Ever since I had a baby, I have made a mental list containing all of the things that I REALLY needed when I brought my bundle of joy home. Here’s the thing – all of those precious baby blankets and bubble suits are great, but they don’t help you much when you haven’t showered for days and your in-laws are heading over. A basket full of the items below may get a confused look at first from the mom to be, but it will get a huge thank you note one week postpartum! So, I’ve put together the dream team of postpartum items – all things to take care of mom and the unexpected things that come up!
Pretty Pusher
This company has precious delivery and postpartum gowns. They are soft, affordable and washable! I had no desire to get a hospital gown for the marathon that is giving birth. It was my first child, so I deserved a special outfit. My delivery gown made it easy to utilize the fetal monitoring while still saying covered and made breastfeeding access a dream. And, it came with a matching headband-priorities people!
Mesh Underwear
My postpartum nurses were absolute angels and gave me an extra pair of the mesh underwear. Any mom will tell you that the mesh undies are gold! All throughout my healing, I used this underwear. Since I only had 2 pairs, I was washing like it was going out of style. Had I known the need, I would have stockpiled a supply ahead of time. The closest thing I could find to the hospital underwear is here on Amazon. But, what I just discovered is that Pretty Pushers has them also! They are 100% cotton and have a wide liner for ice packs (look below for the directions on the best ice packs around!). So, order those panties when you order your delivery gown!
Witch Hazel and Cotton Rounds
This is a bit of a controversy among the Lafayette Moms Blog writers, but witch hazel and cotton rounds worked well for many of us when it came to cooling and healing. Witch hazel on a cotton round, placed on top of the ice pack was heaven to me. A few of our writers mentioned that it stung, so definitely try it out first to see what your prefer. Tucks pads are another wonderful option.
The Diaper Ice Pack Duo (newborn diapers and sonic ice)
This was a gift brought to me by my wonderful postpartum nurse.
- Take a newborn diaper and open the end where the velcro closures are located.
- Fill the inside of the diaper with Sonic ice (Why Sonic ice? Because it’s round and smooth!). The gel inside of the diaper will keep you from looking like you had a perpetual pee pee accident.
- Roll the side of the diaper with the enclosures over the other side of the diaper that had been separated.
- Use said enclosures to seal the diaper shut.
- Place the ice pack in the mesh undies and feel sweet relief!
Stool Softener
Let me preface this by saying I am not a doctor. Before taking any medication, please consult your doctor. Maybe this isn’t the prettiest gift, but an invaluable gift nonetheless. There is no fear like the fear of taking your first bowel movement following a vaginal birth. You just have to do it. But, use of a stool softener is so helpful in taking away some of the anxiety.
The Biggest Maxi Pads You Can Find
If you had a vaginal birth or C-section, you will have some bleeding. This bleeding is called lochia (see?? We both learned something today!). So, just go ahead and stock up on the biggest thickest maxi pads you can find. You’re going to need them.
Dermoplast
I don’t want to scare anyone, but regardless of whether you tear, have an episiotomy or not, if you have a vaginal birth, your business is TENDER for quite some time after. This numbing spray was a life savor. They gave me a can in the hospital and I nearly bought stock in the company. Bonus – even after you heal, this spray is super helpful for those boo boos that will always happen with our accident prone littles!
Dry Shampoo
I have no idea how I never used dry shampoo until my child was almost two. Looking back, a good dry shampoo is the difference between postpartum glory and half crazed train wreck. I was introduced to Drybar Detox by Lafayette Moms Blog writer, Mandy. Though it is a little pricey, it is well worth every penny. It gives amazing volume and smells heavenly. Other favorites of our team include Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo and Batiste Dry Shampoo.
Facial Towelettes
Along the lines of the need for dry shampoo, almost nothing felt more cumbersome than washing my face after dealing with a newborn all day. The ability to wipe and go was a God send. I really liked the wipes from Burt’s Bees. If you’re a little crunchy, make your own! My favorite recipe is found on the website Live Simply.
Mouthwash
If washing my face felt like a chore, brushing my teeth when exhausted felt like going off to battle. While I do know that mouthwash isn’t the same as brushing your grill, it’s something!
Food Delivery Services
While I always appreciate a homemade meal, I’ve found that a gift card to Grubhub or a meal sent via Waitr always makes a new momma feel special – food is the way to my heart! And, if you want to really ingratiate yourself to a new mother, get her a Shipt membership so she never has to interrupt naptime for groceries!
Wireless Earbuds
Forget jewelry as a push present (not that I got one-do people really do that??), my ideal postpartum gift would have been Bose Sound Sport Free Earbuds. With wireless ear buds, you can listen to whatever podcast or series that sparks your pleasure while the baby sleeps without fear of waking them up (or in my case, objecting their innocent ears to true crime podcasts earl on). And, if you do go wireless, they won’t get tied up in everything while nursing!
Mox Shoes
Comfy, cute, stretchy and easily washed – those are the ingredients for the perfect postpartum shoe. A friend of mine is preparing for the birth of her 3rd child and she said that she really wanted these for the hospital. They slip on and off but don’t look like a junky flip flop. Check out the review of Mox by Malary (discount code at the bottom of her review).
What other items would you add to the ultimate realistic baby shower gift list?
Leave them in the comments!
