My Favourite Postpartum Recovery Products for New Moms
My Favourite Postpartum Recovery Products
Okay, let’s talk postpartum recovery.
Bringing your baby into the world is incredible, but those first few days and weeks can also be a lot. You are sore, bleeding, feeding a baby around the clock, sleeping in tiny little chunks, and somehow still expected to function like a normal human being.
After doing postpartum more than once, there are definitely some things I would want waiting for me at home again.
These are the products that actually made those early days easier and more comfortable for me.
1. Peri Bottle
The hospital usually gives you a peri bottle, but I much prefer the angled ones.
Bathroom trips after birth can be uncomfortable enough without trying to awkwardly aim a little bottle in the right direction. An angled peri bottle just makes everything easier, especially during those first few days.
Peri Bottle
2. Disposable Adult Diapers
Postpartum bleeding is no joke.
I know adult diapers do not exactly scream glamorous postpartum experience, but I genuinely loved them. They are so much easier than constantly worrying about pads moving around or leaking, especially when you are sleeping.
You can even add a pad inside for extra absorbency and change the pad more often without needing to change the entire diaper every time.
Comfort over cuteness for those first few days. 😂
Adult Diapers
3. Nipple Cream
Breastfeeding can be beautiful, but those first few days can also be rough on your nipples.
If you are dealing with significant cracking or pain, it is worth talking to your midwife, doctor, or lactation consultant. I was prescribed a compounded nipple cream by my healthcare provider and found it incredibly helpful.
If you are having nipple pain, do not just suffer through it. Sometimes a small change in latch or some extra support can make a huge difference.
4. Nursing Pads
The leaking. So much leaking.
Nursing pads were a necessity for me during the early breastfeeding days. I originally bought disposable ones, and somehow still had a pile left years later.
If I were buying them again, I would probably choose reusable ones. You usually only need them heavily for a season, and reusable ones create less waste and take up hardly any space.
Reusable Nursing Pads
5. Comfy Nursing Bras
You are going to be feeding your baby a lot, including at very inconvenient hours of the night.
A comfortable nursing bra makes those feeds so much easier.
I have heard really good things about Kindred Bravely bras, especially if you have a larger chest and want more support. If you are smaller chested, honestly, I have found that inexpensive nursing bras can work perfectly well too.
Kindred Nursing Bra
6. Sitz Bath Soak
A sitz bath can feel amazing when you are sore after a vaginal birth.
Sometimes just sitting in warm water for a few minutes and having a bit of quiet is exactly what your body needs.
Follow the postpartum care recommendations from your midwife or doctor, especially if you have stitches or significant tearing.
Sitz Bath Soak
7. Cooling Pads
Cooling pads were another favourite for those first few days after a vaginal birth.
There is something incredibly relieving about having something cold when everything feels swollen and sore.
You can buy ready made cooling products or make your own postpartum padsicles ahead of time.
Tucks Cooling Pads
8. Wirapa High Waisted Underwear
At some point you will graduate from the adult diapers, but you probably will not immediately want to put your cute underwear back on. 😂
I loved having soft, high waisted underwear with lots of coverage.
They are especially nice when you want something that feels secure without digging into your stomach or sitting uncomfortably low.
Wirapa Underwear
9. High Fibre Snacks
Postpartum digestion deserves its own entire conversation.
You really do not want constipation added to everything else your body is recovering from.
I kept easy, high fibre snacks around so I could grab something quickly while feeding the baby. Fibre One bars were one of my staples.
Also, drink your water. So much water.
Fibre One Bars
10. Unscented Epsom Salts
I love a bath, and postpartum was no exception.
Once I was cleared to soak in the tub, an Epsom salt bath was such a nice way to relax tired muscles and have a few quiet minutes to myself.
Please learn from my mistake and buy unscented Epsom salts. 😂
I bought scented ones once and immediately regretted it. Postpartum is not the time to experiment with strongly fragranced bath products.
Unscented Epsom Salt
11. A Few Things That Make You Feel Like Yourself
This one is less about healing and more about feeling human again.
Having a newborn can make the days blur together. Sometimes something as simple as clean pajamas, doing your hair, putting on a face mask, or drinking coffee out of your favourite mug can make you feel surprisingly refreshed.
A comfy lounge set is especially nice because you can wear it around the house when people come to visit, but you also feel put together enough to leave the house.
Lounge Set
I also love heatless curlers because you can put them in at night and wake up with your hair basically done without spending precious morning time on it.
Heatless Curlers
(https://amzn.to/3VDZ0oG)
And sometimes a face mask while you sit on the couch feeding the baby is about the level of self care we are working with. 😂
Peel Off Face Mask
These are the postpartum products I found genuinely helpful.
You absolutely do not need to buy every postpartum product on the internet. A few practical things that keep you comfortable, fed, hydrated, and rested can go a very long way.
And my honourable mention has nothing to do with recovery products at all.
Pick a comfort show before the baby comes.
You are going to spend a lot of time feeding your baby, especially in those early weeks. Having a light sitcom with short episodes was perfect for those middle of the night feeds when I needed something to keep me awake without getting invested in an hour long episode.
Mostly, give yourself permission to recover.
Let people bring you food. Let the laundry sit. Hold your baby. Take naps when you can. Eat the chocolate.
Your body just did something incredible.
Your Doula,
Tay
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