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4 Postpartum Essentials You Need to Survive After Birth

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Is your baby due soon? Maybe you just had your baby and you’re worried about having all the postpartum essentials!

Whether it’s postpartum pads or postpartum numbing spray after birth, packing your postpartum care kit during pregnancy doesn’t have to be scary!

I’ll give you the best tips for postpartum care

Aside from creating your postpartum recovery kit, get prepared for your new baby by having your hospital bag essentials ready to go!

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Postpartum Essentials

Putting together a postpartum care kit before you have your baby can help you save time and pain.

While there are some great postpartum products out there for new moms, there are a few that I’m going to make sure I have on hand next time I have a baby.

That being said, if you put me on a desert island and made me choose only two postpartum essentials that I could have, I could answer you in a second. 

If I had to choose the best and most soothing postpartum products, I’d choose the witch hazel pads postpartum and the postpartum numbing spray for after birth. These were life savers.

Postpartum Care Kit

Building your postpartum care kit is exceptionally easy.

My favorite way to start my postpartum recovery kit is by finding a cute, small basket that will fit in one of your bathroom drawers (just in case you want to tuck it away when guests come over).

You’ll want to pack your postpartum care kit with several items such as:

  • Postpartum pads
  • Witch hazel pads
  • Numbing spray
  • Water spray bottle
  • Mesh undies (optional – but many moms love these!)
  • Nipple butter (if you’re breastfeeding) – this could also be included in your breastfeeding/pumping kit, but you never know when or where you’ll need it!

Now that you know what to include – I’ll guide you through why these postpartum essentials are so important!

Best Postpartum Pads

It should come as no surprise that you’re going to need some postpartum pads after birth. So what you’ll really want is the best pads for after birth – not just some ordinary period pads.

Why?

Trust me, you’ll want to eliminate having to worry about any…ahem…embarrassing or messy situations.

Between you and me, it’s a very real possibility to wake up with some blood on your sheets or see a spot on the back of your pants in the first few weeks postpartum.

What You Should Look for In A Postpartum Pad

Make sure you buy a postpartum pad that is very large and absorbent. Chances are you may leak through, especially while you’re sleeping during the first few days.

Keep in mind you never want to soak through a pad too quickly as this could be a sign you’re losing too much blood too quickly.

Stanford Children’s has a great article about postpartum hemorrhage to help you know exactly what you’d be looking for. Be sure to call your doctor immediately if you have any concerns.

The further into postpartum you get, the smaller pad you’ll be able to use. Your blood should become less bright red, and there should be a lesser amount in your pad.

Every woman will differ in exactly when she’ll stop bleeding postpartum, but most women will be finished around 6 weeks postpartum.

Witch Hazel Pads Postpartum

Witch Hazel Pads are also sometimes called Tucks pads, and man, they are great.

Tucks pads (or Witch Hazel pads), are medicated cooling pads.

You simply take a few out of the sealed container and lay them in your pad. And then…relief! The cool pads will feel so good on your healing body.

Witch Hazel is a natural recovery technique and helps speed up healing. These Tucks pads are especially helpful for moms who have had a vaginal delivery with a tear or episiotomy.

I promise, sitting is so much better after you’ve just used these!

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Postpartum Numbing Spray After Birth

Postpartum numbing spray after birth is a life saver! The numbing spray can go by a lot of names, but the one I used (and is used in most hospitals) is called Dermoplast.

One of the best things about this postpartum numbing spray is that it can be sprayed directly on your vaginal area or in your postpartum pad.

While the spray bottle says it’s for burns and itching – it works wonders for a healing mom postpartum!

Whether you’ve had stitches or not during your vaginal birth, you’ll benefit from the relief in this little spray bottle!

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Water Spray Bottle for Postpartum Care

If you’re going to be a first time mom, you might not know that you can’t wipe with toilet paper postpartum! Sure, you can dab a little bit, but wiping – yikes! No way, momma!

So what’s a girl to do?!

The first thing you want to do is make sure you have a spray bottle ready to go.

As soon as you get in the bathroom, be sure your postpartum water sprayer is filled with warm water.

Once you’ve gone to the bathroom, simply dab with toilet paper as you’re able. Next grab your water spray bottle and gently spray your vaginal area to clean it.

Best Postpartum Spray Bottle

There are a couple different types of spray bottles.

This is the spray bottle your hospital might provide and is super inexpensive. While it’s very basic, it’s really all you need!

There’s also a great option from FridaBaby called the MomWasher. And let me tell you – moms are CRAZY about it.

I’m not kidding, you have to see the raving reviews!

It has an adjustable angled head to spray hard to reach parts and offers a gentler wash by having more holes for spraying, as opposed to the one large spray nozzle in the hospital spray bottle.

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How To Make The Best Postpartum Pads for Recovery

Unfortunately, one of the best postpartum pads isn’t going to do everything for you postpartum.

To really feel some great relief after having a baby vaginally, you’ll have to put a few amazing postpartum products together.

Now that you know the details about my favorite postpartum essentials, let’s talk about how you should put them together to make the ultimate postpartum pad.

First things first, make sure you’re spraying down with the water spray bottle first.

Done? Now prep your pad so you’re comfortable going back to your daily activities (whether you’re still in the hospital or at home!).

Here’s the essential steps to prep your postpartum pad for relief:

  • Put your postpartum pad in your mesh underwear
  • Lay Witch Hazel pads postpartum on top of the pad
  • Spray Postpartum Numbing Spray directly on your vaginal area/pad as needed

 

Postpartum Kits – From Your Hospital?

I have to admit, my hospital was pretty awesome – and I hope yours is too! My hospital sent me home with the best postpartum pads, witch hazel pads for postpartum, postpartum numbing spray, and a couple extra pairs of those beautiful mesh underwear.

That being said, I would hate to be caught without some of these postpartum essentials after getting home with a newborn!

You can give your hospital a call to see what they provide – otherwise creating a quick postpartum kit on your own during pregnancy is easy and relatively inexpensive!

Simply put all the best postpartum supplies together in a small, cute basket and keep it next to your toilet so you’re never having to strain or reach for what you need.

And you’re ready!

Your postpartum essentials are set to help you ease into life and recovery after delivery.

Related: How to Handle Visitors After Baby

Related: What I Wish I Knew About Postpartum (After Baby #2!)

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