DIY Holistic Postpartum Recovery Kit for Moms
Curious about what you really need postpartum?
As a mom of two, here are my go to recommendations for postpartum recovery kits— the things you actually need.
You’re reading the birth stories, learning about labor, and buying newborn outfits. But are you prepped for your postpartum recovery?
If there was one thing I could recommend to mama’s (especially those first time moms) is to spend more time prepping for postpartum than you do for labor and your baby’s birth. Labor will maybe last a day or two (or if your like me, a whooole lot less), but postpartum will be weeks of recovery (and months of continued physical, mental, and hormonal shifts)! Your body will not only be recovering from labor and delivery, but months of pregnancy. If you are breastfeeding, your body is making milk and regulating supply. You are having broken sleep. Navigating postpartum emotions, and learning a new routine with an infant.
It is such a special and amazing time, but I won’t sugarcoat it— it can be hard.
That is why I always encourage women to set themselves and their families up for success! Take time during pregnancy to ensure that those months can go as smoothly as possible.
One thing that is definitely worth prepping for is your postpartum recovery kit! Going through postpartum twice now, I have found my favorite products that are both effective and holistically supportive- that means they are (mostly) organic and natural ingredients, and free from possible endocrine disruptors, fragrances, and harsh ingredients.
I’ll also share my favorite pre-made kits if that's more your style!
First things first..
If you are planning on delivering at a hospital or birthing center, give them a call before you start gathering supplies. The hospital I gave birth in twice had a hospital bag full of supplies to use during my day at the hospital postpartum. They had so many supplies that each time I ended up coming home with extras. The kit they gave me included
disposable postpartum underwear
the famous mesh undies
witch hazel pads
a peri bottle
large and extra large menstrual pads
With my first, I think half of my hospital bag was packed with all these supplies that I never ended up using because they had them all there for me already. With my second, I did not pack any supplies for birth recovery and only certain breastfeeding supplies I knew I would want. Out of convenience, I took advantage of what they gave me and then had my home products all set up and ready for me when I got home.
It was the perfect way for me to simplify what I brought to the hospital, and still have everything I needed. Of course, this depends on what your birth center or hospital may provide you. That's why it's helpful to double check.
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My Fave Peri Products
So, what are the products I had prepped at home??
Let's get right into it.. after a vaginal birth, your vagina and vulva are a bit tender. With my daughter, I had a small laceration that needed a couple stitches and i had a lot more discomfort. I fell in love with benzocaine spray and my peri bottle for a good 48 hours haha! Especially for that first post-baby toilet trip 😅
peri wash bottle - whether you get it from the hospital or buy your own, make sure you have one of these!! If you had a vaginal delivery, your vagina and vulva will be a bit swollen and uncomfortable for a few days.
I had heightened perineal pain with my first delivery because of a small tear and this was my favorite thing. I would fill it with warm water and use it while peeing instead of wiping, but then would gently pat dry with toilet paper. It helped me to feel clean without adding any extra pressure down there. I loved this upside down peri bottle from Frida mom.
ice packs -immediately postpartum ice packs can help to reduce swelling, which was provided to me by my labor and delivery nurses. But beyond the first couple of hours post birth, I did not use them and found them uncomfortable. There are a lot of cultures that try to avoid anything cold postpartum because they can heighten postpartum contractions and I definitely found that to be my experience. So maybe have one or two available? But I wouldn't go overboard on making tons of "padsicles". I liked this cool pad with gel beads because it has washable covers and can be used as a normal ice pack down the road.
Perineal balms + sprays- I was gifted a couple of different items that I liked fine, but what I looved was the Earth Mama perineal spray and balm. They’re also great to have on hand if you ever deal with hemorrhoids (unfortunately this was me after my second was born). I love that all their products are natural ingredients and I really do notice a difference when using them!
Sitz bath- Basically a sitz bath is a bath.. you sit in.. 🤣 but the goal is to soothe your whole pelvic floor and help aide healing. You can either use them in a normal bath tub, a smaller sitz bath container that you can place in your toilet, or put the warm water and herbs into your peri bottle and spray away. There are a lot of companies with great ones, but these are some of my favorites:
Earth Mama Sitz- another Earth Mama product, go figure. But truly, I love these products.
Organic Sitz Tea- this tea by Butter Me up Organic smells so good! I also love their magnesium cream 👏 You can use code KAELYN for 10% off your order.
heat packs -with each new baby a women gives birth to, their postpartum contractions typically get worse. Fun, huh? 😅 After my second delivery, they were very uncomfortable for me and the only thing I found to offer some pain relief was a heating pad.
giant maxi pads - We are talking the maximum absorption, heavy flow, need your granny panties kinda pads. I love these ones that are made of organic cotton! Get enough for about a week when your lochia is heaviest. After that, most women can use a regular sized pad. Similar to a menstrual period you can think of your vaginal bleeding after birth like a postpartum period- it will be heaviest at first and then gradually slow down. If all of a sudden you begin bleeding a lot more, that could be a sign you need to check in with your birth care provider or lighten up your activity.
normal sized pads - once your lochia begins to slow down, you can transition to a thinner pad. Again, i loved the linked organic cotton ones by Rael.
panty liners- last but not least, when your lochia has almost fully slowed down, but you still have a little bit, these are perfect.
postpartum underwear -personally, I am a big fan of the hospital mesh panties and brought home enough for the first couple of days postpartum. I hate anything tight or restricting postpartum, so love that they are super duper stretchy and I could toss them when done. But after those first couple of days, i loved these organic cotton undies from Pact! I sized up from my normal size and found them to be perfect for postpartum.
Pre-made Postpartum Care Kits
When researching postpartum kits I found that a lot of them had a lot of extras..I didn't want to over-complicate things and wanted to stream line the recovery process by only having the essential items on hand. With that said, here are some of the best options for postpartum kits:
Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit- this is the more basic version of the Frida Mom kit. Again, I din’t use all of this and didn’t love the liners. But if you want to have them just in case- this is a good option.
Earth Mama Postpartum Recovery Kit- with both of my births, i loved these products postpartum. I used the perineal balm and spray anytime I’d use the restroom and the sitz bath several times a week in those first couple weeks. I’m convinced these played a role in recovering rather quickly and not having a lot of perineal discomfort postpartum.
Let's Talk Nipple Care
If you are planning to breastfeed, dont forget to prep a little extra relief for your nipples. Painful breastfeeding could be a sign of a poor latch, tongue or lip ties, or just needing to optimize the positioning of your breast and baby. But even after 20ish months of breastfeeding my daughter, I still had some sore nipples and discomfort those first few days postpartum with my son.
I loved the silverette nipple covers (seriously a life saver for cracked or damaged nipples), earth mama nipple butter, and these let down milk collectors. (you can save 20% on Elvie Products with code KAELYN20 ✨)
This is another area that I feel is often over-looked and new moms forget to prep for. Some of my fave books of the subject are :
How to Stay Organized
I would set everything up in one bathroom (preferably one closest to your bed or chair where you'll be resting the most)! Get a toilet-top storage caddy or something to set alongside the toilet to organize all your supplies so they are easy to grab. I love this plastic one because it can easily be used as a diaper caddy, or makeup storage when postpartum is over.
Some people recommend a three tier wheeled cart for their postpartum supplies but i do not have that kind of room in my bathroom and also feel like it is just way too big and bulky-- plus you will only need the majority of these supplies for a couple of weeks. So unless you have another use for the cart, buy something smaller and a bit more versatile.
A couple other things I loved postpartum-
These are all things that I made sure I had before delivering my son and I am so thankful i prepared. They helped to make those snuggly newborn days so much more comfy and cozy! (they also make the perfect gift for a friend or family member who is postpartum!)
cozy socks, a snuggle robe, slippers— all things comfy cozy!
a water bottle and thermos for quick and easy hydration
high-quality nourishing snacks and meals - i love Mama Meals for postpartum meal delivery. They have the most optimal, high-quality ingredients of any meal delivery service I've found and everything is so tasty. I am currently 7 months postpartum and am still ordering their meals to have on hand in the freezer!
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