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Postpartum recovery essentials, from a mom of three
16
items The postpartum recovery basics I'd want in the house before the baby arrives: a peri bottle, cooling pads and high-waisted underwear for the first days, nursing and pumping comfort, and a few pieces for support, sleep and your own nutrition. Written ...
I'm a Gold Amazon Influencer with 1,100+ product review videos and a mom of three, so I know how quickly the first weeks home go from hopeful to chaotic. I haven't used every item here myself, so I've picked on strong reviews and added an honest cave...
Contains affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
I'm a Gold Amazon Influencer with 1,100+ product review videos and a mom of three, so I know how quickly the first weeks home go from hopeful to chaotic. I haven't used every item here myself, so I've picked on strong reviews and added an honest cave...
Contains affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Sections
3
Peri and bathroom recovery
Nursing and pumping comfort
Support, rest and you
Peri and bathroom recovery
The practical basics for the first couple of weeks at home: the stuff that makes bathroom trips and healing less painful.
The easiest single thing to put in a hospital bag when you don't know what to pack: disposable underwear, ice pads, a peri bottle and more in one kit. It won't replace extra pads, so I'd still stock up on those.
Frida Mom 12pc Postpartum Essentials Kit
The angled spout makes bathroom trips much easier in the first weeks. Fill it with warm water and keep one beside each toilet. It's cheap enough to buy two.
Frida Mom Upside Down Peri Bottle
High-waisted disposable underwear made for the first days, so you're not ruining your own. Buy more than you think you need. Check the size chart against your pre-pregnancy size before ordering.
Frida Mom 8pc Postpartum Underwear
Pads with a built-in cooling pack you squeeze to activate, so there's nothing to freeze in advance. Handy for the first days home. Some people still like a separate ice pack for longer relief.
Frida Mom Instant Ice Maxi Pads
Long overnight pads for heavier early days, at a much lower cost per pad than specialty postpartum brands. Stock a couple of packs before the birth so you're not sending someone out at 2am.
Always Maxi Overnight Pads, Size 4
A herbal cooling spray with witch hazel and lavender for after bathroom trips. Keeping it in the fridge makes it feel even better. It's a pricier bottle than a plain witch hazel spray, so it's a nice-to-have.
Earth Mama Herbal Perineal Spray
Nursing and pumping comfort
Comfort and supply basics for the early nursing weeks, whether you're breastfeeding, pumping or a bit of both.
A simple lanolin balm many nursing mothers keep on the nightstand, with no need to wipe it off before feeding. A small tube is inexpensive, so it's an easy one to add to the hospital bag. Not suitable if you have a wool allergy.
Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream, 1.41 Ounces
Cooling gel pads that sit inside your bra between feeds. Keep them in the fridge for extra relief. They're reusable for a limited time, so a pack won't last the whole way.
Lansinoh Soothies Cooling Gel Pads
Reusable bamboo-style pads, cheaper over time than disposables. This pack has two thicknesses, thin for the day and thicker for overnight. Buy a second pack so there's always a clean set.
Bamboobies Washable Nursing Pads, 8 pack
A simple silicone pump that catches milk on the other side while you feed. Inexpensive and easy to clean. It's a manual collector, not a replacement for an electric pump.
Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump, 4oz
A hands-free wearable pump that fits inside your bra so you can move around while pumping. This is the two-pump set. It's the priciest thing on this list, so check whether your insurance covers a pump first.
Momcozy S12 Pro Wearable Breast Pump, 2 pack
Support, rest and you
Things for you, not the baby: support, sleep and nutrition. Easy to skip, and worth having.
A soft wireless nursing bra with one-hand clips, comfortable enough to sleep in. Ratings are good but not perfect, and fit is personal, so check the size chart. It's worth buying once your milk comes in.
Kindred Bravely Simply Sublime Nursing Bra
Pajamas with nursing access that still look presentable when visitors arrive. Worth it when you're living in them for weeks. At around $60 it's a splurge, so cheaper nursing pajamas exist if budget matters.
Kindred Bravely Davy Nursing Pajama Set
An adjustable wrap many mothers use for gentle support in the early weeks. Reviews are more mixed than most of this list (3.9 stars), and fit varies, so check with your provider about when and how to use one.
Belly Bandit Original Postpartum Adjustable Wrap
A curved pillow that supports your arms through long feeds, which saves your shoulders. The cover is machine washable. This is the current softer version, so it's a little less firm than the older design.
Boppy Nursing Pillow
A postnatal multivitamin with a short ingredient list, formulated for the months after birth and while nursing. It's sold under the Ritual Postpartum name now. Talk to your provider before starting any supplement.
Ritual Postpartum Essentials Multivitamin