As a first-time Mama getting ready to have your baby, it is easy to feel lost when it comes to preparing for postpartum. I had my first baby in 2024, and I wanted to take some time to share my list of postpartum essentials for the first-time Mama while it is relatively fresh on my mind. This is an exhaustive list where I try to list all the things that I found helpful. It may seem like a lot or not much at all depending on your perspective. My goal is to offer you resources to support you through this precious albeit difficult season.
Let me preface this by saying that you will never know what will work the best for you individually before you have actually been through postpartum. Every pregnancy and postpartum experience is different. There are so many variables that will change how recovery will be for you. Usually, and in my experience, recovering from your first birth is very difficult. Because of this, I recommend over-preparing as you are able so that you have options during recovery.
I had a homebirth with my son, so of course I am approaching this topic from the angle of needing to prepare for everything myself. If you give birth in a hospital or birthing center I know that it is normal for them to provide several if not most of the basics for postpartum.
I am sharing recommendations based off of my personal research and experience. I am not a health professional and this is not health advice. Always talk to your healthcare professional before utilizing any of the things I recommend in this post.
Bathroom Products
If nobody has mentioned it yet, you will need a pretty serious stock of pads and disposable underwear for the first couple of weeks postpartum. Things will be pretty swollen and sore, so there are some things that can help and just make life easier.
Squatty Potty – I know this sounds silly but trust me. Using a squatty potty will help take some pressure off your perineum and aid you during bowel movements. It is very helpful to have tools to make these things easier on you post-delivery.
Peri Bottle – This is amazing for keeping clean post-delivery. Things are very sensitive after giving birth, and using toilet paper is very harsh and can irritate things much more than you want.
Disposable Underwear – These are a.m.a.z.i.n.g. for that first week. Trust me, you want the disposable granny panties to hold everything in place.
Extra Large Pads – You will bleed pretty heavily especially for the first few days. Having super heavy pads will eliminate worry about leak-throughs.
Overnight Pads – After the first few days postpartum, bleeding will be significantly lighter, but I would still recommend keeping overnights on hand.
Regular Pads – These are obviously necessary and helpful as your body is healing and bleeding continues to lighten up.
Postpartum Padsicles – These are a lifesaver if you tear during birth. You can easily make them yourself or buy pre-made ones to have on hand.
Numbing Spray – I prefer to take an all-natural approach whenever possible, but I tore very badly during delivery and this was absolutely essential for me. I do recommend weaning off it as soon as you can though.
Herbal Sitz Bath – This is very soothing for a swollen perineum postpartum and can help take the edge off if things are feeling painful.
Large Trash Can – This is very helpful to keep right next to the toilet. A small trash can is great for normal life, but it will not do the trick for disposing of postpartum waste.
Bedding
Mattress Protector – You don’t want to ruin your mattress by getting milk and spit up everywhere, so I recommend you keep two mattress protectors handy. One on the bed and one in the wash.
Sheet Set – Three sets of sheets is not too many to have ready. One on the bed, one in the wash, and one ready to go for when you need it.
Pillows – Keep more pillows around than normal. They are great for supporting you while nursing or using to prop yourself up in comfortable positions while sitting or laying in bed.
Blankets – Extra blankets are always helpful to have handy for whenever you need them.
Clothing
I won’t give you a list of every piece of clothing that you need, because ultimately you know what works best for you. I recommend wearing as many natural fibers (cotton, linen, wool, etc.) as possible to give your body a chance to breathe. Nursing is a little tricky at first, so I do recommend having good nursing bras, tanks, and nursing pads ready. These will at least help you feel much more comfortable.
The comfy clothes that you wore and liked at the end of pregnancy are the best for the first month or so postpartum. Your belly will shrink a lot very quickly, but you still want to wear loose, comfortable clothes that don’t squeeze your mid section. Wearing tight clothing poses the risk of presenting or increasing pelvic floor issues as everything in your body is trying to shrink together and heal. Flowy dresses for out and about and comfortable lounge sets for at home are the way to go.
Miscellaneous Supplies
Haaka – This tool is very helpful for collecting extra milk for the first couple of months as your milk regulates. Be careful though, if you use much suction with this it will encourage an oversupply which can be problematic if you are not pumping on top of breastfeeding.
Heating Pad – Afterbirth cramps can be pretty intense during the first few days postpartum. Having a heating pad handy can help ease some discomfort just like it would help with cramps on your menstrual cycle.
Supplements – Continue to take your prenatal vitamins every day. Your body is in overdrive working to recover from birth and produce milk for your baby. Sunflower Lecithin is good to have around if you struggle with mastitis like I did. A fish oil supplement was helpful with baby blues for me as well.
Night Light – I started out using a warm white night light for night wakings, but ended up switching over to a red light. I find that red light keeps my body more in “sleep mode” and I have an easier time going back to sleep after I am done nursing.
Silverettes – These are essential for nursing in my experience. Silver is antibacterial and helps lower risk of mastitis. The cool metal is also soothing for cracked and irritated nipples. These are an investment, but I believe they are totally worth it.
Nipple Butter – A must have for breastfeeding. Not much is worse than needing to feed your baby when you have dry, cracked nipples. Apply this whenever and avoid the painful predicament!
Soothing Gel Pads – These are very popular, so people will probably give you a million of them. They are super helpful for the first couple of weeks as you adjust to nursing!
Hemorrhoid Meds – Yes, you will most likely experience hemorrhoids postpartum. It is best to be prepared.
Tucks Pads – Witch hazel is excellent for relieving itching and burning. Just throw a few tucks pads in your large pad to help with hemorrhoids.
Arnica Homeopathy – Arnica is very helpful with bruising and swelling. I recommend having it ready if you need it.
Of course there are so many other postpartum products that are helpful, so feel free to experiment! Just try to keep things practical and eliminate decisions where you can. Trust me, you will only want to know the one thing you need to grab when you need it. The sleep deprivation and brain fog can be overpowering at times, and you won’t want to make more decisions than necessary.
Food And Freezer Meals
I hope you are able to have lots of support postpartum through friends and family, but even if you have lots of people helping you it is still amazing to know you have ready-made meals in the freezer. Do as much prep work as you can before having your baby so that you don’t have to worry about learning to care for your baby AND decide what you are making for dinner. It’s too much during the first several weeks.
I appreciated having meals in the freezer that I could just pull out and thaw, but I really wish that I had done a better job preparing snacks for myself during the day. Breastfeeding hunger and thirst is real, and you want to be prepared. Stockpile all of your pantry staples and favorite snacks so you have them ready to go. There are lots of resources for freezer meal recipes, so make whatever sounds good to you!
I enjoyed having pre-made spaghetti sauce with meatballs, jambalaya sauce, chili, etc. Those kinds of meals were great because it was easy to cook some rice or pasta and throw together a quick salad to complete the dish. Muffins and quick breads were great to have around too.
It can is great to have a bunch of frozen fruit and ingredients for smoothies handy as well. Smoothies are so quick to pull together and you can easily pack a bunch of great ingredients in. These are also amazing if you are postpartum during the summer like I was.
Other Postpartum Essentials
Sunlight – It is hard to balance taking rest very seriously and getting out for sunshine. Maybe have a hammock outside or a bench swing with cushions. The point is, try to get at least a few minutes in the sun as you are able. This will help a lot with avoiding or minimizing postpartum depression.
Books – I took a month-long break from social media during my first month postpartum. Reading books instead was very good for me. I recommend you do it as well if you are willing.
Pelvic Floor Therapy – Your body goes through a lot during birth. If you feel like everything “down there” healed up easily, that’s great! But for me and many others that simply isn’t the case. No matter what boat you are in, I recommend pelvic floor therapy. Healing diastasis recti and strengthening your pelvic floor muscles after birth will do you loads of good. You can go in-person or do exercises online. Online works well for many, but don’t hesitate to go in-person if your problems are severe.
Final Thoughts
It is a journey to healing during your postpartum season. For some it is quick and easy, and for others it is drawn-out and difficult. Wherever you are, just know that you are doing a great job, and that this too shall pass. Soak up all the newborn snuggles and treasure this time even though it can be so hard.
Prepare as much as you can, and ask for support where you need and want it. Motherhood is a beautiful gift, and I wish you the very best as you embark on this journey.
If this post was helpful to you, I’d love it if you would save it to your Pinterest or share a link with friends!
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