18 Postpartum Must Haves for Moms

I’ve had two babies — one vaginal birth and one ceserean. And what I needed after each delivery was a little different but there were also some things that were a must both times around. Here’s what to have ready, ideally before you give birth so you don’t have to round it all up when you’re caring a newborn!

If you’re looking for details about what I packed in my hospital bag, you’ll find that info here, and I also have a C-section hospital bag packing list post here.

Postpartum Must Haves for Moms

1 – Water bottle

I’m so thirsty ALL THE TIME, especially when nursing and staying hydrated is so important for milk supply. I was not able to use a straw for the first bit after my C-section, so I ordered this Owala water bottle. It’s perfect since it has an internal straw (which I’m using now), but it also has an opening where you can chug water normally. You can order Owala water bottles from Amazon.

I have 1-2 LMNT electrolyte packets a day so sometimes that goes in my water bottle too. (Read my review of LMNT here.)

2 – Face Oil + Overnight Face Mask

My skin has been SO dry since having Charles (it’s always dry, but it’s significantly more dry these days), so every time I get up to nurse throughout the night, I put on a layer of the Colleen Rothschild No 9 Face Oil and then a layer of their Intense Hydrating Mask. I reapply 3-4 times a night, and my skin looks great!

Use code TERILYN20 if you order from Colleen Rothschild, and read this post for more details on why I love the No. 9 Facial Oil.

Here’s my full skincare routine that’s pregnancy safe and breastfeeding safe.

3 – Lip balm

Along with my face, my lips are so dry. I use the Colleen Rothschild Butter Lip Mask every time I get up to nurse, and I keep the Colleen Rothschild Vitamin E lip moisturizer next to my glider since it’s easier to apply with one hand.

You can get the lip mask and lip moisturizer in a set along with a lip scrub in this lip trio for a great discount here. And use code TERILYN20 at checkout as well.

4 – Frida Baby 3-in-1 Cool Mist Humidifier

I’ve also been using the Frida Humidifier every night to help with my dry skin in the winter. Both my boys also have dry skin, so I ended up buying 3 total– one for my room, one for Thomas’ room, and one in Charles’ nursery. Not only is it a great humidifier, but it also has a built-in nightlight that is the perfect amount of light. Not too dark or too bright, just right! I have the XL size and love that I don’t have to refill it every single day.

5 – Perelel Postnatal Vitamins and Supplements

I used Perelel prenatal vitamins when I was pregnant with Charles and fell in love with the brand (see a reel I filmed for Perelel here). They make trimester specific support packs so it takes the guesswork out of what vitamins/supplements you need each trimester…brilliant), and so I knew immediately that I’d use Perelel for my postnatal support too.

I’ve been taking the supplements and vitamins in the Mom Multi Support Pack for the last few weeks and I love it. The pack is designed specifically for postpartum, breastfeeding, and early motherhood and contains a full-spectrum multivitamin, omega DHA + EPA, a beauty blend, and an anti-stress blend. It’s super comprehensive, as outlined below.

• Mom Multi Provides Optimal Nutrition
• Mom Multi Provides Immune Support
• Omega DHA + EPA Supports Heart & Brain Health
• Omega DHA + EPA Provides Mood Support
• Beauty Blend Supports Hair, Skin & Nail Health
• Stress Support Blend Supports Emotional Balance
• Stress Support Blend Provides Antioxidants

I appreciate that Perelel was founded by an OB/GYN and two moms. I wish I had known about this brand when I had Thomas! You can see all of my Perelel favorites linked here.

6 – Lots of PJs

I sweat through 3 pairs of pajamas a night. Like they’re SOAKED. So having multiple pairs of clean PJs is essential. I prefer LAKE Pajamas, specifically the Pima Ruffle Nightgown because you can pull the straps down easily to nurse and it puts no pressure on my incision. I also like this pair of PJs from Joy Street since the pants are a little more comfortable with an incision and the button front makes nursing and pumping easy. Whichever route you go for PJs, get a lot of them.

I have a full review of LAKE Pajamas linked here.

7 – Full size towels by the bed

I keep two full-size towels next to my bed to swap out in the middle of the night to avoid soaking my fitted sheet. When I get up to nurse, I pull the wet towel off, change into dry PJs, nurse and then put a dry towel down when getting back in bed.

Treat yourself to nice towels for this since you’ll want something soft and fluffy to sleep on. My favorite bath towels are these by Serena & Lily.

8 – Multiples of your favorite pillow

Again, I sweat through everything at night, including my pillows. Go ahead and grab another one of your favorite pillows to swap out in the middle of the night. My all-time favorite are Lagoon Pillows. I like the Fox pillow but the Chinchilla is good if you like a softer option.

9 – ANYA Recovery Drops with Vitamin C

I add ANYA Recovery Drops to a glass of water every morning to help with recovery. It contains 100% of your daily value of vitamin C which is critical for repairing tissue internally, producing collagen for skin repair, and supporting immunity. Vitamin C is also great because it also helps boost iron absorption. Be sure to use code TERILYN15 for 15% off your order.

10 – Iron Supplement

Replenishing iron stores are really important after birth, especially if you’ve lost a lot of blood. I take Perelel’s Daily Iron Ease which also supports muscle health and energy production.

11 – Frida Disposable Boy Shorts

I’ve been loving this Frida disposable underwear post C-section, but now that I’ve tried them, I’d imagine they’d be perfect for a regular delivery as well. I love that they’re very soft and breathable, but have a lot of room for layering recovery-must-haves. They’re also very thin so you can easily wear them under joggers, leggings or jeans without much showing. (Still, nothing tops my favorite Natori thongs but no one wants to wear those immediately postpartum.)

If you want to skip the disposable underwear, opt for big, soft undies. You’ll want to skip ANYTHING that rubs (see ya, lace), or anything that digs into your sensitive parts. Get big undies. Size up. Trust me, you won’t want anything that rubs (see ya lace) or anything that digs into your sensitive parts. Get big undies. Size up. Make sure they’re full coverage. I purchased these full-coverage briefs from Amazon, in a size Large. I still prefer the Frida option at this point postpartum, but they are pricey so these are a more economical option.

While we’re on the topic, your doctor might also recommend that you do a sitz bath. This is where you soak your bottom half, where you’re likely a little swollen or sore, in warm water. I didn’t know much about these prior to hearing about them while pregnant with Thomas, and they can help reduce swelling. You can order a sitz bath online here.

12 – Care for down there

When I had a vaginal delivery, I liked the Frida mom angled spray peri bottle better than the straight shot bottle from the hospital. Don’t worry about buying pads… the hospital will send you home with plenty. For pain relief, I liked the Tucks pads and Dermoplast the hospital provided and this Frida foam that a friend gave me. I didn’t need any of these for my c-section recovery.

13 – Nursing and Pumping bra

I have more breastfeeding must-haves in a separate blog post, but I wanted to highlight my favorite nursing and pumping bra right now. I love the Kindred Bravely Sublime Wireless Comfort Sleep Pumping Bra. It’s super soft, comfortable, makes nursing easy and comes in a busty-size, which has been great for me. (This post has more of my favorite nursing bras.)

14 – Comfy slippers 

I live in them. I was gifted a pair of Shearling slippers from Jenni Kayne two years ago and I’ve still never gotten over it. Nicest gift EVER. They’re the most luxurious slippers I’ve ever owned and would make a wonderful gift for a new mom. Don’t take them to the hospital though. Take a cheaper pair you can throw again because the hospital floors are just gross.

15 – Postpartum doula hours

Give yourself the gift of a postpartum doula, ESPECIALLY if you don’t have family close by. Heck, even if you do have family close by, a postpartum doula is there to support YOU, with whatever you need. If you’re local, I could not recommend Margo from Born with Margo enough. She was our doula for Thomas and she was the first person I called when I found I was pregnant with Charles.

She comes a few nights a week and stays with Charles in his nursery so I can sleep between feeds. She wakes me up when it’s time to feed Charles, and then changes his diaper and helps him back to sleep after he nurses. It’s life-changing and the best money you could spend. We absolutely adore Margo – she’s like family to us.

16 – Small table at your nursing station

I keep snacks, lip balm, water, and a little lamp by the glider so that I have everything I need beside me when I nurse. Since I’m nursing so often, I practically live in my glider, so I love having a little set-up beside me.

17 – Portable charger

My phone dies all the time these days so I keep one of these near the places I nurse most often.  This portable charger is my favorite because it’s cordless, so you can walk around and use your phone while it’s charging.

18 – Solly Baby Wrap

Thomas loved the Solly Baby wrap and Charles does too! It’s my favorite way to carry Charles and one of my favorite early postpartum must-haves.

19 – Fast, healthy food

I had a smoothie every single day for the first month after having my baby, focusing on iron-boosting ingredients since I lost so much blood, given some complications I had. Most days I made my own smoothie with pineapple, kale, banana and orange juice, but many days I made a Daily Harvest smoothie. I also received a box of Splendid Spoon smoothies as a postpartum gift from a friend and those were great when I starving since they come pre-blended.

This post explains Splendid Spoon and this post explains Daily Harvest.

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