As you’re planning for childbirth and bringing home your baby, it’s wise also to start thinking about your postpartum self-care and physical recovery. That’s why I recommend making an all-natural postpartum recovery kit ahead of your due date. That way, you won’t be scrambling to look for the things you need once you’re home from the hospital and caring for your baby.
My babies were born almost three years apart, but I still spent a lot of time reflecting on my first birth experience so that I could be better prepared for delivering baby #2. Naturally, you want to improve the second time you do something, right?
Well, the second time around, I wanted to be more prepared (on every level) and to take better care of myself. I can’t say I made myself a priority last time — I didn’t really know HOW to. I was suddenly responsible for a new baby who needed me all the time and I went into survival mode – for a long time.
After that experience, I wanted to be much better about self-care. So, I made sure to have all of my self-care supplies on hand well before my due date, and I wanted to choose natural products whenever possible and realistic — instead of just relying on what the hospital provides me. So, after I packed my hospital bag, I gathered all of my postpartum essentials in a postpartum care kit.
Why Your Self-Care is Important After Giving Birth
Pregnancy is an all-encompassing journey and one that deserves its own self-care and attention.
But giving birth is physically exhausting, and it can be an overwhelming experience in many wonderful and not-so-wonderful ways. Your body will need a few weeks to recover from the experience, making it all the more important that you take good care of yourself during that time.
In all of the rush and excitement that comes with meeting your new baby, and learning to care for him or her, it’s incredibly easy to forget to take care of yourself. But it shouldn’t be — you’re an important part of the equation, and your baby and family need you to be healthy and feeling well. That means:
❤️ Showering. It has to be said! It can be hard to find time in those early days to shower, but it’s essential. Tip: if Dad can’t watch the baby, it’s best to shower while the baby is napping or to have baby in the bathroom with you in a safe bouncer seat. Make sure your baby is well-fed and well-rested, pop them in the bouncer (where you can see them), and take a shower.
❤️ Eating well and staying hydrated. It’s true that breastfeeding burns up lots of calories! Even if you won’t be nursing, you’ll still need to nourish your body. Eat well, have snacks on hand, take your prenatal vitamins and prenatal probiotics, and keep a water bottle by your side. For more ideas, read my guide to eating well after having a new baby and my postpartum snack ideas.
❤️ Sleeping when the baby sleeps. Babies aren’t able to sleep long stretches of time, and postpartum sleep deprivation is no joke. People often say this advice is a cliché and it’s not possible to sleep when the baby sleeps, but it is. Really, make it a goal to sleep once a day while the baby is napping. The chores can wait. And so can Instagram.
❤️ Being patient with your body. Let your body heal on its own schedule. Do your part to take good care of yourself and give your body a break. Manage your own expectations about how your body has changed or how fast you might lose pregnancy weight, and remember that your body just created a beautiful miracle.
And this is just the bare minimum! Let’s not forget that after birth, your baby will be here (!!) and he or she will need your attention around the clock — all the more reason you need to take good care of yourself. That’s why it’s important to build a good and all-natural postpartum recovery kit and make sure to practice your self-care after giving birth. Think about what you need to feel your best and centered.
What to Take Home With You From the Hospital
Before we go through a list of what to buy, let’s look at what you should take home with you from the hospital. Hospitals will provide you with the supplies and medication for postpartum care during your stay. I recommend bringing the following items home with you:
- Dermoplast Pain Relief Spray
- Tucks Hemorrhoid Pads
- Mesh underwear
- Perineal cold pads
- Maxi pads
- Bed liners
- Stool softener
- Peri bottles
Don’t worry about stocking up – you’re being billed for these items anyway! Ask your nurses to provide you with what you need. Even though we’re going to go over a list of natural postpartum care essentials below, you won’t know ahead of time what will work for your body. That’s why it’s wise to bring home these products with you, just in case.
{While we’re on the subject, I would also encourage you to bring home some of the swaddles from the hospital in case your baby doesn’t immediately take to the swaddles you’ve bought. It’s a process…}
Also read: The best probiotics for pregnancy and breastfeeding
All-Natural Postpartum Recovery Kit Essentials
As you can see, the hospital provides many of the products you’ll need for self-care after giving birth, but the truth is that many of these products aren’t very good for you.
Since you’ll most likely be breastfeeding, you have to consider that the harsh chemicals in these products might pass through your breast milk to your baby. Even if you aren’t nursing, you have to factor in that these products aren’t great for your own well-being and the postpartum period is already such a sensitive time as it is. That’s why I feel strongly that it’s best to avoid using those products unless the natural alternatives aren’t providing you the relief that your body needs.
Here’s a comprehensive list of all-natural postpartum care essentials for moms (well, mostly natural). I recommend having these products on hand before birth so that you’re as prepared and taken care of as possible. You won’t want to have to scramble to put this kit together after your baby arrives.
1. Heavy-Flow Maxi Pads
Maxi pads are a must-have because postpartum bleeding can last for up to several weeks after birth. Start with a good supply of overnight chlorine-free maxi pads such as Seventh Generation Free & Clear (free of fragrance and elemental chlorine) or Rael Pads (which features a layer of organic cotton). Alternatively, you can also use organic cotton reusable menstrual pads.
You might also need to use disposable padded underwear for the first week or two when bleeding is at its heaviest. Some moms like to use the disposable underwear while some prefer to stick with pads. I used pads and find that they work just fine.
Either way, you can gradually switch to Cora’s regular flow pads or Seventh Generation and panty liners by Cora, Rael, or Seventh Generation. Choose what works for you and will make you feel your best.
2. Large, Comfortable Underwear
Instead of possibly ruining your regular underwear, I recommend buying some comfortable undies like these boy shorts or postpartum recovery panties. You could also consider using leakproof period panties.
3. Postpartum Pain Relief
After my first baby was born, I relied on Dermoplast and Advil for pain relief because I didn’t know of any better alternatives. I hadn’t done any research ahead of time so I just used what the hospital gave me. I didn’t even know I would need a numbing spray!
The second time around, I still had some Advil and Dermoplast on hand just in case, but I also had my Postpartum Herbal Perineal Spray and Mama Bottom Balm ready to go. Both products are made by one of my favorite companies, Earth Mama Organics, which makes the best natural and organic baby- and mama-care products. (I didn’t even need the Advil or Dermoplast, but I did have a much better birth experience this time.)
The Bottom Spray is a healing and cooling herbal numbing spray to help manage pain related to hemorrhoids, tears, and episiotomies. It contains witch hazel, cucumber, organic peppermint, and organic lavender oils, and is free of synthetic fragrances, phthalates, parabens, petrochemicals, and dyes (all chemicals you should avoid in pregnancy and postpartum). I found both products to work great, though I used the Bottom Spray more.
4. Stool Softener
While hydrating and eating high-fiber foods or probiotic foods may normally help loosen your stools, these may not be adequate solutions for postpartum constipation (though you should still continue to do this). Stool softeners are given instead, and Colace is the most common brand used in hospitals.
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The active ingredient in Colace is 100 mg of Docusate Sodium, but the product also contains several food dyes, propylene glycol, and titanium dioxide (which is classified by the EWG as a possible carcinogen). I’m sure you can agree that these are all chemicals that you wouldn’t want to expose a newborn to! So there are some more natural alternatives: Colace Clear (the brand’s dye-free version that still contains sketchy ingredients) or taking a magnesium supplement. (I take anywhere from 400-600 mg. of magnesium daily and I use a topical magnesium spray for enhanced absorption.)
Magnesium alone may or may not be enough to help loosen your stools, though it should help. I recommend figuring out what your body needs; start with some magnesium (if your doctor is ok with you using it) and take a dose or two of a stool softener if the magnesium isn’t doing the job alone. (Again, check with your doctor before taking any medication or supplements.) If those don’t work, Colace Clear is a better alternative than the original formulation of Colace.
It’s also a good idea to keep taking your prenatal vitamin and prenatal probiotic for mood-support during postpartum and to expose your baby to beneficial probiotic strains if you’re breastfeeding.
5. A Peri Bottle
A peri bottle (a small squirt bottle) is an absolute must-have for postpartum care! You’ll use a peri bottle to squeeze warm water onto your perineum after using the bathroom. It might be too painful to wipe at first, and using a peri bottle helps to keep the area clean and dampen the sting of urinating.
I also like to add a little alcohol-free unscented Witch Hazel to the peri bottle to help speed up healing and to reduce the inflammation, though maybe not for the first few days post-birth. The hospital will provide you with a peri bottle, and you can, and should, take 1-2 of these home with you. (How many bathrooms do you have in your home? You should have one in each bathroom that you use often.)
As for these hospital peri bottles, they’ll get the job done, but they leave something to be desired. Enter the Frida Mom Upside Down Peri Bottle (the Momwasher). This is an ergonomic peri bottle that is designed to make it easier to apply water pressure. It is BPA-free and features an angled, narrow neck that makes it easier to…get the water where you need it to be. Please excuse my enthusiasm, but this is one of the single greatest products available for postpartum care. It is more expensive than a regular peri bottle – true – but I think it’s worth it to at least have one of these at home.
Plus, it is currently eligible for the 15% Amazon Baby Registry completion discount, so that helps too! Every new mom should have the Frida Peri Bottle in her bathroom!
6. Sitz Bath
After my second baby, I integrated an herbal sitz bath into my postpartum care routine because let’s face it: if you have a vaginal birth, even if you don’t tear, your perineum will be sore. Using healing herbs can help reduce swelling and inflammation naturally, and speed up the process of healing after-birth wounds (including tears, bruising, and episiotomies). Midwives and doulas often recommend that you use a sitz bath at least once per day if you experienced any tearing during childbirth.
Convinced that this will be helpful? Hope so! Now, when it comes to choosing sitz bath herbs, you have plenty of choices! But, as you can probably tell by now, I am partial to Earth Mama Organics so I’ve gone with their Postpartum Bath Herbs Sitz Bath Healing Pads. They’re organic, non-GMO, made with only a few ingredients, and free of toxins, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, parabens, and petroleum products. It’s recommended that you use their postpartum bath pads iced for the first few days after birth; after that, you may prefer to use it warm in a few inches of water, such as in a sitz bath on top of your toilet or in your bathtub.
I also added about 1/4-1/2 cup of Epsom Salts to my sitz bath to further help with healing.
7. Padsicles
In addition to the cold packs you will receive for use at the hospital, you can either make your own DIY padsicles (aka homemade cold packs) for cooling relief or order more perineal cold packs. (Also check out these instant cold packs, which come with an adhesive strip, which I find helpful.) I should mention that these do not require freezing – you simply crack the pad to initiate the cold therapy. It’s pretty neat! As mentioned above, I recommend bringing home as many as the hospital will allow you to, but you will only need to use these bulky cold packs for a day or so after giving birth.
After that point, you hopefully won’t need these (or want to deal with their bulkiness) and a better alternative is to make your own padsicles. All you need are a few basic items, most of which you’ll already have on hand in your postpartum care kit.
8. Breastfeeding Must-Haves
In the first 2-3 weeks after birth, you may find breastfeeding to be a bit painful or difficult as your body adjusts to the new experience and your baby’s latch improves. For these crucial first few weeks of breastfeeding, I recommend having a nursing pillow, breast pads, nursing bras, and nursing tanks (along with some comfy pants) ready to go.
I used to not think that nipple butter is a must-have, until I desperately needed it. (You can try substituting olive oil or breastmilk, but I didn’t find these to work well enough for me this time.)
Consider Motherlove Organic Nipple Cream or Earth Mama Natural Nipple Butter, which was a life-saver for me. Have some handy or be ready to run to the store for some if you experience soreness.
{For a full list of products I recommend for breastfeeding moms, check out my breastfeeding essentials checklist.}
9. Personal Wipes
I prefer using baby wipes because they’re softer and thicker than toilet paper. I had Water Wipes, my favorite brand of wipes, on hand.
10. Healthy Snacks
Having a stash of food and water during the first few days postpartum is a must in my opinion. You’ll probably be in a daze as you are adjusting to taking care of your new baby (and getting them to sleep). So, make sure you don’t starve yourself or get dehydrated in the meantime! Have some healthy (but filling) snacks on hand and keep drinking lots of water.
This water bottle has time markings to help remind you to hydrate so it’s one of my favorites for new moms! I’m also big on Stanleys and Simple Modern bottles (no real lead concerns in either unless they are damaged) as well as Hydroflask. Just be mindful around your little one because these bottles can be heavy.
And there we have it – all of the essentials for your all-natural postpartum recovery kit! Do you have any favorites that I left out? Let me know! I wish you a wonderful birth experience, lots of baby bonding, and a speedy recovery.
More helpful articles you may be interested in:
- 15 C-Section Recovery Tips from Real Moms
- Self-Care Ideas for Tired New Moms
- Why You Should Drink Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
- Essential Self-Care Tips for Pregnancy
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Thanks for posting! Appreciate all the Amazon links which makes it that much easier to prepare and check a bunch of things off the list!