10 DIY Postpartum Care Kit Must Haves
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
Here’s everything you need to put together your own DIY postpartum care kit. Because let’s be honest. How much money have you spent so far on baby supplies? Hundreds? Thousands of dollars?
Now, how much time or money have you spent to prepare for your own postpartum recovery? $20? Nothing at all? Let’s take care of that.
This is where that DIY postpartum care kit comes in, mama!
In the months leading up to having my first baby months ago, I read all the parenting babies books I could find. Soon, I felt pretty confident we would figure things out as we went, once our son was born.
But at a certain point, I realized I had yet to come across what I needed to know or do to care for myself after giving birth.
It turns out, I still felt that way after having my son, too. That’s why I started this blog.
What does a mother need after birth?
Don’t worry mama, I promise I will get to that if you keep reading!
I did some peer-to-peer research on the topic. AKA I asked my best friends, sister-in-law, and hundreds of moms in every pregnancy & motherhood Facebook group I was a part of.
Then I came up with the consensus of what all those many moms said I would need to care for myself.
I bought everything on this list (or was gifted them), and was so glad I did. And I’m now, sharing that list with you.
Because even after raiding your recovery room, which you absolutely should do, you’ll want to be stocked up on a few essentials ahead of time at home.
I promise, the more you prepare for what is about to happen, the happier and less stressed you will be when you get home.
There’s nothing worse than running out of pads while bleeding all over for days on end.
Because you’re definitely not going to be up to running to the store, your husband isn’t going to want to either, and even 24 hour delivery can’t even help you then.
Speaking of which, if you aren’t a member of Amazon Prime yet, let’s start right there. I have to admit I’m an extremely thrifty person, so the thought of paying a penny more than I ever need to is totally cringeworthy to me.
That being said, a Prime membership more than pays for itself with all the fast, free shipping on postpartum recovery and baby supplies you’ll be overnighting to yourself on a weekly basis.
I couldn’t seem to justify getting a prime membership until I was pregnant, and then I wondered what took me so long. (Get a free 30 day Amazon Prime trial here.)
Secret mom hack: you can even share a family prime membership with other family members and have your own logins!
So what do you put in a postpartum kit?
(In no particular order. All available online, so you don’t even have to leave the house to get them!)
10. Tucks Cool Hemorrhoid Pads: Hate to be the one to break it to you, but after giving birth, it’s very common to have hemorrhoids. I know this from experience. Sorry, TMI.
I used these cool pads with witch hazel which provided much needed relief in those early weeks and onward.
Get the 100 pack of these medicated pads. Because unfortunately, they can keep popping back up months and even years later.
9. Recovery Ritual Sitz Bath Salt for Postpartum Recovery and Hemorrhoid Treatment: My besties bought me this and I used it every single day, often twice a day to help my swollen lady parts recover.
This will be the recommendation from your delivery nurse as well. Sitz bath salts are a must, must have.
Because you’ll definitely run out of the ones you get at the hospital and you need to continue this practice to help you heal and take down swelling once you get home.
The Recovery Ritual brand includes healing epsom salt, dead sea salt, and essential oils.
Shop for epsom sitz bath salts here
8. Organic Bamboo Washable Nursing Breast Pads: If you plan to breastfeed, these will come in handy to prevent leaking through your bra and top.
And let’s face it: you are about to start doing way more laundry on a regular basis anyway.
You’ll want nursing breast pads that you can keep on hand, and toss in with your next load rather than having to make sure you’re stocked up on enough of the disposable kind.
One more thing to remember? No, thanks! Plus, that way you can reuse them for future babies, too.
Shop for washable breast pads here
7. Labor and Delivery Nursing Nightgown: I recommend adding a nursing dress onto your Amazon baby registry or even just buying it yourself from somewhere like Kindred Bravely.
Psst, get 20% off your entire first Kindred Bravely order when you stock up on all the cute, comfy maternity and postpartum clothes and accessories you need through my link here.
It will be something you can feel like a human being in while in the hospital during your delivery, for one thing.
And honestly, for first few weeks or months you are going to be living in whatever is comfortable and easy to breastfeed in, if you plan to do so.
I prefer something like this that looks kind of like a real dress, where you could throw a jean jacket over it and go to the grocery store.
Because I promise, you won’t feel like or remember to put on “real clothes” for a while, mama!
Shop for your maternity & nursing nightgown here
6. Lansinoh TheraPearl Breast Therapy Pack: When I was still breastfeeding I used these all the time.
You can put them in the microwave to create little heat packs to alleviate discomfort, encourage your milk let-down, relieve plugged ducts and painful mastitis.
Or freeze them to relieve engorgement. These will be your best friends when breastfeeding gets tough.
Shop for breastfeeding heat & cold packs here
5. High Waisted Postpartum Recovery Panties: The reason for this purchase is to have some comfortable underwear, now that your body has changed.
And to hold a pad for the residual bleeding that lasts for weeks.
I recommend getting these in black in case you leak through, so you aren’t worried about stains.
And in all honesty, these are affordable enough you could even throw them away if they get too gross after a while depending on how soon you can wash them. No guilt allowed on that one.
Shop for high-waisted postpartum underwear here
4. The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality: If you’re a reader, put down all the parenting books and pick this up instead.
Everyone raves about this book and from the skimming I’ve had time to do since my son has been born, it’s extremely validating and valuable.
I would highly recommend reading this before you give birth. That way, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect and how to give yourself grace and meet your own needs during this time.
It will also be harder to fit in reading for a while after giving birth, until life falls into more of a routine.
Shop for the only book you really need to read before giving birth
3. Postpartum / Incontinence Pads: Again, you will be bleeding for up to 6 weeks after giving birth, this is called lochia and it’s a part of your healing.
Some women opt to wear straight up diapers during this time and no shame in that game but that just ain’t me.
Once I got home, I wanted to feel as normal as possible which is not normal at all. But it’s more normal feeling if you’re wearing a pad, not a diaper.
Get a few packs of extra heavy absorbency, long length, (all the things) and you should be all set. If you don’t use them now, they will come in handy for your surprisingly heavy and long first period. Yay?
Also a good backup plan if you are one of the many women experiencing incontinence or loss of bladder control after giving birth.
P.S. For anyone wondering “How do I make postpartum padsicles?” I got you!
If you’ve never heard of a padsicle, it’s basically a pad that you jazz the heck up to help relieve your swelling. Add some aloe and witch hazel. You can even just do it with water alone.
The key is to freeze them. Just remember to change them out every few hours like you would a regular pad!
Here’s a great padsicle “recipe” if you’d like to check it out.
Or, Frida Mom already makes these premade too. If you don’t want to deal with buying witch hazel, because who honestly has that lying around?!
And now back to the rest of our DIY postpartum care kit!
2. Electric Heating Pad for Back Pain and Postpartum Cramps: I had the worst back pain for months during my pregnancy and don’t know how I would have survived without an electric heating pad to soothe it.
Plus, another thing no one tells you is when your uterus is shrinking back down to its regular size, and when you pump, you can get the WORST CRAMPS ever.
I cannot recommend this enough in terms of finding relief. If you are doing any breastfeeding or pumping just leave it on your baby feeding chair.
That way, you have it when you need it and are stuck in a chair for 30 min. This one has 6 temperature settings which is awesome.
Shop for your electric heating pad here
1. Frida Mom Hospital Packing Kit for Labor, Delivery, Postpartum Recovery Kit: Frida Mom is a brand you will see everywhere because it’s the gold standard for postpartum recovery products.
And for moms like me, who want to buy one thing and be done with it, go for this all-in-one to add to your DIY postpartum care kit.
It includes almost everything you could possibly need from the delivery room to the first weeks at home.
It mean! It has a nursing gown, socks, peri bottle (you get one at the hospital but it’s nice to have one in each bathroom), disposable underwear, ice maxi pads, pad liners, perineal foam, and a toiletry bag.
If that seems like a lot of stuff or like more than you would typically spend on yourself in one sitting for self-care? Think again!
There’s no way around it: when you deliver a baby, your body undergoes trauma.
And what we’re talking about here is a healthy recovery, so you can focus on getting in more snuggles and precious bonding time with your new bundle of joy.
Shop for your delivery and postpartum recovery kit here
And don’t forget to check out my favorite motherhood apparel site, Kindred Bravely, for a stylish and affordable line created specifically for pregnant, postpartum, nursing, and pumping mamas!
As you’re hunting around on their site, be sure to also nab a some more comfy clothes, a soft robe, and plenty of nursing tops.
Did I mention you definitely want one (make that three) of these award-winning nursing and pumping bras?
That’s the other thing. Please don’t make the same mistake I did, which is having to switch bras multiple times a day when you go from nursing to pumping. Just… please don’t do that to yourself.
And finally, if you have a scheduled C-section, my physical therapist recommends compression pants to help with comfort and swelling during your longer recovery.
Wondering, “How do I take care of myself postpartum?”
During the first few weeks and months, your recovery should be a top priority. You will want to rest and recover, take a sitz bath 1-2 times a day, make sure to hydrate, and eat nutritious foods.
Self-care doesn’t come easy for a lot of women. But your life is about to change drastically, and it’s high time to make that a priority.
Practicing extremely intentional self-care during the first days, weeks, and months after giving birth is not optional. It is MANDATORY!
There is no debating the fact that if you let your gas tank run on empty without carving out a little time for yourself every single day, you will become totally burned out.
It will also make it that much harder to care for your little one.
One last thought to leave you with: you need to care for yourself, you deserve to do it, and your baby wants a happy mama!
You’re the only one who can fully meet your needs. So if you struggle to make time for yourself as a future, new, or not-so-new mama, check out my free Motherhood Self Care Guide for some great ideas.
You got this, mama.
What else do you recommend adding to a DIY postpartum care kit? Let me know in the comments below.
Having a baby?
Make sure you’re prepared for childbirth and to meet your own needs during the postpartum period with my handy, printable Essential 3rd & 4th Trimester Guide!
-B
Psst… please share this article to help another current or future mama! You can also save it for future reference on your “Motherhood Inspiration” Pinterest board.
