I’m 9 weeks postpartum today and I want to talk about my Postpartum essentials. There are things that really help make this postpartum period easier and things that I even used previously after my having the girls.
PHOTOGRAPHY // Erica J. Simmons
Postpartum is hard – even when it’s good. Caring for a newborn and yourself on little sleep is tough. What I realized is that postpartum is so hard because it’s nonstop. Between changing diapers, feedings, waking up at night, caring for your other children and still being a decent partner or spouse, it can easily seem like they’re aren’t enough hours in the day. And then on top of all of that, you’re supposed to take care of yourself, too. (Don’t be afraid to ask for help!)
MY POSTPARTUM MUST HAVES
Fridamom Upside Down Peri Bottle
Fridamom Ice Maxi Pads
Terrycloth Robe
Dearfoam Slippers
Pajama Set
Lounge Set
Prenatal Vitamin
Nursing Bra
Sleep Nursing Bra
Lanolin Cream
Breast Pads
Water Bottle
Body Scrub
Bar Soap
Body Lotion
Mini Vaseline
SHOP MY POSTPARTUM FAVES
One thing that helped a lot was making sure that I kept taking my prenatal vitamin. The truth is, your prenatal vitamin becomes a post natal vitamin during postpartum making sure you still get all the nutrients you need during this crucial time. Especially if you’re a breastfeeding mama (which is very physically demanding) you need all the nutrients you can get.
Being comfortable is so important during the postpartum. Important postpartum essentials for the first two weeks are a comfy robe, pajamas and house slippers (my amazing mother in law buys me a new pair every year). This is not the time to try to squeeze into your postpartum jeans or even dress up for that matter. Even if you don’t want to stay in your pajamas all day long, I loved wearing cute lounge sets like this that were extremely comfy yet presentable.
Every mama knows that after delivery your body is going through a lot. Without giving TMI, your bleeding for a few weeks after giving birth and anything that can give you relief is a win. I became a fan of the Fridamom cooling pads and the Fridamom upside down peri bottle. They just made postpartum life much better. Lots of their products were postpartum essentials for me. Will do a full review on them if you’re interested, but I really enjoyed their products.
Because I was breastfeeding for the third time around, I knew I had to have certain things to take the edge off the demand of breastfeeding. (Planning on doing a separate breastfeeding essentials post later.) Those first couple of weeks are grueling on your nipples, so I had my lanolin cream and breast pads on deck. I don’t know how I forgot (I think because I went into labor 2.5 weeks before my due date), but I didn’t have a nursing bra which is so important! Found the absolute best nursing bra a couple years ago when I was postpartum with Caliana. Also learned that you should have a very comfortable sleep nursing bra. Ordered this sleeping one from Target. I can’t stress how important it is to have a day nursing bra and sleep nursing bra. It’s for the best!
And because you’re breastfeeding, hydration is a must. Having a water bottle like this that makes drinking it easy is so helpful because you can track how much you’ve been drinking. For those days, I didn’t hydrate enough, I moisturized my lips with this mini Vaseline.
The body scrub I used postpartum really has helped with the elasticity and moisture of my skin. I’ve always been a fan of Shea Moisture products and this has not disappointed me. I used it with the matching soap and moisturized with this lotion which is a drug store favorite!
We’re all different, but hopefully my list of postpartum essentials helps you during this time. Remember it’s only temporary and doesn’t have to be a miserable time. Make the best of it by taking care of yourself and asking for help.
