After having four kids I can confidently say I’m well versed with the early postpartum phase of motherhood. In reality you don’t need a whole lot of stuff to help you get through it. Here’s a list of the postpartum essentials you’ll need as a minimalist mom to help you recover and get back to life as normal.
Also, congratulations on your precious little one! You’ve got this, Mama 😀
Side note, I am not a medical professional. I’m simply a mom sharing my own experience and the postpartum essentials I use that really help me bounce back after birth.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I’ll never share anything that I don’t use and love.
Postpartum Essentials to get you through the first two weeks
Adult diapers
Many hospitals and baby prep lists will have pads here. Now, I don’t know about you but I hate pads. They always scrunch up and the adhesives never stay where they are supposed to. Let me tell you, it is not fun to pull off the adhesive from your stitched up nether regions…
If you’ve delivered vaginally, and even for c-sections births, your pelvic floor is going to be weakened for a period of time. If you delivered with an epidural it’ll be especially sore and weak.
Don’t be surprised when you go to the bathroom and start peeing yourself before you reach the toilet. It’ll happen and pads just can’t hold up to that kind of flood.
It shouldn’t take more than a couple weeks with adequate rest before you regain some control of your pelvic floor muscles. In fact, after my fourth baby was born all natural, I was mostly able to hold back the flood even a couple hours after birth.
Remember, you just had a baby. Now is not the time to try to look all sexy. Save that for when you’ve fully recovered.
Dermoplast
Many hospitals will give this to you after you deliver. If you have stitches from natural tears or an episiotomy (episiotomies are the worst, btw…) this spray is a life saver. It really soothes the pain and the itching that comes later on as you start healing.
The itching… holy cow, it’s intense. 😂
I’m sure there are natural pain relieving sprays out there. However, this is what I have used and it really works.
Witch hazel pads
These are great for soothing your lady bits. Plus you can use them throughout the day unlike Dermoplast which should only be used twice a day.
Peri bottle or bidet
No toilet paper after delivering a baby. It’s unhygienic, in my opinion, plus it could break off and leave bits of paper on your stitches. No good. Wash yourself off with water, you can even fill your peri bottle with warm soapy water if you need an extra soothing wash down yonder.
So, if you don’t have a bidet, a peri bottle is an absolute must. Most hospitals will provide you with this as well as birth centers.
Stool softeners
After delivering, your insides are moving all over the place while your uterus shrinks back to its original size. You’ll almost certainly become constipated after delivering. Stool softeners help get you back on track without too much fuss.
Ladies, don’t fear the poop. It’s okay, you’ll be fine.
Right after delivering my first baby the nurses immediately put me on the toilet to pee. Why? I literally have no idea, I didn’t need to pee…
Anyways, I was so scared about any bodily function down there that I nearly passed out. Good news is that doing your business is not a big deal at all. You’ve been doing it since you were born, you’ll keep doing it after you give birth.
Pain killers
It’s common for doctors to prescribe Ibuprofen 800mg after you deliver. It comes with a big warning on the bottle for women who are pregnant and nursing. This label instructs the patient to only take ibuprofen after their doctor has explained the risks involved with this drug.
However, not once during my four hospital deliveries did any doctor tell me what those risks were.
So, make your doctor tell you the risks before they prescribe ibuprofen to you.
Also, the more active you are during your pregnancy the easier your labor and postpartum recovery will be. I didn’t exercise at all with my first baby, it took me ten weeks to stop bleeding. I struggled to get through the hours to when I could take the next pain killer.
My second, I walked a lot but that was my only form of exercise. Pain killers were still necessary.
When I was pregnant with my third baby I found a free prenatal training schedule that has changed my life and helped my body recover postpartum. Its been so life changing for me that after my fourth baby I didn’t need painkillers at all.
So, if you are interested in taking care of your health right now while you are still pregnant, working out with a Christ loving mama who will uplift and encourage you, then go check out GlowBodyPT right now.
Maternity Bra’s
If you are still pregnant go ahead and get some of these now. Your breasts are growing, give them a little more support! You’ll be surprised how much more comfortable you will be when you switch to an unwired, full support maternity bra.
About three days after delivery your milk will come in… and it’ll come in strong. Engorged breasts in a traditional bra is awful, trust me.
Since having babies the only bra I’ll wear is a maternity bra. They are so comfortable and fit to your breast no matter how lopsided they become after baby feeds.
It’s kinda hilarious to look at yourself in the mirror after feeding your baby. One breast, nice and plump, the other, deflated and saggy 😂 But don’t worry! It’ll perk up again as it refills with milk 😀
Nursing Pads
I’ve used the reusable and disposable ones. In my opinion the disposable ones are more comfortable and keep you feeling dry throughout the whole day. You only need to change your breast pads in the morning and night.
The reusable ones simply can’t handle a heavy letdown. You’ll have leaks and they need to be washed often to prevent mold build up. Plus even if you don’t leak you’ll still be left feeling wet… and the smell. If you’ve ever smelled warm, spoiled milk just know that’s what you’ll smell like before long.
The most comfortable reusable nursing pads I’ve tried are Bamboobies. They also offer a disposable nursing pad so choose what you’d like.
Mother’s milk tea
This stuff is delicious. Plus sipping on a warm cup of tea is very relaxing for some reason. This herbal tea will help you produce plenty of nourishing milk for your baby.
Postpartum essentials to help you through week 3+
At this point, assuming you had a healthy, uncomplicated delivery, you should have a bit more control of your pelvic floor. The pain and bleeding have subsided, maybe not completely but you are improving.
If you’ve had stitches, they will be very itchy right now. Keep using the Dermoplast if you need it and just know, this, too, shall pass!
Light pads/panty liners
I know… pads suck but at this point you probably don’t need a full on diaper anymore. Even if your bleeding has subsided you’ll still have blood tinged discharge from time to time. It’s kinda a pain when you can go through the day without even spotting. But the moment you remove those panty liners… boom! Bloody underwear.
And that’s really about all the postpartum essentials you’ll need to help you recover.
Remember to get plenty of rest and listen to your body. If your pelvic floor is throbbing, go lie down. Take it easy and get back to life as normal one step at a time.
Your baby is going to require a little more on the gear side, check out this minimalist baby checklist to help you get prepared for baby.
Getting back to being your husbands wife
Once you’ve fully recovered from delivery, buying a new set of lingerie is a great way to celebrate. It can be hard to work up the energy to give your hubby some extra loving. But even if you’re tired, or feeling uncomfortable in your post partum body, you cannot allow the spark in your marriage to die.
Your husband doesn’t care about the extra fats around your tummy and thighs. In fact, he might very well enjoy the extra width around the hips. He thinks you are beautiful no matter what, so try to work up a little confidence and celebrate this new phase of your marriage with a little spice 😉
The greatest gift you can give your children is a strong, obvious love between you and your husband. The love you share with your husband will help your kids feel safe, wanted, and loved. Too many kids have never experienced that.
Prioritize your marriage if you love your kids.
For seasoned mama’s out there, what else would you add to this postpartum essentials list? I’d love to hear your advice 🙂
I wish you a healthy pregnancy and delivery! May God bless you and your family with health and a whole lot of love.
Congratulations, Mama!
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