What to Have in You Postpartum Kit

When I became pregnant and entered the world of babies, mamas, diapers and breastfeeding, I felt a little clueless. I wanted to know everything I could possibly get my hands on, so I could be prepared and be the best mom EVER. Now I’m kind of a “good enough” mom. But I’m okay with that!
I do feel very strongly though, about educating new moms about what to expect in this life change. One thing we don’t typically think about it recovery and what is needed for it. Now, this post is focused on a vaginal delivery because I do not have experience with a c-section, but I bet that many of the suggestions still apply. In the weeks prior to delivery, be sure to create yourself (or a pregnant friend) a little “kit” to keep near them during the first week (or longer)...

Pads: Once you get out of your Depends or those awful mesh panties, you will be ready to get back into regular panties (granny panties, of course). Go to the store and get the biggest, longest overnight pads you can find. You will still be bleeding, so you’ll want something comfortable and super absorbent. You will bleed from anywhere between 2-6 weeks. Even after that, you can still have a little bloody or brown discharge for a few weeks. This is normal. Your body is simply cleaning out the uterus.

Witch Hazel: Witch Hazel is an astringent that helps to relieve soreness and itching and also encourages healing after birth. You can find it near the pharmacy in any store. I used the Target brand that was near the band aids and humidifiers, for any of you who know target like the back of your hand like me! A bottle is less than 2 bucks, so grab it and this is what you do: Open your giant pads and lay on flat surface. Put the Witch hazel in a spray bottle (you can add lavender essential oil if you desire), and lightly mist the pads so they are damp. Put the open pads on a tray and into the freezer. Once they have frozen, fold them and put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer for easy access. They feel WONDERFUL in your undies. I was afraid it would be so cold, but it’s not! It’s just enough to feel relieving and the witch hazel starts to heal your stitches. You can start this as soon as you are ready to switch to pads. It will not sting or cause any pain. Also, witch hazel can help to relieve those hemorrhoids (reality....).

Breast pads: Again, don’t be lost without them. In the beginning, I wore cotton ones that my sister gave me. Although they were comfortable, they would shift a lot when I slept and I could easily leak through them with my engorged breasts. At about 4 weeks, my sister-in-law came into town and told me to use disposable pads. DUH. I took my butt back to Target and bought some (target brand) and that’s what I am currently using. They are larger so they don’t shift, and they don’t leak through. They are also soft against your nipple and don’t stick to you after nursing (like the cotton ones did). Keep them nearby and change when they get wet, because they start to smell funny.UPDATE: A friend reminded me of adding nipple cream to the list! I loved Earth Mama, Angel Baby brand. More of that in the next post!

Boppy Pillow: I loved this thing. I needed to use it every time I nursed for the first couple of months. It made me comfortable and held her well, so I could switch her into different nursing positions easily. I also found it useful during pregnancy for comfort. I could easily tuck it between my legs to rest or sleep, and I could even lay my belly in the hole and lay on my stomach! If you don’t have a Boppy, make sure you have lots of pillows nearby to support both baby and you.

White Noise Machine: This sounds funny, but we took our everywhere. I bought a 10 dollar travel machine from Target (love that place!) and she used it constantly. The white noise helped to calm her and put her to sleep. My husband found an article that stated that when babies hear white noise in the womb, it is as loud as a vacuum! That’s loud! So we would put this little machine near her ear when she started hysterically crying or wouldn’t latch to eat, and it worked every time. I used it hourly for a long time (first 2 months or so) and i still take it in the car and put it on her head rest in her carseat to help her fall asleep.

Pump: If you are nursing, do your best to nurse and pump as often as possible to encourage milk production. This no only will increase your milk supply, but it will relieve you and provide some stored milk for baby in case of emergency, or whenever you are ready to introduce a bottle. Make sure to invest in (or borrow) an effective pump.

Water: The most important ingredient for producing milk is water. You need to drink as much water as you possibly can. Herbal teas also “count” as water intake, so indulge if you are getting bored of water. Rule of thumb: When baby drinks, you drink. Always. Plus, you will find that as soon as she starts nursing, you will be so thirsty! It’s crazy. Whenever I sat down to nurse baby, I always made sure that I had water, the remote, and her burp cloth.

Remote: You will probably spend lots of time in front of the television as you nurse and comfort baby. Don’t feel bad about it, just don’t do it forever. But have the remote close, because it is such a pain to be in the middle of nursing, unable to move, and “Snooki and JWoww” comes on, and you CAN’T REACH THE REMOTE to change it!

Burp clothes: I never used small burp clothes, because my girl seemed to always overshoot the cloth and get her spit up on everything else; me, the bed, the remote, the dog, etc.I use receiving blankets. You can never have too many! They are great as spit up cloths and you can keep folding and using a different spot until it’s finally too wet. Don’t forget to have one nearby, especially if you have a strong letdown!

Chapstick: I try to have this near me always. On the nightstand, in the car, in my purse... I hate chapped lips, and with all your moisture going to milk supply, you will be dry!

Mother’s Milk Tea: It’s never a bad idea to drink this to encourage milk supply. It’s also nice to have a hot cup of tea to relax. You can find this tea usually at health food stores like Sprouts and Trader Joe’s, but I have not found it at any “normal” grocery stores (has anyone else?).

Herbal bath: The birth center I go to sells a little 3 pack of herbal bath pouches for postpartum care. You simply steep the bag in hot water for 30 minutes and add to a few inches of warm bath water. Since you cannot take a “real” bath for a while, these feel good to soak a bit and know that the herbs are also helping to heal you. You can also take baby into this bath with you to wash her, calm her, and clean her umbilical cord. I only did this once, since my girl didn’t like baths in the beginning (only showers). I have heard that sitz baths work wonders too, I just have not tried one personally!

Remember that these first few weeks are the toughest. Try to keep these things nearby to ease discomfort and assist you as you jump into motherhood! 

                                                        Just a few days postpartum!