Postpartum must haves
If you are looking for a list of most everything you need before, and after baby this is the list for you.
I will break it down with links for you on the following:
Hospital Must Haves
Mama Must Haves
Baby Must Haves
Hospital Must Haves:
Bring your own fuzzy/warm blanket and pillow
Believe it or not you will be at the hospital for awhile. Especially if you are being induced like I was. This makes the labor and postpartum room more tolerable and comfortable. Have your partner bring one was well, if they are staying with you in the recovery room then this will make things better for them as well.
If you are being induced: TAKE THE BENADRYL/AMBIEN while the pictocen works
One of my biggest regrets is I refused this advice from my nurse. I was so panicked that I just couldn’t mentally allow myself to take anything BUT not only did I not sleep all night, I then started to labor at 11am and had my son at 8:27pm andddd then I didnt sleep for the next 11ish months. So just listen to me and take the damn benedryl.
Download some relaxing music to your phone in advance.
I downloaded “50 relaxing ocean waves soundtrack” on iTunes to help calm my anxiety and it helped pre-labor and also postpartum.
TAKE ALL THE HOSPITAL SWADDLES YOU CAN
I feel like no one openly talks about this, well because I probably shouldn’t be openly saying it out loud, BUT, these make the BEST swaddles when you get home and for the first few months. They are thicker than ones you can get online and somehow stay super soft even through 100 washes.
Bring grippy socks
This one you wouldn’t even probably have thought about because its less important BUT I can tell you from experience that I walked those hospital halls to speed up labor and those halls are slippery.
The hospital gives you grippy socks BTW but they are usually bright duckling yellow and one size fits all so they are not super comfortable.
I brought a 3 pack in my size off amazon (linked above) and I used them A TON, mostly because we were in the hospital for a week and my son was in NICU on a different floor so they were nice for the walk to and from.
Mama Must Haves:
This is the one that is rechargeable, and you are NOT hooked to a wall. I can’t tell you for how much I was having to pump at first being stuck to a wall gave me anxiety so when I switched to the rechargeable one and I could just walk around with it- LIFE CHANGING
If you get the Spectra S1 get the Freemie attachments, it makes it hands free and discrete. I would hook these puppies up and put the pump in the bassinet with sawyer and take him for a walk in the stroller and no one could see I was pumping at the same time. Magic.
Here are some items I ALWAYS kept in my carrier
Water
Quick snacks (breastfeeding DRAINS you)
I liked these snacks, small, easy and delicious…*FYI both of these are plant based protein!
You can download this off the iTunes app store
For the first 2/3 months life will be an ABSOLUTE BLUR. You are going to be so tired from all the feeding, pumping, changing, rocking, not sleeping that you wont know what day, year, time or place it is.
This app helps you, and whomever you choose to track feedings, pumps, changes and pee/poop diapers. Then everyone helping can be on the same page. Also, fun fact during pediatrician appointments they ask you how many pee and poop diapers baby has had per day (UMMM I DON’T FREAKING COUNT!) so this app helped me give actual data to our pediatrician.
Sign up for a Diaper fund via Amazon
Get TWO of these, and I cannot stress this enough. You will want, need, and kick yourself if you do not get 2.
Always keep one in your car. I cannot tell you how many times I have been in a pinch and needed to pump asap when I am out and about. This pump makes it SUPER easy, and its discrete enough to use in your front seat.
If you don’t follow my advice that’s cool, but let me tell you I forgot to put this hand pump back in my car once and I REALLY needed to pump when I was at a friends wedding (boobs so engorged they were about to JUMP out of my dress). Went to my car to pump- no pump in site. I had to squeeze my boobs into a freaking empty old starbucks cup I found in the backseat…not fun.
This is a handpump that you can use handsfree while pumping on one side or breastfeeding!
My advice is have one upstairs in babies room (obviously) and another downstairs in the living room (or whatever room you hang out in the most)
Those first couple of months you are changing diapers every 1-2 hours, and you don’t want to be tired trekking up and down the stairs to change baby.
Changing table I got from wayfair that I love!
Mama, these next things are for your NETHER region if you deliver vaginally
Depends boutique Diapers (LOADS OF THEM)
Perineal Spray - Earth Mama brand
Nipple Butter - Earth Mama brand
A MASSIVE amount of Extra Strength Tylenol
Baby Must Haves:
Muslin material or the ones from carters are what I’ve found to be the best.
Sets of different types of bottles (dr.browns, playtex, tommee tippee)
All babies are different and will refuse or love different bottles. My son refused EVERYTHING besides Tommee Tippee and Dr. Browns. He also then refused tommee tippy and only accepted dr. browns so they change their preference a lot too.
I cannot stress this enough. Have multiple tins, don’t use other butt balms. My son has never had diaper rash with bag balm, and a friends son kept getting it super bad when she was using other pastes, I had her switch to bag balm and he’s never had another diaper rash- the stuff is pure magic.
Amazon touch lights (x2-3)
These are great for middle of the night changes. You tap them of and tap them off, it lets out enough light so you can see but not enough to full wake baby!
Hello Bello Diaper Subscription
Transition from co-sleep or dockAtot to bassinet and before crib
Aiden and Anais muslin blankets
This is going to be all about babies preference as well, my son has tried MANY. Rated best to mehh.
Happiest baby on the block - by far my favorite
Same with bottles and swaddles, baby will have their own preference so get all different types and brands. If they are like my son they will also outright REFUSE the pacifier…but at least you tried
You wont need this until about 5-6 months but its nice to have on hand!
I keep mine in my car for visits to grandparents, friends, families houses. Never fails me!
Used once they can sit up on their own and hold their head up.