If you’ve read my super honest birth story, then you’re a bit more prepared for birth than perhaps you were yesterday. Yay you!
Now comes the important step of prepping for postpartum life: i.e. the six-ish weeks following birth are going to be some kind of something for you. It’s a great idea to prepare ahead of time so you know a little about what to expect, and how to cope.
Here’s a handful of items that made my life way easier PP.
1. Underwear
Whether you give birth vaginally or have a C-Section, you will not want to be wearing your regular panties PP. Trust.
You’ll want something comfortable and breathable that will support your ice packs and pads, and won’t snag on your stitches. Do not rely on ye old period panties. They will be worn out and won’t quite cut it.
It’s also important to note that your belly is going to be flopping around like never before. It’ll feel jiggly and jelly-like, and having a pair of panties that tucks that shit it is unmatched.
I ordered this pack on Amazon and absolutely loved it.
2. Sports bras
Whether you’re breastfeeding or not, you’ll want some comfy-ass bras to keep your tits in line.
I bought this pack on Amazon and still wear them to this day.
They are comfortable, provide easy access, and just enough support and pressure when you’re engorged.
3. Loose, comfortable pajamas
Let’s be honest here: you’re going to spend a lot of time at home after baby arrives. There will be times when you cannot shower. Hell, there will be times when you literally sit on the couch, holding your tiny sleepy baby, for HOURS without moving.
And if you have a cute, yet comfortable set of jammies to do it in makes you feel a bit less pathetic about not leaving the house for days.
It makes answering the door for Amazon a shit ton easier. And, kind of makes you feel like you have your shit together, even though you haven’t washed your hair in a week.
I wore nightgowns like this one from Victoria’s Secret while in the hospital, and migrated to two-piece sets once we were home. I don’t think I got dressed once during the first six weeks. I ordered one size up in everything.
4. Giant, refillable water bottle
Hydration is the key to recovery, or something like that.
In the weeks following the birth of your babe, you will drink so much freakin water you’ll feel like you’re going to pee everywhere. And honestly, you might. But that’s a story for another day.
Remember earlier when I mentioned you might go hours without getting off the couch? Ya, that’s not because you don’t want to get up. It’s because if you move, you’re going to wake up baby, and that will not work out for anyone involved.
You’ll need water though. Sometimes, your mouth will be so dry you’ll feel like you could die. But you won’t. Probably.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a giant, refillable water bottle like this one. Fill it once or twice a day, and you’re good to go.
5. Meal-Kit-Delivery Service
OK, OK, this one is obviously not a *must have* for everyone, but in our house, it totally was. Like, IDK if we would have made it without the help of Plated (sidenote: Plated no longer offers home delivery).
A meal-kit-delivery service is a subscription that provides all the ingredients you need to cook a meal at home – i.e. no food shopping, no list-making, no meal prep, no thinking. Legit, unbox the ingredients, follow the recipe card, and BOOM! Dinner in 30.
We were HUGE fans of Plated, and used their service for over a year before calling it quits. We absolutely loved the variety of meals (you choose them online ahead of time), the convenience and the ability to skip so many annoying steps like shopping and prepping.
I constantly posted the meals in my Instagram stories, and every single night, someone new was reaching out praising us for cooking with a brand new baby. I said it then, and I’ll say it now: we could NEVER have done it without Plated. We would have been eating Ramen noodles every night.
If it’s something you can afford, and something you think you might like, I highly recommend looking into these kinds of programs. There are so many options available now, and a lot of them cater to all different kinds of diets/eating plans.
the northeast ginger 