Postpartum Essentials for Mom
About to have a baby? This is for YOU, Mom-to-be! The postpartum period for moms is not to be overlooked. We naturally get so excited that we often times forget about ourselves! Planning for mom’s recovery is essential- for both internal and external physical healing, exhaustion, the added stress that can come with having a new baby + the changing of family dynamics, and to allow for that ever so important, much needed bonding time. Moms need extra love, rest, and support! Just as baby does. It’s a time of healing, bonding, transition, and an intense reciprocation of love & emotion. Moms: here is our offer of support by way of a list of basic must-haves for the postpartum window right after birth. Because let’s face it, creature comforts can make all the difference in the world! Trust us, we’ve done it six times now! :)
Postpartum Herbal Pads by The Honey Pot
Because let’s be real, your lady parts will need a lot of TLC during the postpartum period. (In addition to the amazing big white disposable gauze panties!)… there’s not much more to say than, YOU NEED THESE HERBAL PADS, TOO. They provide the most amazing cooling effect just when you need it the most! They’re also 100% natural and plant based. Check out their entire line of products!
Herbal Bath Soak
It’s a hard time to focus on yourself, but also the most important. This herbal bath soak is wonderful for healing, preventing infection, and for promoting relaxation. It helps to soothe, reduce soreness, and prevent swelling. Here’s your gentle reminder, it’s important to take time for yourself— a nice 10 minute soak, a few times per week or until discomfort is relieved, will do worlds of good for your body + mind.
Nipple Cream
For those breastfeeding mamas, a good organic, lanolin-free nipple cream is a must. Our favorite is this unscented, plant-based, herbal option by Motherlove safe for both mom & baby.
Multivitamin
Proper nutrition in the postpartum period is so important for the health + wellness of both you and baby! Your body is not only moving through a hormonal “dance”, it’s also in need of increased nutrients to support the breastfeeding and healing chapter at the start of motherhood. This is our favorite go-to, all-encompassing women’s multi-vitamin, for both prenatally and during the postpartum period. Klaire Prenatal & Nursing Formula is affordable and available in our online supplement dispensary. Create a free account and ship directly to your house.
Gentle, Easy to Absorb Iron Supplement
Most women will experience low iron and sometimes, even iron-deficiency anemia by the 3rd trimester. Further, with blood loss at birth, iron stores can tend to drop even lower. We have recommended OptiFerin C for our patients and we’ve taken it ourselves for many years, it’s our favorite! You can purchase this inexpensive, not-tough-on-the-tummy, iron through our online supplement dispensary Wellevate.
Reusable Nursing Pads
You don’t want to find yourself without nursing pads - YIKES! We’ve all experienced leaky boobs at some point while we’re nursing, especially early-on. We’ve been there, quickly stuffing tissues or whatever we can find, into our bras. It’s okay though, we laugh at the situation and move on—it’s a rite of passage in motherhood :) We love Bamboobies because they’re oh-so-soft, not full of chemicals and not pokey like many other, especially the disposable nursing pads. We recommend a thinner option for daytime and thicker or even doubling up with two pads for nighttime, when baby may not be nursing as often.
Breast Pump - Spectra S1 Plus
We’ve each used the Spectra S1 Plus (among many others), and it has been our overwhelming favorite! For us, portability is a MUST! It’s super lightweight, quiet, and offers single & double pumping with appropriate suction/function.
Check with your insurance provider as some breast pumps may be covered by your plan!
bkr Glass Water Bottle - 32oz
Water, water, WATER! We can’t promote this enough as one of the most important things to have filled, double filled and triple filled after you’ve had a baby. We like using larger containers such as this one by bkr because it helps us to track how much water we’re taking in and also limits refill trips at a time when we need to be resting. Remember, a good goal to aim for is at least half of your body weight in ounces of water, @ room temperature, every. single. day! (We love all the pretty colors these bottles come in, too!)
Cozy Pajamas
This is a non-negotiable for us! Comfortable clothing for recovery is a MUST. It can be a fun registry item or a nice treat for yourself, just before you have your baby. Think bright, cheery colors, soft fabrics… whatever YOU feel good in. Factoring in easy nursing access for breastfeeding mamas is a bonus.
We love this gown for warmer months or to layer.
…and prefer this Kindred Bravely set for cooler months, but still VERY breathable.
Nursing Tank + Bra
For those breastfeeding mamas, a comfy, no-fuss nursing tank + bra might be your new best friend. Whether at home or out and about, a soft bra with easy access & coverage is a staple item. We always kept a few on hand to ensure we had a clean one to go-to if we had an extra milky day or when we’re actually able to take a shower (busy moms, you know what we’re talking about!) and want to put on fresh new threads.
Cozy Sheets
Your bedroom is likely to become your new oasis. It’s important to enjoy your surroundings and create a space that’s calming + relaxing. Mamas, you deserve a soft place to land! We all have our own sheet preference, and we lean towards linen as the best! This natural material is wonderful to help regulate body temp, and gets softer and softer with each wash.
And to add to the nice, cozy bedroom space piece—one wonderful activity when you’re pregnant and feeling the urge to nest… tackle your bedroom. Clean out your bedside table, remove any clutter or piles of odds + ends. A tidy space is less stressful and therefore, more conducive to healing.
Healing Foods
Nourishment is an obvious need at any point in life, but from both personal & professional experience, healing foods in the postpartum period are often overlooked. A woman’s body goes through A.LOT. during both pregnancy, birth, and during the postpartum period. One of the best things you can do is prepare to rest & plan for proper nourishment. We love healing foods, such as bone broth. We strongly recommend this to our patients and loved ones for a variety of health promoting reasons, and in the postpartum period, bone broth can be a lifesaver + holds the true healing power of nutrients.
We love to make a large batch, let it cool, and freeze into smaller, single-serve portions to easily warm + sip on demand. Keep this in mind as a “power food” that Moms can benefit from, from here on out!
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