Healthy Postpartum Must-Haves for Mom
I love being a mom, and I truly couldn’t be happier on my maternity leave with Luca. Having a baby is the most incredible blessing, and I’m soaking up every second. But, honestly, the first month of his life hit me like a truck. In this post, I’m going to get personal about my experience because I felt that honest accounts of the first few weeks with a baby were hard to come by. There’s so much joy and excitement around bringing home an adorable little bundle of life, but moms go THROUGH it as they recover from the trauma of birth, learn to handle their changing body, and figure out how to care for an infant on very little sleep.
There are so many helpful lists out there with everything your newborn needs after birth, but I personally felt like I was scrambling to get what I needed postpartum. Here is what I loved and what I wish I knew about before giving birth.
First things first–mamma needs fuel! After the heroic feat of giving birth, you’ll likely be extremely hungry. Add in breastfeeding, and you’re going to need high-quality nourishment, and hospital food doesn’t quite cut it. I was starving when I got home from the hospital, so having many prepared meals is essential. Something to consider, however, is that you’ll likely have a baby in your arms nearly 24/7 for those first few weeks, so meals that can be consumed one-handed are really helpful. Besides the meals that my dad cooked and froze for Mike and I, here are some one-handed ideas for you. They shouldn’t be eaten in the place of a full meal, but these options can be really helpful go-tos when you’re hungry and in a pinch.
Organic sliced turkey breast
Chomps meat sticks or a clean beef jerky
Quesadillas
Grass fed 100% beef hotdogs (Teton brand is great)
Bone broth (very healing for recovery)
Protein hot cocoa
If you don’t get the chance to freeze meals ahead of time, or you don’t have someone who can cook healthy foods for you in those early weeks, this meal delivery company looks great! I haven’t tried them personally, but I am impressed with the clean, nutritious meals they have to offer. (Ordering some of these could also be a great gift for a loved one who is in a recovery of any kind).
In addition to fueling with good foods, I highly recommend taking the following supplements daily:
Prenatal
Magnesium (especially helpful in keeping things moving for that post-birth first bowel movement)
Omega-3
Probiotic
LMNT electrolytes (proper cellular hydration is so important when you are breastfeeding. Breast milk is 80% water, and your body needs electrolytes to maintain supply and keep you hydrated and energized).
These, at a minimum, will help you maintain your nutrient levels. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are incredibly demanding times for your body, and most of what you’ve got goes to baby and milk. Be sure to take care of you so that you can best support your little one!
When it comes to supporting your physical recovery following birth, there are some things that just make everything a little more bearable. I didn’t feel fully prepared for the discomfort after delivery, and while recovery can vary tremendously from person to person, in my experience, I wanted to do very little besides sit on the couch for the first week or two. Even standing in the shower for any length of time was painful and, in the beginning, going on walks caused increased bleeding for me, which was my body’s way of communicating that I needed to sloooow down. Go very easy on yourself in the first few weeks, and know that bleeding is normal for the first weeks to months after giving birth. Here are some things to stock up on before baby comes:
Primally Pure lip balm. I guarantee your lips will be incredibly chapped after delivery and your stay in the hospital, so stock up on this! It’s a clean, nontoxic brand that I love, which is even more important when you’re smooching your baby all over.
Always discreet underwear–AKA adult diapers. Glamor goes right out the window when you first have a baby, and comfort and ease become your best friends.
This Frida Mom peri bottle is amazing and will be your go-to for keeping things clean down there. There is an entire Frida Mom recovery kit that is worth looking into, but I personally didn’t feel I had the time to deal with anything but a quick rinse and using this Perineal Spray from Earth Mama.
I also recommend the Earth Mama nipple butter to prevent too much irritation.
Ibuprofen. If you know me, you know I’m not a fan of pain medication of any kind, but in the first week or so postpartum, I made an exception. I needed to be functional for my baby, and handling a lot of pain on very little sleep is simply a terrible combination. I actually had to send my husband out to get this for me because we didn’t have anything in the house. Don’t make my mistake and have a bottle at the ready.
Comfortable, soft, button down pajamas. The discomfort you will be feeling–all over–in the early days is real, and I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have comfortable lounge clothes–and plenty of them–for that time period. For some reason, I had only ONE pair of pajamas that fit the criteria above and it did not cut it. You’ll be juggling lots of bodily fluids the first month or so, so having several pairs of PJs you can change into is key (especially because doing laundry isn’t so easy at first). Button downs are essential, particularly if you plan to breastfeed, because your baby will spend most of its time on your breasts, and you’ll likely be navigating the trial and error of latching etc. I recommend the Stars Above brand pajamas from Target or the Cozy Earth pajamas (if you want to splurge). They are both incredibly soft and comfortable. A robe, soft sweatpants, and big comfy underwear are also must-haves.
Now, let’s talk boobs. This was the part of postpartum life I was least prepared for, and it was by far the most challenging for me. As many of you know, breastmilk typically takes a few days to come in after delivering your baby, so in all likelihood, you will only be producing colostrum during your stay at the hospital/birthing center. On the day/night your milk does come in, you will likely experience severe engorgement, a very uncomfortable period where your breasts are so swollen with milk that they become hard, tender, and milk removal is essential. I (fortunately or unfortunately) had a tremendous oversupply of milk on top of this, and my son had trouble with latching due to tongue and lip ties. This led to suboptimal milk removal and my breast actually became infected with mastitis. While I had heard of mastitis prior to giving birth, I didn’t understand much about what caused it. I am by no means an expert on breast health, so I encourage you to do some research for yourself and connect with a lactation consultant (or ask the consultant in the hospital before you leave about how to prevent it). Mastitis is a serious infection that almost always needs to be treated with antibiotics and can make breastfeeding incredibly challenging until it is healed.
One thing I wish I had been aware of is how useful a hand pump can be. Electric pumps, which every new mom can get for free through insurance, are great, but as someone who had an oversupply and didn’t want to create an even bigger one, using a hand pump like this one was an extremely useful tool in milk removal. Especially in the early days when you might be producing more than baby can consume, it’s a gentle way to keep milk moving and prevent infection or severe discomfort. It’s also easy to clean and take anywhere in comparison to an electric pump.
While I do not have the expertise to advise you on your breastfeeding journey, I can highly recommend that you invest in soft and comfortable nursing tanks and bras. One major cause of mastitis and breast tissue challenges can be ill-fitting or too-tight tops and bras in the early phases of breastfeeding. The company Bodily has incredible (though pricy) nursing tank tops and bras for each phase of the breastfeeding journey. The materials and levels of support are tailored to each phase and were created under advisement of certified lactation consultants. A gift card to their site could be an amazing baby shower gift. Unfortunately, I recommend waiting until after your baby is born to purchase anything because my breast size increased dramatically after giving birth, and I likely would have purchased the wrong sizes had I bought clothes before delivery. You would be surprised at how important having the right clothes for nursing can be, particularly when your breasts are very uncomfortable, your nipples are tender, and you are constantly leaking milk.
Even more important than clothes, though, is having a lactation consultant that you can work with (ideally, who will come to your home) after birth. Breastfeeding is a very natural process, but it does not come naturally to many women and babies. It’s challenging, and women are not meant to do it alone! Know exactly who you will reach out to before giving birth because you will not want to do the research when you are in the thick of it. I truly can’t stress this enough.
Lastly, I wanted to include a few recommendations for healthy personal care and cleaning products. I have never felt more aware of the products I use on my body than now–when I have a newborn baby lying on my chest, snuggling into my neck, and nuzzling my cheeks. Here are some brands of personal care products I trust, use, and love:
Beautycounter
Primally Pure
Ilia
Hume
Risewell
Wellnesse
Acure
Innersence
Necessaire
For nontoxic cleaning, I use nothing but Branch Basics. I love knowing that the laundry I wash, the floors and counters I clean, and the dish soap I use is all perfectly safe for me and my baby–even if we were to swallow some! (It really is that safe)!
I hope this blog post arms you with some knowledge and helpful tools to navigate those first few weeks of motherhood and beyond. Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and healthy postpartum experience.
XO,
Kara
