12 Essential Items for Postpartum!

Let's talk BABY PRODUCTS! This is the list of my holy grail items that I quite honestly could not have done without this postpartum period. It's surprising how much support some of these things can provide, and this list is perfect for mamas building a baby registry or anyone looking for ideas to gift a mama in their life.

I'll be going backward from twelve to one, with #1 being the top essential item that I could not have done without! But each of them all feel kind of life saving. "Add to cart!"

Ok! Let's dive in!

12. Non-toxic & Fragrance-Free Baby/Household products!

First things first: you're going to need non-toxic and fragrance-free household and baby products for your home. If you haven't jumped on the organic/clean ingredient train yet, being pregnant and bringing a newborn into your home is the time to start. Giving them a safe environment free from harsh ingredients, toxic chemicals, and endocrine system-disrupting fragrances is a great way to side-step skin irritation, allergies, and a heavy toxic load on their sweet little systems as they enter into the world.

Here's a few of my favorites:

• ROE baby lotion
  
  • Gentle, clean ingredients, and looks beautiful on your changing table without interrupting the decor. They also have a list of other amazing products I'm excited to check out, too.

• PAUME hand sanitizer (diaper bag, changing table, visiting area)
  • You'll want a clean ingredient hand sanitizer everywhere - in your diaper bag, on your changing table, in your visiting area (give your guests a pump each time they want to hold your baby) and more! Love the way this one looks! I also have this one here and it's been great!

• Fels Naptha Soap (for clothing stains)
  • This bar of soap has saved so many baby outfits from the worst kind of stains! Wash the item under warm water, lather this soap around the stain, and then put the item outside in direct sunlight. A few hours later, it will be completely stainless! Then wash as normal. It's incredible!

• Molly's Dish Soap
  
  • You'll be surprised how much dish soap you will go through washing bottles and pump parts! This brand is great for all things baby & unscented is best!

• Molly's Laundry Detergent
  
  • I hate to break it to ya but I'll be surprised if you do laundry less than 3-4x per week with your newborn. They fly through outfits and swaddles and burp cloths and doing a small load every day, or every other day, will become the norm. This laundry detergent is great for their sweet sensitive skin!

11. Diaper Spatula! (Clean + clear changes await)

My sister-in-law had a baby a few months before we did, and she recommended this diaper spatula to us! I wasn't sure how much we would use it since we got pretty used to using our hands in the NICU, but it's actually a little surprising how nice it is and it's definitely one of our most used items. It's incredible at spreading diaper cream in an even layer across your baby's bum and it keeps your hands free of diaper cream!! Just use a wipe to clean it after each use. My mama - who is an absolute veteran when it comes to caring for babies and changing all the diapers - was helping watch our sweet baby a few days after we brought her home and loved it, too! 

10. A red light! (For a healthy circadian rhythm)

The first few weeks (especially the first two!) while your baby is home, getting as good of sleep as you can is crucial. Quite literally, a sleep-deprived mother is a safety risk for the baby... but also? To better enjoy your sweet little miracle and appreciate the precious newborn scrunch and soak in all the goodness that is the newborn bubble? You've got to have some rest. It's hard, for sure. And you can find ways to help make it happen! One of those tools is this red light lamp to use instead of a traditional white or yellow night light when you're doing middle-of-the-night feeds and pump sessions. - I love that it is a touch lamp and that it has 3 different levels of brightness - but even a red lightbulb in your normal lamp will do! 

9. Button-Up PJ Sets for Mama

When I say these are a need: hear me out! If you're breastfeeding or pumping, a button-up top is 10x better than lifting your shirt and having it bundle up on your neck and around your baby's airway. And also - they're phenomenal for skin-to-skin, which can/should be done as often as possible during your 4th trimester, no matter how your baby is getting fed. Plus it makes a huge difference slipping on a pretty pj set instead of the old and worn-out sweats and t-shirt you used to wear. Seriously! I just went to tjmaxx and got a week's worth of $15 pj sets and it's one of the best purchases I made, for ME, during postpartum. Function and form! I've curated a few cute options you could consider on this list, here.

8. Dr. Brown's Bottles

Next on the list are these bottles! I remember building out my registry and having no idea what kind of bottles to get. I put some glass and silicone ones on my list (that I'm so excited to use when she is older) but we were required to use this brand, Dr. Brown's, by our Occupational Therapist in the NICU. They're amazing because they have awesome transition nipple sizes (did you know that was even a thing?? I didn't!) and because they have a great insert that greatly reduces digestive irritation from air bubbles - which is huge when it comes to the comfort of your baby - and how often they're upset/crying. We've loved these and are so grateful for that recommendation!

7. Keekaroo Peanut Changing Table

This one initially felt a little pricey to me. I mean... $150 for a changing mat when there were $30 ones out there?? But goodness gracious I'm glad I bit the bullet and bought this one. I would have done soooooo much more laundry if I used a mat with fabric covers on it - even if they're waterproof. It's so nice to quickly wipe it down after each change and keep things clean and fresh. I also love how the sides go up a few inches to keep her really secure during each change. And the color! The prettiest beige. 10/10 purchase.

6. Baby Wrap Carrier

I could sing holy praises to this thing. You'd never realize that a strip of fabric like this could make such a difference in someone's life!!! But wow it's a must-have. EVERY MOM should be baby-wearing as much as possible. My sweet girl is such a snuggler and isn't super content unless she's nuzzled right into my neck. This thing allows me to be close to her during the day while being able to use both hands to do the dishes, make the bed, and eat a meal! I never realized how hard it was to eat one-handed. This way my husband and I can still enjoy mealtime without having to take shifts on who gets to eat first!

5. Baby Delight Portable Bassinet

THIS THING! I'm so grateful for it. One of my IG friends mentioned how nice it is to have a few things around the house to put your baby in, and I got this one right away. It was recommended as the only safe "lounger-style" bassinet inside this Safe Sleep Facebook group I'm a part of. I love my Snuggle Me Lounger, but these types of loungers are not safe for sleep, even as seen on the manufacturer's websites. When your baby is in a lounger, they need to be awake and you need to be right there watching them. So, having this as your "lounger" is great because if your baby falls asleep while they're in it, then all the better! 

It's light and neutral and I'll bring it from room to room when I need to. It's perfect to put on our large ottoman and is very sturdy there while I'm in the kitchen, and it's small enough to transfer to our bed and place between my husband and me at night! I also love that it's got the mesh sides - a must-have feature imo when it comes to bassinets. I want to always be able to see my baby's face and airways even if I'm sitting down near the bassinet and not up top with a birds-eye view, which is great for pumping or if I'm on my laptop on the couch.

The perfect safe sleep option that's a lovely mix between lounger and nighttime bassinet.

4. Kindred Bravely Hands-Free Pumping Bras 

I never expected how crucial great bras would be for my breastfeeding and pumping journey. They're beyond crucial. Having a great fit you can sleep in and wear all day, having support to aid against clogged ducts and mastitis, and having something that allows you to breastfeed and/or pump is so important.

I was initially planning on exclusively breastfeeding, but when our sweet girl had to be delivered 10 weeks early and couldn't take my milk by mouth, my pumping journey began! I quickly got some cheap hands-free pumping bras from Amazon and let me tell you. They were not it. When I invested in these high quality, high support, high function Kindred Bravely bras, that whole experience got a million times more enjoyable! I love this style the most, with this one coming in second. They're also very size-inclusive (unlike a lot of brands that stop at size L or XL and just don't fit our evolving bodies like we need them to in this area.)

Oh, and their underwear? Amazing. Buttery soft. And they stretch so beautifully with your pregnant and postpartum body as you shift shape. It was such a strange experience for me to be 30 pounds lighter three days after my c-section, and I was so grateful for these soft and cozy basics that fit me through all my phases. I love the pack of them, here. That's target prices, ladies! Grab these for pregnancy and postpartum and you'll be so glad you did!

3. Owlet Dream Sock Baby Monitor

Coming in at number three with the bronze medal from this list is the product that gives me peace of mind every single night, the Owlet Dream Sock Baby Monitor! (Cue round of applause.)

I was so worried about SIDS when I was pregnant. I learned a ton about it through the book, 'Sweet Sleep' (which I cannot recommend enough to every human who is going to sleep with a baby) and was grateful to learn about how much the risk drastically goes down if both parents are non-smokers and not on any drugs, if the baby is breastfed, if the baby isn't overheated at night, and if the baby is healthy and full term. We hit all of those boxes except for the full-term one, but I'm still an "error on the side of caution" type of person. And after constantly watching our baby's heart rate, oxygen, and respiratory on the NICU monitors, it was comforting to be still able to see that at home and just be reassured that she is okay.

We put this little sock monitor on her every night before I go to sleep and it tracks her numbers while I'm out. If anything is wrong, an alarm will go off and wake me up, alerting me to solve the problem. I sleep SO much better knowing that if something is off, I will be alerted. New moms have enough anxiety as it is, and this is a tool that can drastically help the level of rest you're able to get. They're $300 and worth every single penny.

2. Amēda Platinum Hospital Grade Breast Pump

Coming in second place is the Amēda Platinum Hospital Grade breast pump. This was the most surprising thing for me when it came to my milk supply experience... as I was, again, thinking I'd exclusively breastfeed and then occasionally pump using the Elvie Hands-Free breast pump we had purchased.

But, when we got to the hospital, the lactation consultant there kindly informed us that the Elvie was great at pumping after a healthy supply had been established, but that it wasn't great at establishing a supply. And goodness was she correct. 

While in the NICU I was told to try and get between 2 - 4 ounces of milk per pumping session. When I used the Amēda, I would get between 4 - 6 ounces, no problem. Sometimes in the mornings, I'd get double that. (Hormones and things shift in the mornings so it's common to have your largest pump of the day here.) But when I used my Elvie pump, or a few others I tried (the MomCozy and the Spectra), I would get about an ounce total. It was such a drastic difference! Just like the lactation consultant had said. While we were in the NICU I was considered an "overproducer" - but only because of the Amēda. Well, and drinking electrolytes. That helped a ton, too. :) 

So, I'd say, get an Elvie or a MomCozy if you like, but  definitely get an Amēda. Even if you're planning on exclusively breastfeeding. They're free through insurance and super easy to get. And it is worth it to call your insurance about them because they're about $2.8k. Such a powerhouse tool to have to establish your supply and help your milk come in really strong those first few days. And what a gift it will be if you can produce extra and have a full freezer of milk for your sweet baby! 

1. Silverettes, Organic Nursing Balm, and Flange Inserts!

And now, we finally have the top item(s) that saved my life this postpartum period! And that is... nipple care products!! 

One thing that sounded absolutely horrible was experiencing cracked & bleeding nipples, while still having to breastfeed/pump. No thanks! I wanted to sidestep that experience if possible.... and these three things helped me do that! I probably would have given up on the pumping/breastfeeding process without these things. So thank heavens for them!

• Silverette Nursing Cups are the holy grail of nipple care. Made of high-quality, healing silver, I constantly wore them those first few weeks and they helped SO much with the sensitivity and soreness and allowed me to keep up with my pumps. These were a must-have in my hospital bag. 

I constantly heard how hard it is to get your milk to come in while I was pregnant, so I was expecting some challenges. I'd become very educated on the benefits of breastmilk and with a NICU baby it's even more crucial that they get their mother's milk to help them develop in such a vulnerable state. So I was motivated. But, it's not the funnest thing ever. You're post-operation/vaginal birth, in a tiny hospital room, dealing with huge hormonal shifts and emotions, going through so many changes and processing a ton, and worrying about so many things you never had to worry about before. You're tired and worn out and just need sleep and rest... but every 2-3 hours you have to either pump or breastfeed. You're figuring out flange sizing and timing and things are sensitive. And all of a sudden, formula feeding sounds like the best invention known to motherhood. The *only way* I kept going was through Drake getting up with me and helping me with every single pump and washing the pump parts, and putting these silverettes on to help with the soreness in between each session. They were hands down the most crucial item to my breastfeeding success and I can't recommend them enough.

• Next, you're going to need a great nipple cream. Going along with the silverettes, when you're really sore (especially those first 48 - 72 hours) coating your nipples in this amazing Mother Love Nipple Cream before placing your silverettes on does wonders. I tried multiple creams and this one was by far my favorite and is in a compact jar that's great to slip in your bag, too.

• And the biggest thing I learned when it comes to pumping, is you MUST have the correct flange size! You don't want your areola to be pulled up into the flange or else it will cause a lot of soreness, so having the proper size here is key. You also may require different sizing at different times! I have. Pumping was pretty uncomfortable until I got the proper size with this Flange Sizing Kit. Remember, pumping shouldn't hurt!! (And if it hurts, it's going to be really, really hard to keep at it longterm.)  

So there you have it! The 12 most essential items you can have to support yourself postpartum! Having support from your spouse and family is absolutely crucial during this time, and having support from tools like this is just as crucial.

It might sound dramatic, but when you or your baby have a need postpartum, getting that need met quickly and comfortably makes a huge difference in your 4th trimester and how the experience will feel for you. And you deserve every little bit of support possible.🫶🏻

And for ease with registry building and hospital bag shopping, I'm building out an ever-evolving list of my pregnancy and postpartum favorites for you. See that master list, *here!*

Happy postpartum planning! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

xx,

brynn

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