These are the things I actually purchased postpartum. I highly recommend holding off buying all the panties, liners, mesh undies, peri bottle, etc. because more likely than not, the hospital will supply you with all of those during your stay and plenty of extras to bring home. If you are worried about that, check with your hospital! This will save you money, and save you the stress of adding to your “to-do” list before baby. Keep in mind everyone’s postpartum situation is different. This was simply my experience. I had a fairly easy recovery. You are always your #1 advocate of your specific situation when planning for postpartum care and always consult a medical professional with questions or concerns.
- Haakkaa. If you hate waste of anything, you will love this item. I knew nothing about breastfeeding prior to doing it. In watching many hours of youtube girls while pregnant, this item kept coming up but I didn’t quite understand why I would need it…I had never breastfed before so it didn’t make sense to me. The haaka suctions to the opposite breast while your feeding and catches all of the breast milk let down. It ends up being about 1-2 ounces every time I breastfeed. That is SO MUCH good breast milk that would otherwise go to waste!
2. Tucks cooling pads. You will be sore down there and these pads will help soothe the pain and burn. I’ll let the doctors do the medical explanations for further details…but trust me, you’ll want something to cool yourself down. Keep them in the refrigerator to stay extra cool
3. Water bottle WITH A STRAW. Having a water bottle with a straw was a lifesaver while breastfeeding. In those first few weeks, there is a huge learning curve for you and baby and your hands will be occupied holding baby close to your breasts and getting them in the right position. The water bottle with a straw was key to stay hydrated constantly! No unscrewing necessary. However, when you are out on an adventure with baby, a screw cap bottle is necessary.
4. Easy to eat healthy snacks. You will not have time to cook, you will barely have time to think about keeping yourself nourished. Make sure you have plenty of easy to grab healthy snacks for those first few weeks. The snacks I ate were all the same things we eat out on the trail. Some of my favorites were hydration packs, trail mix, protein bars, and crackers.
5. Pumping/nursing bra. I watched many youtube videos of things to get before having a baby and a pumping bra came up. I rolled my eyes at that thinking it was so unnecessary. After pumping for two weeks without a pumping bra and holding the suctions to my boob for 20 minutes at a time, I realized it was needed. It’s totally appreciated.
6. Ice packs. So I didn’t actually purchase this one, it was made from items I already had at home. I learned an awesome life hack at the hospital from the nurses to make your own ice pack! All you need is ice and diapers…and you are going to have plenty of those. Newborn or size 1 work the best.
7. Nipple cream. Your baby will be sucking on your breasts a lot. Your nipples are not used to constant stimulation so nipple cream will be helpful to soothe those sore nipples!
8. Stool Softener. Passing bowel movements after birth is likely going to be painful. You will be so happy you have some stool softner to help ease the pain.
9. Boppy pillow. This is for your sanity, and for the baby’s comfort. It’s a perfectly safe pillow for a baby to lay in while breastfeeding. It will ease your arms up of all the weight allowing your arms to have some rest. This will make breastfeeding a more comfortable experience for you and baby allowing a positive bonding experience. Bonding with Rory skin to skin gave me a sense of true motherhood making me so excited for the years to come. I truly hope the same thing for all moms out there!
10. Prenatal vitamin. You were most likely taking prenatal throughout your whole pregnancy. If you plan on breastfeeding, you will want to continue taking this to ensure you and baby are getting proper health and nutrition. Of course, always consult your doctor first.