It has been over three weeks since Baby Star Light was born, and we are making great progress! Baby Star Light was born small (5 pounds, 7 ounces) but she has been eating well and has been rapidly gaining weight. As for me, the difficulties continue with my recovery with setbacks nearly every day. But I keep repeating to myself a quote that I relied on a great deal during my infertility struggles, “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” Sometimes I have to repeat that gem to myself 20 times a day, but it keeps me going.

As I reflect on the past few weeks, I thought I’d compile a list of items that I’ve found handy during the transition. Some of these I had on hand before we got home from the hospital, some were given to me by brilliant mom friends who walked this path before me, but others have been hastily ordered on Amazon and I wish I had purchased them beforehand. I’ll start out with what I consider the must-have items for mom, and will follow-up with another post with must-have items for baby.

Must-Have-Items-Postpartum

Painkillers – My nightstand is so stocked with medications it currently looks like a pharmacy. For me, pain killers (acetaminophen and ibuprofen) have been absolutely critical throughout the past few weeks. I try to rotate these so that I minimize the side effects from any one drug. I also have been taking a stool softener twice a day, and have been using Tucks wipes and hemorrhoid cream – I’ll stay away from getting into too much detail, but I think you can infer the need here!

ADVERTISEMENT

Pads – Next up are pads. I cannot believe how many pads I have gone through over the past few weeks, and I expect I will continue to need these for quite some time going forward. I also have been a fan of Depends Silhouette briefs during the day, especially if I’m headed out of the house. They are a bit high-waisted, but if I roll them down a bit I can pretend I am wearing normal underwear.

Hands-free pumping bra – As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am exclusively pumping due to the bevy of medications that I am currently on and the need to often pump and dump. While I had a hospital grade pump already at home, I didn’t realize the need for a hands-free pumping bra. This thing is an absolute must-have, and the two-day wait for it to arrive from Amazon seemed an eternity.

Nipple Cream – I had read during my pregnancy that nipple cream was a savior so I already had one container of Motherlove nipple cream; I’ve liked it so much that I’ve already ordered more. Also necessary are breast pads, and several nursing bras and tank tops. I run through these so quickly that I stocked up on a few more yesterday so I could avoid constant laundry cycles.

Nursing Pajamas – Finally, I have one single set of pumping/nursing-friendly pajamas and I wish I had several more. I love the fact that these button down the front so I can easily set up the pump without having to shed my top, and the super-soft fabric is also very comforting when every muscle and bone in my body seems to be screaming at me.

Comfy Clothes – During the day, I will admit that it is often difficult to force myself out of my pajamas. But it also can be helpful to make me feel more human to actually get dressed! My current daytime go-to outfit consists of lounge pants and a loose maternity t-shirt. I started off with two sets of black yoga/lounge pants, but I stocked up on two more shortly after arriving home.

Netflix – Other must-haves for me have been our Netflix streaming service and plenty of reading material. When I’m feeling lousy, or Baby Star Light is down for a nap, it’s nice to plug into a funny comedy or distracting drama to relax for a quick moment.

.  .  .  .  .

What other items have I missed that you’ve found critical in the first weeks home for mom?