Postpartum Must Haves : New Mum Essentials. Everything You Need

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New Mum Essentials: Postpartum Must Haves

It’s important to plan for the postpartum recovery period. This includes making sure you have your postpartum must haves.

Your body will have gone through a lot of changes that will affect you in different ways depending on if you’ve had a vaginal birth or a c-section.

Be prepared. Make yourself a postpartum care kit that includes all the essentials you need for after birth.

By using these postpartum must haves you will have a faster and easier recovery.

There’s no need to worry about snapping back into shape within a matter of weeks like these celebs. That’s just crazy!

Plus, don’t forget any unnecessary pressure can contribute to postpartum depression.

Instead, take your postpartum recovery slowly and be kind to yourself. Weather you’ve had a vaginal delivery or c-section delivery, it will have been brutal on your body.

Plus, now you also have a little baby to take care of. Be kind to yourself. Have some mother and baby bonding time.

Postpartum life can be hard, so let’s make it a little less brutal with these fabulous postpartum must haves.

12 Postpartum Must-Haves: How to Have a Faster & Easier Recovery After Birth

1 – A Good Moisturiser For Stretch Marks & C-section Scars

It’s important to look after your skin during the postpartum period. As your weight dramatically drops, you are prone to stretch marks.

This skin care oil will help hydrate your skin and add elasticity to your shrinking belly, and assist in the fading of C-section scars. 

2 – A Postpartum Sitz Bath Mix

Try a postpartum sitz bath, it aids with swelling reduction and helps fight infection.

This sitz bath enables you to sit in warm water and relieves pain, reduces inflammation, improves hygiene, and promotes blood flow in your bottom or around your private parts easily.

Add some Epsom salts for added healing. You can read more about how to take a postpartum sitz bath in this article.

Another favourite to add to a shallow bath is the MumBubHub Postpartum Bath Herbal Soak.

3 – Foot Spa

Childbirth may also bring about swelling feet and ankles, so give them some much needed tlc with a foot spa.

The warm water will soothe your sore feet and you can do it whilst you’re feeding the baby.

4 – Maternity Pads

Lots and lots of big maternity pads. Why? Because you’re going to bleed a lot (sorry).

Make sure you have a massive stash of your favourite ones, as it’s just the worst feeling when you’re running out and need to drag yourself and a new baby out to get more.

These are super nice as they are breathable and extra long. They are also 100% cotton, so they won’t irritate you when you’re already sore.

5 – Padsicles

You can make your own padsicles ready for when you get home.

All you need are some maternity pads and apply some witch hazel or aloe-vera gel of your choice and stick them in the freezer.

When you’re back home and a little sore, get one out of the freezer and pop it in your giant granny pants – instant relief. 

These are best used during the first week postpartum and will bring you some relief from a vaginal birth.

6 – Maternity Ice Pack

These perineal ice packs are designed to reduce the pain, swelling and bruising of the perineal area.

You don’t need to freeze these cold packs either. You can pop them straight in your hospital bag, ready to use.

This is definitely a great alternative to making your own padsicles.

7 – Belly wrap

A belly wrap or support girdle can be really useful.

After birth your uterus will shrink back to its normal size and this can cause some after pains.

It’s beneficial to you during this time to give your stomach some extra support. The Belly Bandit Wrap is a super popular choice.

Also, belly binding can help if you are suffering with diastasis recti.

This happens when your womb stretches out and moves the abdominal muscles. In a lot of woman the muscles have some trouble moving back to how they once were so a belly wrap can really help with this.

8 – Bottom Spray

These sprays are a godsend for cooling the perineal area after birth.

With witch-hazel, lavender and peppermint, the mist eases and cools any discomfort you may have, such as burning and itching.

This earth mama herbal perineal spray is a popular choice for new moms.

Another favorite is the MumBubHub Perineal Spray.

9 – Nipple Cream / Nipple Butter

Breastfeeding can be painful to start with until you get the hang of it. Cracked nipples need looking after to as they are sensitive, and you’ll feel the soreness a lot.

This nipple cream helps relieve sore and cracked nipples associated with nursing. It is safe for mum and baby, so there is not need to remove it before breastfeeding. It is 100% natural and hypoallergenic. 

10 – Breast Pads / Nursing Pads

When your breast milk comes in, you’ll soon learn that you’ll leak everywhere – day and night.

Make sure you have plenty of these disposable breast pads to soak up the milk. Keeping your nipples dry helps prevent soreness.

The pads are super thin, so don’t worry you won’t be able to notice them under your clothes.

These are the pads I used, which were great and really absorbent.

I also used a disposable mat in my bed at night time to stop and leaking onto my bed sheets.

11 – Epsom Salts

Tip a load of Epsom salts in your bath and have a lovely soak.

It will give you some much needed relief from the swelling and soreness and help with the healing.

12 – Peri Bottle

Sometimes during your postpartum recovery you may find you’re too tender to use toilet paper. Instead, try a peri bottle.

Peri Bottles are super too easy to use. Just fill them with warm water and then spray onto the perineal area to clean it after you’ve been to the toilet.

The water helps dilute the urine, so it doesn’t sting you so much, which is especially helpful if you’ve had stitches. Keeping the area clean will also help keep it clear from infection.

13 – Stool Softener

You may have heard that your first bowel movement after the birth of your new baby is a tricky business.

I can confirm this is true (sorry!). If you get only one thing on this list, make sure it’s a stool softener.

You don’t want to be straining too hard as you may get piles or hemorrhoids – or make the ones you already have worse.

Also, make sure you drink plenty of water to help with easier bowel movements. Take it slow.

As will all medicines make sure you check it’s OK with your Health Visitor or GP first.

14 – Comfy PJS

Let’s be real here. There will be times during the first few weeks postpartum where you just won’t get dressed. (I don’t blame you, I didn’t either!).

Get yourself some nice warm and comfy pj’s that you can lounge around in all day.

If you’re planning on breastfeeding, consider getting maternity/nursing pajamas as they are designed with easy access to the front.

Conclusion

As a new mom recovering from giving birth, it’s a given that you look after yourself properly. The postpartum essentials (UK) will help you be ready.

Everything is a little crazy when you have a new baby, so get ready BEFORE! The third trimester is the ideal time ready.

If you’re having a baby shower or throwing one for someone, then a postpartum recovery kit made up of the items above would be a really useful.

You can use the items mentioned as little gift guide for your friends attending to help you get everything you need.

You can find more information on postpartum by reading more in the section on Postpartum Life.