Postpartum Essentials

This is a non-glamorous list of postpartum essentials! I just had my first baby almost three months ago and these are the items that got me through the postpartum season.

You can really spend a lot of money on postpartum items and the truth is you really won’t know what you’ll need and actually use until you are in the postpartum season yourself.

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However, these are some items that I feel like most women could benefit from having. I used these myself postpartum and could not have made it without them!

What to Buy for Postpartum

Bringing home a new baby is such a special time but it also comes with a lot of changes for your body. I really had no idea.

The postpartum recovery phase can feel very overwhelming, especially if you’re not sure what you’ll actually need to feel comfortable.

While every mom’s experience looks a little different, there are a few tried and true essentials that can make those early weeks so much easier (I know they did for me).

Herbal Sitz Bath by Earth Mama

A herbal sitz bath is one of the most soothing things you can do for yourself after giving birth. I did not want to buy an actual sitz bath “tub” and in all honesty you don’t really need to. Using your bathtub works just fine.

Warm water alone helps ease soreness but when you add healing herbs like lavender, chamomile, or witch hazel, it becomes a much more effective method for healing both the front and back.

You can buy this pre-made herbal sitz bath pack or make your own. But let’s be real, you won’t want to be making your own concoction postpartum, you’ll be busy enough.

Dermoplast Spray (The #1 must have for me!)

If you’ve had a vaginal delivery, chances are you’ll hear about Dermoplast spray in the hospital or birthing center. My center actually sent me home with this bottle but I did end up purchasing one more.

It’s a medicated spray that helps numb soreness and gives instant relief from stitches, swelling, or general discomfort.

It’s easy to apply and makes moving around a lot more manageable during recovery. I just sprayed it directly onto the insides of my adult diaper and it felt GREAT.

Keeping a bottle in your bathroom makes a huge difference in those early days. Trust me on this one!

Pairing it with a perineal squirt bottle (which we’ll talk about later) can make bathroom trips a lot less daunting.

Electrolyle Mix – FlavCity is my Favorite!

The thirst postpartum is REAL. I would wake up for night time feedings just dying of thirst.

Electrolytes are great if you are trying to keep up with milk supply and to help you feel energized. It keeps you hydrated like nothing else.

Look for mixes with clean ingredients, low sugar, and a good balance of electrolytes. FlavCity is by far my favorite for flavor, taste, and convenience (they come in already portioned out packets).

Motherlove Breastfeeding Nipple Cream

Breastfeeding is so beneficial and I highly recommend, but it also was way more difficult (and painful at first) than I ever realized.

Sore, cracked nipples are really common, and having nipple butter on hand made a world of difference. I could not have made it without this stuff. I lathered it on after every single feeding. It took me out of so much agony those first few weeks.

I used both the Earth Mama brand and then switched to this Motherlove brand because it was on sale at the time I needed a restock. Both were great! Honestly, just buy whichever happens to be cheapest at the time of purchase.

A Perineal Spray Bottle

A perineal squirt bottle is one of the items that is very unglamorous but absolutely essential. Wiping with toilet paper can be PAINFUL after delivery, so this little bottle makes bathroom trips so much easier.

Just fill it with warm water and gently rinse instead of wiping.

I actually just used this to keep a constant flow of warm water being sprayed while urinating, to avoid the burn those first few days. Then I’d follow up with even more water instead of wiping.

Many hospitals send you home with one (mine did), but if not definitely buy one.

Adult Diapers – and lots of them!!

Better load up on these, and get a larger size than you think. Lol! I bought this pack of size smalls, and was in for a rude awakening when I could barely get them on. I think I ended up using size medium and larges.

Many moms find them more comfortable than trying to keep pads in place, especially overnight. Plus, the first week or so there will be so much discharge/blood that pads just won’t cut it. It’s the honest truth!

You won’t need them forever and I moved onto regular thick pads after about a week. But having a pack or two ready for postpartum recovery is an absolute must.

Miralax (That First Postpartum Poop, Watch Out)

There really isn’t anything glamorous about this post, is there? Ha!

The first postpartum poop is no joke. Between stitches, soreness, and everything your body has gone through, constipation can make things really uncomfortable.

Even if you aren’t prone to constipation, I’d still go ahead and do something like this or drink prune juice to make things are as SOFT as possible.

Having a stool softener like Miralax on hand is SO IMPORTANT.

Pair it with plenty of water and fiber rich snacks, and you’ll thank yourself later.

A Cute Amazon Set (Very Postpartum Forgiving)

THIS matching set was so so nice to have postpartum. Literally nothing fit right it felt like for the first month after having my baby! This one was of the very few things that did.

In this video clip below, I was roughly 3 weeks postpartum! I’m wearing the size medium in the color navy.

I felt so comfortable and cute in this set and the best part was that getting dressed was so very easy. No thinking of what to wear or putting together and outfit! Just throw this on and you’re ready for the day.

Especially on days we had visitors coming, I liked having something like this to wear. It looks nice but is just as comfy as PJ’s!

Other Items I Purchased And Used

Here’s a few other items I purchased and used but just didn’t have time to take a picture of for you!

• Nursing Bras (this one has been a good bra and is ridiculously cheap)
• Reusable Nursing Pads
• Coconut Water
• Boppy Nursing Pillow

Conclusion

Postpartum recovery looks different for every mom, but having the right essentials on hand can make a huge difference in how comfortable and supported you feel.

From soothing sitz baths to practical helpers like adult diapers and Miralax, these little things really do add up and help you focus more on your baby instead of your discomfort.