient-guide/leaflets/files/10929Pperineum.pdf

https://www.saintlukeskc.org/health-library/taking-sitz-bath#

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth/postpartum-care/art-20047233