Must-Have Postpartum Essentials

Recovering from childbirth is a unique journey that requires both physical healing and emotional adjustment. In the weeks following birth, the body undergoes significant changes, from hormonal shifts to healing from delivery, whether vaginal or cesarean. A common subject that is often overlooked is what you’re going to need for YOUR body postpartum. You have everything you need for baby, but do you have yourself covered? If you don’t know where to start, this list is something I recommend to all new mothers.

Disposable Underwear

These are the darned greatest things! After you birth a human being, you will be changing a LOT of pads. You will not want to wear normal underwear for a while since you’ll likely wear the ginormous pads they give you at the hospital…. or similar pads. I recommend similar ones, though the first couple of days, while uncomfortable, you may actually want to wear the hospital ones! It was so nice to just throw these away. You can throw them away each time you change your pads, or you can just change the pads and throw the underwear away at the end of the day. I did a combination of both depending on the situation. I was going to wear the underwear the hospital gave me, because I’d worn them after a surgery and loved them, but the pads didn’t stay in very well.

You can actually wear the underwear without pads, but I don’t really recommend this. It just entirely depends on your preference.

Frida Mom Perineal Foam

I LOVE this stuff! I think the hospital gives you something like this, but I highly recommend this foam. It helps with pain relief, AND it smells good. It also makes it feel nice and cool down there, which you will appreciate! I put 1-2 pumps of this on my pad each time I changed it. It’s made with witch hazel, so you can use it by itself or with the Tuck’s Pads.

Frida Mom Peri Bottle

This bottle is a God-Send! Again, the hospital gives you a similar one, but this is SO worth buying instead! This one includes an angled sprayer which makes spraying water directly in the area so much easier. You WILL NOT want to use tissue after giving birth for at least a couple of weeks, ESPECIALLY in the posterior area. I did use a little tissue to dab the water dry on areas next to the perineum, rectum, and vagina. You don’t want to pull up your underwear and be soaking wet!

Expert tip! Use warm water to fill this up before you use it. It’s soothing and makes it so you can hardly feel it. Cold water can sometimes make it painful and shocking. Also, fill it up each time before you use the bathroom. You do not want to be on the toilet and realize there’s nothing in it! Getting on and off of the toilet postpartum is not fun.

Tuck’s Cooling Pads

These are very thin pads, also used for hemorrhoids, infused with witch hazel to soothe your booty. I would place 1-3 in my pads as if lining up turkey on a sub sandwich. Again, if you are using the Friday Mom Perineal foam, you don’t necessarily need to use these as well. I used both for a week or two to double up on cooling and healing.

Dermoplast

Another must-have! Listen. You are going to get itchy down there eventually. That’s what happens when things start to heal. This spray will save your life. Not only does it help with the itching, but it also temporarily numbs the area! There’s nothing better at this stage in life. The hospital gives you a similar can of this, but I found it much less effective and numbing than Dermoplast. You can apply this when you use the bathroom or as needed.

Needed. Cognitive Support Supplement

Ya’all. My brain was literal mush postpartum. The brain fog was unreal. My lack of concentration was staggering at times. I visited a health supplement store about 6 weeks postpartum, because I had started to experience some postpartum anxiety and depression, and the woman working there told me that our babies suck out all of our Omega-3’s in our last month of pregnancy. Omegas give your brain life. And you need a LOT. Like 3,000-4,000mg.! I started taking some, and I felt significantly better! I am going to try this supplement next time around because my brain didn’t return to normal until probably 18 months postpartum. I’ve used their other supplements and have loved them!

In addition to these physical essentials, rest and gentle self-care are also critical during this time, as well as nourishing the body with nutritious foods and plenty of hydration to support recovery. Be sure to reach out to a loved one if you need extra help. This postpartum journey is not easy, but it’s worth it! These products will allow you the time and energy needed to enjoy that beautiful new baby!

Note: An article that covers the essentials for breastfeeding is coming soon!