I debated even making this post because I was bombarded with baby information throughout my pregnancy on social media, and while some of it was helpful I found the sheer quantity overwhelming. But because there was some helpful information out there I thought I would share my two cents on a few items that I actually found we needed in the first month home with our little one.
FOR MOM
1. Having a stocked and ready bathroom
I think I underestimated this part a bit because I was so concerned with getting everything ready for the baby that while I got items I thought I would need postpartum, most of the items I ended up needing/using were purchased in a panic order at 2:30 in the morning while not sleeping in the postpartum suite.
I think the postpartum pads that are on the market right now kinda suck if I’m being honest. They aren’t nearly as large as they need to be and the closest ones I found to being the right size/comfort/effectiveness that I needed were Frida Maternity Pads, to be honest this brand as a whole has you covered completely.
And while the hospital disposable underwear is fine, once you get home you want something that feels a little more like actual clothes, and again, Frida came through! Their Disposable Postpartum Underwear is comfortable, a nice thickness and doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a hospital diaper
I actually loved the witch hazel pads that the hospital had and found that this was one area that the ones that I had just didn’t cut it. They were fine, but these are super saturated which means that you have relief for longer! And don’t make the same mistake I did and not bring your own peri bottle. I thought it was just a gimmick to get you to spend more money, but the bottle they give you at the hospital does not make sense with, ya know, gravity.
2. Comfortable sets of pj’s and sweats
I wanted to feel like I was a little put together even when I wasn’t leaving the house as I recovered but also wanted something that I felt I could sleep in and even nurse. The SKIMS pj‘s have been a staple through pregnancy and yes, actually fit through to the end! Although I have bought a new pair since then and I think they changed their sizing, so take care when ordering. But I also recently got a set from Gap that I thought would be not only great during pregnancy with the long and soft cardigan but also postpartum to be able to easily nurse, and I was right! The set is so soft and I actually also got the crewneck sweater to match for when I (rarely) leave the house.
3. Compression Socks!!
Why does nobody tell you about postpartum swelling? Seriously I was bombarded with information these last few months yet there was only one video where someone posted her compression socks in the hospital so I literally panic ordered the same ones the day I went into the hospital and thank goodness!! Y’all my feet and ankles were huge… for days! I couldn’t fit into my slides that I normally wear around the house when I got home so I wore a pair of these every single day until they decided to return to (fairly) normal.
4. Good hand lotion
Y’all, my skin is toast. Between washing your hands constantly, to hand sanitizer, to washing bottle parts about 17,294 a day, your hands are going to hurt. Get some good lotion and apply constantly! Have some everywhere in the house. I’m talking every room, every nightstand, every cupboard. You can’t have enough!
5. Nipple covers
No, not the fun kind for your going out top. These are to keep your clothes from getting ruined. I just couldn’t handle the idea of leaking into my clothes and on my blankets and sheets. It just made me so uncomfortable, so I wore these literally every day and they are easy to throw in with the laundry! If you want something that you could wear without a bra (IYKYK) I really liked these. They have adhesive on the backside so you could put them on a comfortable tank top for those night stretches when you’d really rather not be constrained.
FOR BABY
1. Halo Sleep Sack
Everyone has their favorite and everyone’s kid is different so I’m simply saying that this particular sleep sack was the one that we went with and our guy love it. We tried learning the different swaddle methods from the nurses in the hospital but honestly couldn’t get the hang of it enough. We had these at home and after the first try we knew we would prefer this over the blanket. At first I was worried that his feet were going to be able to move too much and it wasn’t going to calm him enough but that didn’t seem to be an issue. But again, this was just our experience, there are tons of different ones on the market to choose from, so definitely do some research.
2. Stretchy Sleepers!
We kept our guy in a onesie + sleepers almost exclusively the first few weeks we were home, and what we found was that a set of sleepers I got from Old Navy that actually ended up being a little stretchy were our favorite. I didn’t even know they were stretchy when I bought them, it was just another color way of another set that I bought but we ended up buying more of them because it was nice having that little bit of give when changing him.
Plus it’s a 2-way zipper which makes for easy access when changing a diaper.
3. A Bottle Washer
I know these are pricy but honestly it was so worth it. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to breastfeed directly right away and had to do a lot of pumping so we were going through a lot of bottles and pump parts. This one has different bottle heights settings and was really easy to use. And I know that it saved us loads of time every day.
3. A sound machine + nightlight
I love ours because it has an app and tons of different settings so I can start the sound machine from another room before putting our guy in his bassinet for a nap. It also helps a ton to be able to change the light color seamlessly, I’ve found I keep the red light on while sleeping but then to avoid turning on any big lights I switch it to a white light and use it as a lamp to change and feed him during those 3 am sessions.
NON-ESSENTIALS… but items I have loved and used a lot lately.
My Barefoot Dreams blanket came with me to the hospital, and after a thorough washing was with me throughout the first few weeks at home as well.
Our guy really liked his awake time during the day and would occasionally just hang out and look around with us, so we used this for some safe hangout time, while under supervision of course.
This wearable breast pump is amazing and was so nice to be able to occasionally move around while pumping. I never realized how much time would be dedicated to this activity and being tied down to a chair or a big machine
I wanted a little extra boost of vitamins for breastfeeding, and this drink is actually really good! It took some getting used to, I’m not a huge coconut fan, but honestly now it tastes like hot chocolate to me. I’m. Not sure if I saw an immediate difference or anything but I have no problem with my supply.