If I learned one thing from my last pregnancy, it’s that babies will come when they are ready and they don’t care if you are ready or not.  Jack was born 10 days early, which shouldn’t have been a big deal, but I was a first-time mom and I thought for sure my baby would be late.  I had nothing prepared for postpartum.  Luckily I had a lot of help.  This time around it’s just going to be me and Kevin at home with the baby for the first week or so.  I know we will be fine, but I also know that he’s not going to be wanting to run out to the store every day to buy me things like pads and granny panties.  That’s why this time around I’m trying to stock up on all my postpartum essentials ahead of time.

I figured as I make my list I will share my essentials with all of you to help give you an idea of what is helpful during that postpartum recovery time when you are first home from the hospital.

 It’s nice to have a comfy pair of nursing-friendly pajamas during those first few days at home with your new baby.  I love this comfy pajama set that I have (HERE).  I’ve been waiting to wear them since October.  I know that they will be super comfy to wear while I’m recovering.

 Comfy nursing bras like these ones at (HERE) Target are perfect for postpartum recovery time at home.  They are more comfortable than other nursing bras, so they are perfect for lounging in.

After I gave birth to Jack, I was given a belly binder at the hospital right after my c-section.  I wore it for 6 weeks every day, only taking it off to shower.  It helped with the pain after surgery and it also helped everything go back into place and gave me my waistline back.  I highly recommend having something to wear for those first few weeks, especially if you have a c-section.

 Having a nice comfy robe is always nice after having a baby.  It’s easy for nursing access, but also nice to cover up with if you have family around after the baby is born.

This is gross to talk about, but having a bowel movement after you give birth is scary.  It doesn’t matter if you had a natural birth or c-section.  I remember I drank a lot of prune juice when I came home from the hospital to help make that process a little less scary.

To go along with constipation after birth, I also had a lot of gas pain from my surgery.  Having tums on hand was super helpful.  Tums helped relieve a lot of that pain.

 You will need big thick pads after you give birth.  Lots of them! So it’s good to stock up beforehand.  I also used them to protect my incision when I first came home from the hospital the first time.  I have also heard that you can freeze them and make them into an ice pack for vaginal birth recovery.

 If you plan on breastfeeding I recommend having a breast pump, even if you plan on being home with your baby full time.  I had a lot of issues at first with breastfeeding and having a pump saved me.  One thing you need to know is that breast pumps are covered 100% by insurance.  Make sure you call your insurance company to find out how their coverage works.  Some companies might have you go through a specific vendor and others might let you buy it anywhere and they will reimburse you.

 If you are a first-time mom, you may not be prepared for getting your milk.  It takes a while to get it all under control.  Breastfeeding can be messy, at least it was for me.  That’s why I always used nursing pads in my bras.

 This is another breastfeeding essential.  Nursing is painful at first and the nipple balm just helps with any dryness or cracking that you might have.

Those are the postpartum items that helped me survive my first days back from the hospital with a newborn the first time around.  Are there any items that you couldn’t do without during your postpartum recovery?