Things I Couldn’t Live Without In My First Month Postpartum

I’m so glad that I didn’t put any time into making a “what’s in my hospital bag” post because it turns out I literally didn’t use anything in my bag except for my toothbrush and one pair of underwear for the way home. Oh, and my shower shoes haha. But here are the things that I definitely couldn’t have lived without in my first month postpartum.

For Mom:

• Frida postpartum kit – this kit comes with everything you need. The ice pad packs were a life saver and the disposable underwear is key for the first week. My girl Kailey Dickerson dropped this off and I’ll be forever thankful!
• Spanx Nursing Bra – It’s incredibly comfortable, the material is amazing, and it makes feeding super easy. Also, if you use the Elvie pump (which I’ll talk about in a bit) this bra fits with it really well and holds it in place.
• Robes – Most days I wear my Brooklinen linen robe because it’s super lightweight and convenient for breastfeeding. One thing I didn’t know was that you sweat a ton during the night postpartum. When I wake up to feed I’m drenched in sweat so I get super cold. I always throw on my barefoot dreams robe to warm me up during night feeds because it’s a bit thicker.
• Ritual Postnatal Vitamin – I’ve been taking Ritual daily for years. I used the prenatal for a little over a year and I switched to the postpartum multivitamin a month ago. My code is ‘babylane’ if you are looking for a prenatal, postnatal, or regular multivitamin! 
• MilkMaid Tea – I have been drinking this lactation tea every night. Partially because it’s a way for me to wind down at the end of the day but it also benefits your milk supply.  
• I love the MilkyMama lactation brownies and I kind of just snack on them as needed throughout the day. I also take Legendary Milk supplements, specifically the Sunflower Lecithin one because it helps loosen clogged ducts which I have had one and it is not fun.
• Lazy Susan –  I filled a lazy susan with easy-to-grab snacks and it’s been a lifesaver. It’s so easy to forget to eat because you’re so busy taking care of the baby and feeding and cleaning, etc… But it’s important to eat enough nutrients while you’re breastfeeding so having easy things on hand has helped a lot.
• Pumps – I like the Elvie pump for when I need to do things around the house because it’s hands-free and cordless so you can just put it in your bra while you get your stuff done. I also like the Medela Sonata pump. It’s more efficient and gets more milk but you have to be stationary so I keep this one by the glider.

For Baby:

There are some things that I bought pre-baby thinking that I would use and obviously once you have your child you realize what products you love and what products don’t really work well for you or the baby. 

• Before Dutton was born, I stocked up on diapers, wipes, and baby products from Hello Bello. I really like their diapers but my favorite wipes are Water Wipes. Dutton has sensitive skin and got a diaper rash pretty quickly and these seem to be the only ones that don’t irritate him. 
• Bouderaux’s butt paste – This has been super handy for Dutton’s diaper rash/ preventing it when I see the first signs of redness.
• The Hatch Rest Mini sound machine – Dutton is obsessed with this. It’s helped for nap time or really any time he sleeps because our dogs insist on howling 24/7. 
• Little Giraffe Blanket – Softest thing ever, he loves being wrapped up in it!
• Tommee Tippee Ultra Light Silicone Paci – Finding the right pacifier is kind of trial and error because every baby is so different so I ordered like 4-5 different kinds and this is the only one he seems to take.
• Owlet – The Owlet sock is amazing for peace of mind so I can actually get some sleep and not be so worried about him. I use the sock and I ordered the camera but I haven’t needed it yet because he’s in our room with us.
• Dutton has been really picky with swaddles and seems to like these muslin swaddle blankets. He has insisted since the day he was born in having his arms free and up by his face. He also likes the Kea baby swaddles which are super user-friendly.