Baby is about to arrive – WOO HOO! If you are anything like me you have everything ready for the sweet little bundle but you may or may not have forgotten about yourself. To make life easier for all of us I compiled a list. I’m really excited to bring you a list of 11 must-haves for new moms! Being a new mommy is hard enough, help yourself out and prepare for your postpartum with me.
11 Must-Haves for New Moms:
SNACKS – Especially if you are planning to nurse you’ll want stashes of snacks everywhere! A friend of mine shared with me her how to set up a nursing station and it’s brilliant. She set herself up with a little table next to her favorite chair, she made sure the table was within an arms reach and was full of water bottles and her favorite snacks {granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, fruit cups, etc. Check out this list of 45 easy snack ideas.}. For even more convenience make your nursing station snacks portable, in a nice little basket that way if you decide to switch where in the house you nurse you can bring your snack basket with you!
Pink Oatmeal blog also has a great post on post-baby must-haves and she includes a recipe for oatmeal balls that look easy enough to make a big batch of and would be the perfect energy boost for any nursing mom.
PADS – Oh, the “joys” of postpartum! Thank the Lord for the cute little baby that makes it all worth going through. Postpartum was a total surprise for me and I got caught unprepared! I knew I would need pads but I thought a few would be enough, learn from me, it’s the one thing you don’t want to run out of – stock up! And after the pad stage you’ll want to grab some Poise microliners. After baby, your bladder control isn’t quite what it used to be and slight bladder leakage happens to the best of moms. These moments of coughing and laughing are nothing to be embarrassed about, just prepare yourself.
WITCH HAZEL – My saving grace after birth were pads soaked with witch hazel and then frozen in the freezer! I will forever owe my midwife for this brilliant tip she taught me. I don’t know if it’s because I tore or if every mama experiences this but boy, did peeing hurt after birth.
PERI BOTTLE – Best $3 you will ever spend! I mixed water and a little bit of Hibiclens and used used it to rinse instead of wiping.
COMFORTABLE PANTS/SHORTS – Or Maxi skirts are great too! Whatever it is just make sure it’s loose and comfy.
NURSING BRA and NURSING PADS – This was another one of those big mistakes I made. I figured I would wait to buy one until after my milk came in and adjusted so that I could be sized properly but a few things I didn’t consider. What was I going to wear for the coming week while I waited? And I also didn’t expect to have the most colicy baby, together we went on the most miserable shopping trip ever trying to get a bra after. Next time I’ll make sure to start with at least one on hand!
HEATING PAD – No one ever mentioned the after birth cramps to me! I was living in a little dream world thinking that birth was the only hard part and then after that is a breeze. Having your new bundle of joy makes it all worth it but again, just be prepared. With knowledge comes the ability to prepare: A heating pad behind your lower back while you nurse will be a nice comfort!
HERBS FOR THE BATH – Soaking in the tub also helps with the cramps. I order some herbs that were specific for after birth {help with healing} and then I got the water nice and hot and relaxed! Make sure baby is all set before you jump in your cozy tub, and then let dad and baby enjoy some bonding time. {You’ll also want to check out: 10 more ways for dad and baby to bond.}
DRY SHAMPOO – I feel like this one speaks for itself. I didn’t have it the first time around and let’s just say I looked horrid in any pictures from the first couple of days. This will be the first thing I grab at the store for next time around! {Update: my favorite brand is Arrojo because it actually works. Some cheaper brands don’t seem to help my hair. Play around beforehand and see what works for you.}
FREEZER MEALS/OR PLANS FOR DELIVERED MEALS – Either stock your freezer to the brim beforehand or convince a close friend to coordinate a meal calendar for you. Those first few days you’re suppose to rest as much as possible and even after that, there is plenty to do without having to worry about making dinner. {For easy meal ideas see our Recipes page.}
A FRIEND TO TALK TO WHEN YOU GET LONELY – Motherhood is beautiful and amazing but it does sometimes get lonely. Post-partum blues can be a very real thing and having a friend or friends who you can talk can really help shake the loneliness. Especially for those of us who don’t have a mom who we can call in the middle of the night {If that’s you too, you might want to check out my post on Surviving Motherhood without a mom to call}.
Be prepared, don’t forget to take care of yourself and enjoy your new baby!
Similar posts you’ll love:
Tips to Avoid a Breastfeeding Burnout
5 Ways to Respect a New Mom’s Boundaries
Dairy-free Recipes — in case your breastfeeding baby is sensitive to the dairy in your diet. This is a great resource to pin just in case.
While this article is sponsored by Poise all opinions are my own.
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Alison - The Way He Plays says
Freezer meals were my best friend for the first month!!
Riley says
Great ideas here! I got smart after my third and for the first couple of weeks postpartum (at least), I got the disposable underwear (eg poise, depends) instead of pads. Pretty comfortable and you can get ones that look pretty discreet (if that’s a concern!). Also, calendula (marigold) is great for warm baths for healing if there’s been tearing.