Postpartum Care Kit For After Birth Recovery 2024

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Why Every Mom Needs A Postpartum Care Kit

You are going to need a self-care routine after you give birth believe it or not. The baby is not the only one who will need to be taken care of.

A mom is born the same way a baby is born, not really knowing what to expect, everything is new and different. And this happens with each pregnancy, each baby is different and each recovery may look a little different than the last.

Because so many moms don’t tend to think about the fourth trimester (they all think the end goal is labor and delivery). No mama, your self-care and postpartum recovery go hand in hand.

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Postpartum Care Kit: The Essentials You’ll Need For A Better Faster Recovery

1. Maternity Pads (large, cheap pads)

I’m not talking about your regular monthly pads. I’m saying you need these large cheap maternity pads to get you through the first few weeks of postpartum life.

Want to see how long the postpartum period lasts and what to expect after birth?

2. Postpartum Underwear

You want large underwear that can cover your bum and provide some support to your tummy to help you heal faster and get you back to being more yourself.

If you had a vaginal delivery you’ll want underwear that can keep the pad in the place and help tighten your abdomen.

If you had a c-section delivery you’ll want underwear that goes higher than your scar to avoid pulling any stitches or hurting yourself.

3. Stool Softener

A stool softener can help you go number two so much easier and provide extra relief after giving birth.

Especially if you have a vaginal delivery, going to the restroom may be a little scary and painful the first few times.

Your hospital will give you stool softeners while you are in the maternity department. Some doctors will even prescribe stool softeners for you.

It is also amazing that they are not laxatives so you aren’t going to the restroom as many times as your newborn.

4. Pain Killers

In those first few weeks a few things are going to happen after you give birth:

Your uterus will start contracting to go back down to its regular size
Breast will be sore from learning how to breastfeed
Stitches or staples or glue parts will become itchy

All of those things bring on some discomfort, in order for you to feel a little more like yourself take a pain killer. A slight pain killer that is safe for breastfeeding.

5. Witch Hazel Wipes

What does witch hazel do for postpartum? Witch hazel is a natural noninflammatory and skin-healing agent. It can help reduce swelling, itchiness, and slight discomfort brought on by stitches, hemorrhoids, insect bites.

This is why witch hazel wipes are so comforting after you go to the restroom after birth.

6. Peri Bottle Spray

You will get one of these after you give birth at the hospital. It is a small plastic-like bottle that you can put warm water in and spray yourself after you go pee or number two.

This is great because after birth you may not want to use toilet paper or wipes. It also helps remove any small clots when you spray your lady parts with the peri bottle.

7. Postpartum Cold Packs

A postpartum cold pack is going to feel so good on your lady parts. It is a cold strip that can have adhesive to stick to your underwear and provide relief when you feel pain downstairs.

You can add these to your postpartum care kit, they are highly rated by moms everywhere.

8. Epsom Salts + Essential Oils

You might already have a large bag of Epsom salts at home for detox baths. If not now is the time to order it before you go into labor.

You’ll want to have Epsom salts and essential oil to make a sitz bath.

I love how Carly from Mommy on Purpose talks about how to make a sitz bath at home after birth.

You can do a sitz bath up to three weeks after birth, with 2-3 daily.

They are used to help reduce swelling, calm itchiness and help you go to the restroom easier.

9. Small Cheap Towels

These are great if you decide to do a sitz bath to help you after birth *highly recommend*.

You can just grab a few of those cheap dollar store hand towels to pat yourself dry after you are done with your size bath.

10. Prenatal Vitamins

Oh, I bet you thought you were done with these once-a-day prenatal vitamins right. Wrong, so wrong.

These things helped you get that extra vitamin you needed while creating a baby, now make sure you keep taking them to give you the energy and vitamins you will be used to recover and breastfeed.

11. Aloe Vera + Witch Hazel Spray

If you are making DIY padsicles you are going to need these two items.

A DIY particle can be made by opening your maternity pads (leaving the adhesive side on) and spreading a thin layer of aloe vera gel and then spraying it with witch hazel spray.

After you can fold it up, and place it in a ziplock bag in the freezer.

When you need to change your pad just take it out a few minutes before to let it defrost and warm up just a little.

Provides instant relief and lets you skip the postpartum cold packs.

12. Sitz Spray / Dermaplast

You might find that you have a lot of pain downstairs. Stitches, hemorrhoids, tearing, and contracting your lady bits have taken a serious hit and now they need more relief and help than ever.

You can find Dermoplast in any drug stores but a sitz spray I’d only trust from the brand Mother’sLove.

13. Comfortable Stretchy Pajamas

The transition period from pregnancy to after birth is a weird one. Your pregnancy clothes fit too big, your pre-baby clothes fit too small.

Get a few of these and wear them until you can start working out again. (usually 6 weeks postpartum).

14. Donut Pillow

You are going to be doing a lot of sitting after giving birth. You’ll want to have a donut pillow if you have hemorrhoids (which show up after pushing so hard during labor) and if you had torn down there.

This also may be the only way you can tolerate sitting down the first few days after birth.

Breastfeeding Supplies To Add To Your Postpartum Care Kit

Breastfeeding is something you will be doing around the clock every 2-3 hours the first few weeks.

Because constant breastfeeding helps establish your milk supply; the first few weeks are crucial to help you breastfeed in the long run. So keep these items close.

15. Nipple Pads

Put the nipple pads in your hospital bag right now, even if your milk doesn’t come in the first day. If you spend extra days in the hospital you don’t want to be leaking all over the place.

Reusable breast pads are the ones I used the first few weeks.

16. Nipple Cream

Cracked, sore, tender breasts you will need nipple cream. My favorite is the Nipple Cream from Mother’sLove. They are organic, easy to use, and if digested by baby totally safe.

Seriously, this stuff saved my boobs. From pumping so much at work, my breasts were sore and cracked. Applying the nipple cream a few times a day was like this healing, soothing effect. You need it, trust.

17. Nursing Pillow

A breastfeeding pillow is going to help you latch baby on easier. It will also let you get some support on your back when you are breastfeeding.

For a free nursing pillow use code: solutionsmommy

18. Hair Ties

Breastfeeding does two major things: feeds the baby and makes you super sweaty.

Have you seen that most moms with newborns wear their hair up? Keep it short, in a bun, or rock the mom ponytail? The reason is breastfeeding and postpartum have you rocking crazy sweaty hormones.

Keep a stack of hair ties in your postpartum care kit and you’ll be all set during the fourth trimester.

19. Snacks

You are going to need a lot of snacks when breastfeeding. More than when you were pregnant. Breastfeeding is going to soar your appetite to new heights.

20. Nursing Bras

You will live in these the next few months (or up to a year) depending on how long you breastfeed and pump for.

If you are a plus-size mom you can see our top 14 nursing bras here.

21. Water Bottle With Straw

Breastfeeding makes you super thirsty. I found that after a few glasses of water it was hard for me to keep drinking water.

So I grabbed a large insulated water bottle from Amazon and I was drinking enough water to stay hydrated during breastfeeding.

How To Put Your Postpartum Care Kit Together

Don’t wait to create your postpartum care kit until after you give birth. Start getting it ready right now to have you prepared before the baby arrives.

You’ll want to have a basket or large tote bag where you can place all your items.

If you made padsicles you’ll want to leave those in the fridge and take them out a few minutes before you have to change your pad.

A frozen padsicle is a little painful but a thawed padsicle provides some relief.

Where To Put Your Postpartum Care Kits

Your bathroom
Smaller kit in your other bathrooms
Location where you breastfeed

Other Items That You Need To Feel Better After Birth

Visiting Schedule From Family

It is overwhelming to try to manage having family over and a newborn especially as a first-time mom. Most guests will want to hold the baby which is great but that doesn’t really help you.

If you are having family over make sure to tell them when they can come, Family A can come between these hours and help you do these things (thing 1, thing 2). Family B can come a day later and help you do these things.

Be specific with friends and family about when and what they can help you with.

3 Month Maternity Planner

Not necessarily essential but The 3 Month Maternity Planner does help when you want to know what freezer meals to plan, when to have family over, and what to do with your newborn the first few months after birth.

Also great to know how you can discuss Maternity Leave with your work and what to ask HR.

Freezer Meals

Make life easier on yourself, especially if you are far away from family and will be alone the first few months after birth. Making freezer meals is a great way to stay healthy, get protein, and make breastfeeding freiendly meals.

I’d suggest making them around your 36-37th week of pregnancy.

Paper Plates

Another item that isn’t for postpartum but it will make your life easier so you don’t have one more thing to do with a newborn. Just eat and toss the plates no washing is necessary.

Wow, that was a lot to go through I know.

Now, in conclusion, I want to quickly recap the main items you will need for your postpartum care kit, ready QUICK STATUS:

Happy recovering, if I missed any item that helped you recover after birth – let me know in the comments below!

Postpartum Care Kit For After Birth Recovery