12 Essential Must-Have Postpartum Items

When I was pregnant, I polled a lot of other Moms about what they thought were THE must-have postpartum items. I got so many responses. Clearly there was a lot of information that Moms wanted to share with other to-be moms.

So, I’ve listed out my top 12 must-have postpartum items for you in this blog post. Most of these apply to if you have a vaginal birth, however there are a few items that you would benefit from if you had a cesarean as well. I hope it helps you prepare for taking care of yourself after having your baby. 

I am participating in a blog circle this month and am sharing a link to another amazing photographer in New Jersey! Be sure to check out her link at the end of this blog post.

This post contains many links – none of which are affiliate links. These are just products I loved having postpartum and think you will also love as you prepare to birth your baby.

Must-Have Postpartum Items

1. The Frida Mom Postpartum Kit – This kit had everything I needed (and things I didn’t realize I would use and need) and it lasted me for at least a month after giving birth. 
   1. Mesh undies – The hospital gives you some, but I loved having more than what was given to me. 
   2. Ice Pack Pads – these are probably the most amazing item in the pack. They are easy to engage and use and provide so much cooling comfort & relief. (Especially if you had any tearing at all, or like me, an episiotomy…) 
   3. Witch hazel foam – my midwives kept telling me about the amazing benefits of witch hazel after birth and I loved having this foaming witch hazel option. Providing some much needed soothing after a vaginal delivery with a third degree tear, thanks Episiotomy! 
   4. Peri bottle – My midwives recommended I add a few drops of calendula to some water to put in the peri bottle – which I did and highly recommend. (I also love that they call this “The bidet for your vajay!” LOL)
   5. Perineal cooling pad liners – honestly I could have done without these. I thought the foaming witch hazel was all I really needed. But it’s nice to have this option in the kit as well. 
   6. The kit now seems to come with a delivery gown + socks, which I did not get in mine. But this seems like a great thing to have while in labor. For the majority of my labor I was in a spaghetti strap night dress, because I was so hot throughout my labor – which was LONG. Nearing the end I was just completely naked – at which point I no longer cared about anyone seeing anything.
2. Bidet (This is the one I have) – We bought a bidet before I was even pregnant and I was in love with it then. Fast forward to my postpartum days and I was beyond grateful once again for having our bidet at home. Most people don’t want to talk about hemorrhoids and hopefully you don’t have to experience them. But I had them bad and having a bidet definitely helped to provide some relief. 
3. Pain-relieving spray – You will receive Dermoplast at the hospital. But I wasn’t in love with the chemical formula and was looking for a more eco-friendly alternative and loved having this Earth Mama Perineal spray option. I felt much better about putting this on my body and found it to be just as relieving. 
4. Magnesium – I mentioned hemorrhoids earlier and will once again let you know how awful they are. Taking Magnesium regularly helped me manage them. 
5. Cushion to sit on – I received one of these from the hospital and used it for at least a month or more postpartum. If I hadn’t gotten one from the hospital I likely would have bought this Frida Mom option. 
6. Sitz Bath – I know some people swear by these. I only used mine a few times. I preferred taking an actual bath in the tub. But I recommend getting one of these anyway. You may prefer it to a full-on tub soak. They are easy to find at your local pharmacy.
7. Sitz Bath Salts – You need these for the sitz bath soak. They are very soothing. I just added mine to the tub – You do you. 
8. Epsom Salt – I added a lot of epsom salt to my sitz baths and continue to take epsom salt baths for a relaxing night after the baby goes to bed. 
9. Kindred Bravely Underwear – I LOVE these ‘grow with me’ underwear. They are the most comfortable underwear I’ve ever owned. I used them throughout my pregnancy and am still using them 9 months postpartum. 
10. Robe – I absolutely love this PinkBlush robe. It is incredibly soft and comfortable. I packed it in my hospital bag and wore it every day as I was traveling back and forth between my room and my baby’s room in the NICU. Once we were home, I continued to use it regularly in my early postpartum days during those night feedings and early morning feedings. It’s a perfect postpartum comfy must-have.
11. Slippers – I received these as a shower gift and almost returned them. But I’m so glad I didn’t because I loved having them at the hospital to walk around in. The socks the hospital gave me weren’t cutting it for me and I much preferred wearing these around. 
12. Maternity Leggings – I love these stretchy & comfy wide-leg cropped maternity leggings. I wore them a bit while pregnant but found I loved them even more postpartum. I still can’t put on jeans comfortably and continue to live in these. I like that these are made of a thicker material so I feel fine wearing them with just a plain tee and don’t feel like I’m revealing too much.

That’s my list of my favorite must-have postpartum items. Stay tuned for next week when I share my must-have nursing items. 

If you found this blog my must-have postpartum items then I assume you are pregnant – if that’s true then, Congrats! Now is the time to also start thinking about booking your newborn photography session. Check out these helpful blog posts for some more information on planning for newborn portraits. 

• 7 Reasons To Book Professional Newborn Photos
• When should We Schedule Our Maternity Photos? | Portland, OR
• What to Wear For Studio Newborn Portraits

Ready to chat about minimal + natural newborn photos for your baby? Great! Fill out my contact form and let’s get the conversation going. I’d love to help you document all of your sweet baby’s newborn features so you can remember them forever with beautiful images.

Thanks for checking out this post about my must-have postpartum items. Remember to check out this post about maternity and newborn photography by Courtney Landrum. She has some great points about why you should invest in a maternity + newborn photography package.