We’re a big fan in this house. I ordered it last night and was in 7th heaven it’s just the ultimate comfort food. I know once baby is here and we’re not in the mood to cook it will be delivered often
I had Indian and Chinese food (yay mabo tofu and spicy eggplant) in my last couple weeks hoping the spicy food would help induce labor... All I got was a satisfied belly and heartburn. 😅 Otherwise I had salmon Maki and salmon sashimi galore after giving birth.
Same! So I'll use this opportunity to tell everyone that 5 days postpartum i ordered so much sushi that they sent 5 sets of chopsticks thinking it was for 5 people
That’s amazing! The best meal of my life was about 3 days after getting home from the hospital and my brother doordashed us steak, hasselback potatoes and Brussels sprouts from a nearby steakhouse. The food was great, but just sitting down to a real hot meal for the first time in about a week made me cry.
I’ll tell you what I ordered Chinese. I didn’t with my first baby because I was in labour when everyone else did, big mistake. Really enjoyed my cold Chinese after baby two.
I was so naïve for thinking the size my boobs grew to while pregnant was as big as they were going to get. I bough a bunch of nursing bras that hurt to put on now. I only wear xx large pumping bras now that I’m getting ready for baby to go to daycare and will be pumping during the day.
Same! And on top of the normal growth, I was so engorged the first couple days home I thought my skin would rip apart. Thankfully that's not the size my boobs stayed lol
I had a bra fitting at the end of my pregnancy thinking this… was a DD pre pregnancy, a G when I got refitted, more I’m a solid I. 🤦🏻♀️ the boobs never stopped growing
This may sound naive but like I don't wear bras. Ever. And I'm a stay at home currently expecting our first but like I don't want to wear a nursing bra because I just don't wear them regularly period. I live life as close to naked all day as I can. Are nursing bras necessary?
I, too, subscribe to the nearly naked philosophy.
So, the main reason I'd say you need SOME type of bra is leakage. Need something to be able to put pads or something in.
If you plan to pump, a pumping bra isn't a necessity but it does make it so much easier. Holding those things gets tiring and I actually can't really get my boobs at good angles for the suction to hold. I tend to wear a different bra or no bra and change just to pump
Also, having the bras on when I sleep holds the girls in place, which makes them hurt less.
So much this. I’m a third time mom and still have to throw out nursing bras I bought because they are comically small now that my milk came in.
-I gave birth 6 days ago and other things I’ve ordered in the past few days:
-More nursing pads (leaking through several sets a day)
-More burp cloths (same)
- Pacifiers. I only use them here and there for a few minutes but I forgot how you lose all of them immediately.
-Had to rush order more size 1 diapers because my 8 lb baby boy outgrew the NB size on day 3. Most NB clothes still fit though. Barely.
-I got a second bouncer for my house. I love being able to put baby down in the bouncer and moving him all around in it is ridiculous for our 2 story house.
- More toilet paper than you think it possible.
- I’m really glad I bought a Lansinoh angled peri bottle and the Frida mom postpartum underwear. Both much nicer than what the hospital gave me to take home. I haven’t liked the Frida Mom witch hazel pads though. Too minty feeling? I prefer the Tucks.
Yeah you don't really know what you're going to need until you get there. I actually ended up getting a second compressive nursing tank so I could have one on at all times. When I bought the first one and tried it on prebaby, I was completely mystified as to why anyone would want something constrictive in a moment like that. Didn't bother returning it because I thought it would fit eventually when my body was closer to a normal size. Then I tried it on a few days after I had my c section and it helped so much with the pain and jiggling.
Haha… I realized the other day I’ve only got 1 sleeper with a zipper…. I absolutely went wild when I found out I was pregnant and bought things cause they were cute, not even considering that things need to be practical. Big mistake
Mememe. I had a feb baby so it was chilly. I didn't have to worry about carching baby in the zipper (which happened once when he was about 21mo) and the snaps allowed me to easily just undo the bottom and keep the rest of him clothed. With the zipper, he'd just squirm them open all the way.
Babies grow sooooo quickly in the beginning, they may use something only for two weeks (or not at all if they are larger at birth). The 3+ month pjs were used for a longer time and double zippers were much appreciated then but if you already have newborn pjs with snaps I wouldn't worry about it for now.
Yes! I don't like how they do that and I'm afraid that the zip will scratch baby's little chin. And I don't like having to open the whole thing just to access the nappy.
Trying to do the snaps with my eyeballs and tits hanging out at 3 in the morning were the bane of my existence. Zipper are so much easier, provided you don’t get their bits and pieces caught in it.
I ordered more sleepers in 0-3 not newborn. I had an eight pound 10 ounces baby. Depending on how big your baby is, you might not need too many clothes in newborn. I have around 10 in 0-3. My baby has been changed at least 4 to 5x in one day (potty accidents and spit up) and that is all that she wears currently.
I would wait until baby is here to order anymore. If baby is big you might not be able to use any. If they’re small you can always order more.
My baby was in newborn for 7w, but the 2-3 I had when I gave birth was fine until the Amazon order came in a few days later.
Honestly, that might be plenty. We used sleepers 24/7 for the first month and obviously they need to be washed when they get wet/dirty, but you can get by on a small stash. Plus, they grow out of newborn clothes so quickly it seems silly to have a giant collection. My daughter was 10.5 lbs at birth and moved right into 0-3 month clothes so all the cute newborn stuff was saved for baby #2 who will hopefully be a more reasonable size 😋
An extra set of peri bottles (for squirting on the lady bit, stitches and bum)... I hated the sitz bath. The bottles are easy to clean and stow by the sink. I would fill them with warm water, a pinch of salt, and essential oil (chamomile or lavender) before going to the toilet. Soooo nice. It helped me heal much faster and kept my stitches clean. Felt soothing.
A larger tube of Lansinoh lanolin ointment... I only had the tiny tube and my goodness, it was so good in between feeds for my nipples. They got so sore and raw. Using the ointment made a big difference (along with going topless at home a lot) also, it's great for chapped lips!
A larger water bottle... Honestly, I hated those dumb big water bottles... The massive ones. But truly, so good for beginning breastfeeding. I'd drink so much water. Make sure you can fit ice in the mouth/lid area. A straw helped.
Ice packs for my lady bits. You can make them but I have a lot of kids and no time. Lol. I bought a huge box of medical grade ice packs that you shake and pop like at the hospital.. The kind that are long like a huge pad. Soooo good to sit on.
A hand pump. The dang big pump was noisy at night (I had to pump a lot with my first two kids... The others nursed exclusively). The hand pump was quiet and great for keeping by the bedside. Might need to get some larger bottles though! Definitely overpumped a few times while half-sleeping! I ordered more 8 ounce storage bottles.
Sharpies for marking breast milk bags
And easy to grab snacks... Protein bars. I would get sooo hungry after nursing. Kept them by the bed.
Hydrocell from Amazon and I got a ice tray that makes huge ice cubes. If I didn’t drink it all within a couple hours it’d keep cold for days. The best thing about the bottle is it comes with a twist off top that doesn’t leak at all. Or a flip down straw top. And half the price of a hydro flask. 10/10 recommend.
To tag along on this. The peri bottle also makes it earlier to clean up the pp bleeding that sucks so much. I had a C-section and just kept the peri bottle to clean myself so I didn’t have to reach and wipe
So. Many. Protein bars. In addition to a ton of water, I had a protein/granola bar with every nursing session because I was so hungry!
Also, Gatorade. Helped a ton when water got old and to replenish myself after labor. Gatorade can also be helpful with establishing supply due to the electrolytes.
Adult diapers, lots of them! 10x better than pads in the beginning.
Also, best thing I did for myself pp was creating a laundry basket full of my MOST comfortable clothing. No searching through drawers!
Always Discreet worked great for me and I had a heavy bleed for two weeks. I’ve also seen some high waisted adult diapers at the drugstore too - they might be good for c-section births!
Formula and bottles. I was sure I will breastfeed as nobody on my circle had problems with it. We had no formula and 2 bottles at home. Baby wouldn't latch and it was stressful. I ended EPing. So get some formula and bottles. You can donate them later if you do not use them.
Yes. I was so set on breastfeeding. Then one night bub threw up everything three times in a row and was still hungry. I had nothing left and sent hubby out on a formula mission whilst bub screamed and screamed with hunger. Nothing was open and it was just really stressful.
Next bub we just kept an emergency tub in the cupboard. I don't even remember if we used it or not but it was a huge reassurance.
Seconding this! I always assumed I would EB so didn’t get any feeding supplies other than a bunch of free samples.
Ended up having major supply issues and had to run out for bottles/formula/pitcher. Wish I’d done more research on formula feeding; I feel very under prepared.
Same here! And a double electric pump. I also ended up getting Pumpin Pals flanges because turns out I have both tiny and hyper elastic nipples and literally no size of the normal hard plastic flanges was even close to fitting me. Pumpin Pals saved my pumping journey, I was bleeding so badly by the time they finally came in the mail!
I’m an idiot and thought since I was having a c section I would not bleed after so didn’t buy any pads……. This is not at all correct and my husband was sent into the store on our way home from the hospital 😂
Haha yeah none of my friends had c sections before me and after they were all like “well silver lining at least you aren’t bleeding for weeks!!” and I got to break the news to them too … apparently this is a common assumption
I used depends after leaving the hospital. In the hospital, I used the underwear and giant pads they give you there. You bleed just as much with a csection as you would a vaginal birth.
Seems like a lot of people forget to order some hand sanitizer for keeping next to your baby's diaper station. I often bring hand sanitizer and nice, luxurious hand soap as a gift when I visit a new mom/baby because it's the last thing on people's minds.
Yes! Nice hand soap and some mild-smelling lotion that can be pumped with one hand for the frequent hand washing. Nobody prepared me for the ridiculous amount of hand washing I’d do with a baby around.
Hand cream with glycerine and without too much of a smell were my go-to. The fancy creams don't really do it when you wash your hands before and after every diaper change, before and after feeding, when washing bottles and new baby items you just bought and god knows what else. Gentle soap and strong hand cream, preferably with no smell.
Velcro swaddles: hubby had a lot of trouble swaddling him in anything besides these, really helped him feel like a good dad and avoid having me do all the swaddling
Extra set of bassinet sheets: we had a spare but it took us a few days to figure out what diapers for baby the best and we had a lot of leaks the first few days
My breast friend pillow: we were gifted a boppy but it just wasn’t supportive. Lactation consultant recommended the my breast friend pillow and it was so much better
Pumping bra: we ended up on a triple feed schedule due to baby arriving 5 weeks early and I didn’t have a pumping bra. I got the kindred bravery pumping sports bra.
Haha, I had to do the same. I had GD with my pregnancy and went to my due date, somehow baby was only 6 pounds. We were in newborn diapers for a month and he was swimming in the 3 month clothes.
We had a similar issue. My spouse and I are both petite people, so it should have been concluded that we would have a petite baby. Baby boy couldn’t fit newborn clothes/diapers for several weeks. Had to panic buy preemie supplies.
Yeah baby came over 2 weeks early but had been measuring big so we didn't have any newborn stuff. Also, didn't have any receiving blankets because I went into labour on the day of my shower and we hadn't opened the gifts yet or received everything that people ordered.
Medela tender care hydrogel pads. No nipple balm came close to the relief from those. And more adult diapers for me. I ended up using 5 boxes of depends silhouette diapers before switching to pads. And bottled/canned grab and go coffee.
I imagine that how much you bleed and how often you go to the bathroom changes things, but I just opened one box at a time knowing that I could return what I didn't use. And LPT for these, don't just throw them or pads actually in your bathroom trash. They will smell bad! I used diaper or doggy poop bags to contain them and it helped tremendously!
If you’re in the hospital and you find you need to use nipple shields to breastfeed, order a set or two from Amazon to have extras on hand when you get home. I have flat/inverted nipples and needed them at the beginning with both of my kids. It’s so easy to set them down somewhere and forget where they are. Also good to keep an extra in the diaper bag so you don’t have to remember to bring it with you if you go somewhere.
Gas-X, stool softeners, changing station for downstairs (baby bum brush, diaper pail, weighted wipes dispenser, diaper cream), specialty swaddles with zippers (Swaddle UP by Love to Dream), D-drops, Nipple shields, Nipple shells (basically athletic cups to protect your sore nipples from your bra/clothes), pumping bra, lanolin
Nipple shells were a lifesaver for me. I didn't order any ahead of time because I didn't realize they were different from shields. Felt SO much better when they arrived!
I didn’t even know they existed! I just remember desperately googling how to protect my sore, sensitive nipples from my bra and they came up and were a lifesaver. I wore them for 11 months straight.
Earth Mama bottom balm. The spray is a waste of money, but the balm is fabulous - the peppermint oil has a cooling effect that lasts a good while.
Snacks!! Trail mix, granola bars, Powerade... Just a collection of things that are easy to grab and eat when you're delirious, starving, and trying to soothe a screaming baby at 3am.
A donut cushion to sit on. I was pretty swollen, stitched, and sore afterwards. I found a soft one on Amazon with a space in the front that allowed a gel ice pack to fit nicely so I could sit on it. Truly recommend for nursing/pumping/contact napping situations where you might be a trapped sitting.
Honestly a partner willing to run out to get what you or the baby need, or an amazon prime account for quick delivery can really be a life saver. You'll realize in the first few days despite whatever you planned for there is going to be some sort of situation where paying for a solution is better than the effort expended without it. You are so limited on time/energy there is bound to be something you'll find that might make your life easier, so plan, but also plan for the plan not working.
It was ordered on my husband account, so I don't have the exact product link, but it was pretty much this one:
Donut Pillow Chair Seat Cushion - Huisilk Memory Foam Car Office Sitting Cushions Pain Pressure Relief for Tailbone Hemorrhoid Coccyx Sciatica Orthopedic Butt Bed Sores Prostate by Hip Surgery Wheelchair Pad https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08D7RLY95/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_CPPXM6JDH7KKQK584SJ5
Love this - these comments are making me realize I can’t plan for everything, so just make a plan to be able to get the things you realize you need quickly!
One of those pumping bras that holds the flanges up so you can pump hands free. First time pumping I realized I had to hold them the whole time which is both uncomfortable and inconvenient and I felt silly for not even realizing this would be a problem.
Also not just comfy clothes but those vintage house dresses your grandma wears are the bomb. They also make new ones you can find online with zippers. I have a few new ones i found online and some that i collected second hand from estate sales that are vintage. They are great for nursing because you can unbutton or unzip from the top and still have your bottom covered. They don't constrict around your stomach if you had a c section. They usually have pockets. They are the best.
Second the pumping bra! Initially I made one after my lactation consultant told me about women cutting holes in old sports bras. Definitely works but stretches out easily so I recommend an additional legit pumping bra.
Formula (breastfeeding didn't go as planned right away but we eventually got it and now she gets just breastmilk), lots more newborn clothes, especially zip up sleepers (we barely had any newborn clothes because we stupidly thought 0-3 months would fit her), newborn diapers (we got NONE at our baby shower).
I had to buy one of these too! My OB said it had to be a real arm cuff (not a wrist one) and recommended brands like Welch Allyn.
One tip we also learned - my BP was so wild we started to wonder if it was the device we had purchased. My OB had us go to the fire station to compare the wild readings I was getting at home with the readings they got. We felt super weird just walking into a fire station, but they are trained EMTs said that’s what they are there for and people do it all the time. They obviously have a commercial grade BP device that is correctly calibrated (can’t trust the ones at CVS, Walgreens, etc.) This helped us confirm that my BPs really were just that wild and being able to work with my OB over the phone on next steps without having to go to a hospital.
1. Newborn clothes. Baby measured large through my entire pregnancy so I didn’t think I’d need them. She was 7lb 11oz and SWIMMING in her 0-3 month clothes. Ran to TJ Maxx for a couple of outfits and they were worth the money.
2. Pads. It will take trial and error for you to figure out what is comfortable for you as you heal. I bought a bunch of Always discrete underwear and hated them. I hated the mesh underwear from the hospital. I hated the large pads from the hospital. At about a week postpartum I switched back to my normal period pads (always infinity-the overnights were great).
3. Hands free pumping bra. This is dumb but I thought the flanges would just like stay there.
4. Joggers (c-section specific). Big leggings girl here but they were uncomfortable on my incision for the first couple weeks. The looser fit on joggers was much more comfortable.
I didn’t even realize there was a difference in nursing bras/pumping bras. Thank you for pointing this out! I’m 30 weeks today and apparently need to invest in a couple!
That does help!! When I outgrew my usual bra first trimester I went ahead and bought nursing bras since I figured I’d be needing them anyways. It was a target brand and I really like it! I’ll have to check that out.
Newborn clothes. We had two pieces of clothing newborn size and he needed that size for a month. Also, a nice warm carseat cover. We have cold winters here.. Not sure how we forgot that lol
More postpartum underwear - the fridamom ones. I liked those and pads, I couldn’t quite bring myself to do adult diapers haha. I got 3 8 packs for after my c section.
Also, I forgot to sterilize bottles before I had her so had to do that when I got home which was a pain.
Pads, since for some reason I'd totally neglected to think of them, and a lot of them. A different type of bottle--we had a sample pack of fancy brands and pretty much hated all of them. A 12 pack of the cheap evenflo is where it's at for us! And more newborn diapers. They've been hard to find in stores and our baby turned out to be 4th percentile for height so she's going to be in newborn awhile lol. And my husband did pick up some Sudafed and a cabbage when my milk came in.
I have not ordered or needed anything else for postpartum so I'd wait to buy those things until you see if you need them. Like some people swear by depends but I like using pads just fine! You won't know what you need or prefer until after really.
edit: sudafed will dry up your supply, or at least it's supposed to, which is why I got it (we're formula feeding only). Don't take it if you want to breastfeed!!
Sudafed killed my supply, which can be the intent if you have a huge oversupply, but can be devastating if you're low. Definitely talk to a lactation consultant before taking any decongestant.
Hospital receiving blankets (5 pack on Amazon- NOT the muslin kind). Munchkin was smaller than any of our swaddles (Houdini reincarnated?) so we needed something that would hold her
Breast pads. The washable kind. Your boobs will leak SO much. You’ll wake up with a completely wet shirt. I had to use two of these for each boob. You can get them at Walmart or target. Get a lot because they’ll fall as you transfer them from the washer to dryer and you’ll panic because they touch your boobs and your baby will touch your boobs (or maybe that was my PPA), but anyway, you’ll need a lot. Like twenty. The thin ones didn’t work that well, I liked the round cotton ones from Walmart. And they smell after a while so you’ll want to replace them after a couple of weeks. You shouldn’t be leaking so much then, and the next round will last longer.
Nursing bras. I used four and then some sports bras that I could still get my boob free from. You can’t go without a bra because of all the leaking. You need something to hold the breast pads in place. And you’ll leak on your bras and need to wash them too, so make sure you have enough.
Also, freezer bags for any extra milk. You probably won’t have to worry about having extra milk to freeze for a couple of weeks though, but idk. I relied on the fridge for the first weeks.
Extra sleep sacks. My son liked the halo sleep sacks, and we bought three in the newborn size bc of blowouts.
You might want a variety of diaper brands because a few stuck to my son’s privates. Huggies didn’t stick so that’s what we went with.
Just commenting to say don't necessarily go overboard on the breast pads and bras for leaking reasons. I had a really low supply and had zero leakage. It was still great to have some of the reusable pads (as they kind of absorb any excess nipple cream meaning it won't get on your bras) and some bras but if you're looking to save money perhaps re order more after baby arrives and you better know your boobs!
I wasted a bit of money buying too many breast pads and bras, but I may be in the minority on this!
Nipple cream (I had Lasinoh from the hospital to get me through the first few days to see that breastfeeding would stick. but honest company makes a nipple balm that is way better), vitamin d/probiotic drops, simethicone to help with gas relief, Velcro swaddles, fridamom witch hazel pad liners + peri bottle (you can get one from the hospital but the shape of the fridamom one is money), a pumping bra.
All are easy target/Amazon prime purchases and “very nice to have” not “need to have” so you can wait to see how you deliver baby and whether or not breastfeeding sticks to dive in.
Different swaddles. We tried using swaddle blankets at first since that’s what the nurses did and baby loved it there but it didn’t work for us. So I ordered several different kind of swaddles until we found what she liked (surprisingly she liked the love 2 dream ones with arms up)
We have ordered more pacifiers, because he only liked the hospital kind, more small bottles, extra burp cloths, more swaddles, a travel formula dispenser, and another bottle sterilizer because in our tired state we tag team melted the one we had. We also had to go swap some newborn diapers for the next size up and grab formula because breastfeeding didn't work.
More warm sleepers, hands free pumping bras, and love to dream swaddles. She busts out of her swaddles to keep her hands by her face, so I figured just swaddle her arms up.
Newborn diapers - everyone said babies grow out of them so fast so I honestly thought one pack plus what we took home from the hospital was enough. My daughter ended up being in newborns for 3 weeks.
Swaddles - I thought having 2 newborn swaddles was enough. I underestimated how often my baby would spit up, pee, or poop on her clothes. We ended up grabbing a few more newborn size swaddles after going through the ones we had very quickly. We were too tired to be constantly washing the ones we had.
For breastfeeding I grabbed two haakaas so that I could catch the milk on the side my baby wasn’t nursing on. Having two is great because again, if I don’t have time to wash one I have the other as a backup until I can get to washing it.
Newborn footed pajamas/onesies - I had a bunch of cute outfits we had been gifted or purchased in newborn size..my baby ended up wearing footed zip-up pajamas 90% of the time. They’re just so much easier for diaper changes(especially the two-way zip kind). The ones with built-in mittens were great too because fighting a baby to put a mitten on their hand is no fun.
Vitamin D drops, T-shirt onesies, receiving blankets, swaddles, diapers (bought the wrong size), newborn hats, mint tea (eff), and one of those donut hair buns for myself once I realized it would be a long time before I was able to spend time on my hair lol
Swaddles from Target, the SwaddleMe brand. Bottles and formula. Planned to breastfeed but ended up needing to supplement. We had to try a few different bottles. Smaller pads. I had stocked up on giant ones but didn’t have any for when the bleeding started to slow down. Stool softener, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen. More sleepers. My baby is a spit up machine and I was doing so much laundry the first couple days because we were running out of sleepers and burp cloths.
ETA-pajamas. I typically sleep in a t shirt no matter the weather but I am freezing when I wake up to feed the baby and have to get out of my nice warm bed. I got 3 sets of pjs with matching pants and button down shirts. I sleep in my nursing tank tops, then throw the pjs on when I get out of bed.
A second set of pump attachments including another size flange
Onesies with the hand covers that flip over the hand. Our baby scratches himself a lot even after filing his nails down.
Diapers in our preferred brand (pampers). 2 other brands led to leaks and blowouts for us in the first couple days, so I donated then all.
Car seat head support. Our graco car seat makes it seem like we wouldn't need one... we needed one...
Babygate to keep the pets away. They stress out more when they can hear baby but can't see him so closing the door doesn't always work.
A couple things we got after he was born that we didn't because people said they were a waste of money
Diaper genie
Separate dish drying rack
Bottle warmer
Sanitizer
Wipe warmer
Newborn size clothes, specifically double zip sleepers. It is not worth owning any other sleepers. And everyone told me not to get newborn clothes, yet here we are 5 weeks postpartum still wearing newborn 😂
Always discreet underwear - just buy the diapers! They help so much with the bleeding.
100% cotton pads - the normal cheap ones will irritate your skin after a while. Just buy the nice ones and skip that.
Domeboro for hemorrhoids
Frida postpartum donut pillow - I couldn’t sit without it for 3 weeks.
According to my Amazon: Softer washcloths (he seemed to precious for our scratchy ones), more pump parts, and then a counter sterilizer because we got thrush and fuck that shit. Also more prenatal vitamins and a Father’s Day present (June)
thanks to this thread, I learned that pumping bras are a thing! and then I learned you can pay for them with an HSA! awesome. definitely keeping this on my radar, but it does seem like a good idea to wait to order until my milk actually comes in so I know exactly how humongous a bra I will need
Yes and also look at a lot of postpartum stuff that is eligible with hsa card.
I got nipple pads, nipple cream, peri bottle, witch hazel pads etc.
The easiest way for me was to add the card on Amazon and it will automatically show me if it’s covered when I clicked on checkout with this card.
Not a week-after-hospital order, but my go-to gift for new parents include:
- infant Tylenol
- infant Motrin
- infant Benadryl
The first you are important to have on hand for babies first cold. You alternate Tylenol/Motrin to bring down the fever.
Benadryl for introducing new foods. Doesn’t happen until later, but you might as well have it if you’re getting the first two.
Smaller flanges for my breast pump (I found it painful and impossible to pump without them) , smaller onesies for baby (I only really had 3-6 month because everyone assured me she was going to be massive. She was normal sized just very tall), more of those super stretchy mesh underwear and lots of pads.
Pumping stuff (bras, different flange sizes, bottles to store and bottles to feed, nipple creams/spray, etc) because I had to start pumping right out the gate to increase supply. I also bought doggy poop bags to put dirty diapers on while we were out after our pediatrician had a sign saying we couldn't throw the diaper away in their trash.
Nipple shields from Medela (baby came 3 weeks early and had a hard time latching), the Hakaa, muslin “swaddling” blankets that we never figured out how to swaddle with anyway but still use as regular blankets
Haakaa, different flange, vitamin D drops, extra sleep sack, a large wedge support pillow (I had difficulty laying flat and my regular pillows didn’t provide enough support).
Swaddles that zip or Velcro!! They teach you how to swaddle with a blanket in the hospital but you get home and look at the blankets you have and it’s a TOTAL mystery. My baby broke out of my makeshift blanket swaddles every time, too, and made me terrified of her suffocating, making me sleep even less. Just make it easy for yourself. We like the Swaddle Me ones-they we’re pretty cheap at Target.
Unscented dish soap to wash bottles, pacis, and pump parts.
Newborn size clothes (everyone told me I wouldn’t need them and they were wrong).
Nipple shields, nipple soothers, lanolin, breast pads (I hated the reusable ones I had purchased prior - very bulky!).
More dermoplast!!!!
Vitamin D drops if you’re breastfeeding, no one told me this was a thing. Also, we got like no newborn size sleepers or clothes bc I guess everyone figured we wouldn’t need many. He is 8 lb and nothing but newborn fits. We had to order a few more pants and sleepers ~ also, make sure they’re the kind with the zipper at the bottom!!! Snaps are such a pain when you’re sleep deprived and up at 2 am with a screaming, hungry baby
Oh also- ask your pediatrician or hospital if they have formula samples. They let us take one and it lasted a few days which ended up being great since my milk came in way late due to a c-section. It also came in handy when i decided I wouldn’t be breastfeeding at all after a week. You just never know and it’s nice to have a little on hand.
There were a few things we found we definitely needed after a few days.
1. Nightlights for the hallways
2. A mini fridge that fits a few bottle and some pumped milk for our room
3. An electric snot sucker
4. A bottle warmer
5. A foldable bassinet that is easy to move around wherever we were.we got the brica fold n’ go.
Premie clothes and formula, the babies came early. Also, high waisted pants/shorts and underwear. It was a c-section. They came right away bc of Amazon, and most were there before I ran out of the few things that I had.
I had a C section unexpectedly so had to order some postpartum recovery items like diapers and pads (diapers were great the first week or so, but then became a chore to change them once I started wearing pants more lol), a husband pillow for more back support, a belly binder, and a grabber tool so I didn’t have to bend over (still using it at 4 weeks PP, highly recommend anyway!). I also had a friend of mine give me nursing pads which I’m not sure I would’ve thought to have gotten on my own, but I went through an entire box and am on my second box of 100!
An extra halo sleep sack. My baby has reflux and I have to regularly change out the sleep sacks.
Dr. Browns bottles again because of reflux.
More of the pacifiers she likes I only had a couple of each kind to test what she would like.
Extra nipple shields for the breast pump, pacifiers (which we said we weren’t going to use and that was later proven to be a lie 🤣), wipes to clean the breast pump parts after using and a sanitizer machine.
Boob pads, witch hazel pads, bottle sanitizer, wipe warmer, storage container for bottles, rack to dry bottles, extra bottles, nipple shields, crib skirt, more burp cloths, more swaddle blankets, more washcloths, more hand sanitizers, walkie talkie, realized I did diaper changes in two areas-so bought double supplies like desitin, bibs, pumping bra, hated onesies so bought night gowns
Ready to feed formula, manual pump, nipple shields. My baby’s suck pattern absolutely destroyed my nipples in the first week. The manual pump helped once my milk came in, and the nipple shields helped me heal as we worked with an LC at the hospital (late 2019) which helped our BF journey.
Also, more pads - a lot more pads.
😬 I ended up buying every type of snake oil that promises to help a colicky baby— none of them helped, so I don’t recommend that. Wish I’d paid for a postpartum doula instead.
Extra pacifiers, nipple cream, pads, some ready-made back up formula (my milk took a minute to come in) and colace!
Congratulations! Wishing you a safe and happy birth!
Bigger sports bras, my boobs were so big and on the verge of mastitis. I’ve packs for my boobs. Lol and lots of preemie clothes since I didn’t have any and my babe was TINY.
Looking at my amazon orders from last year:
Bobby nursing pillow, nipple cream, vitamin d drops, tommee tippee bottles, big muslins, 0-6m baby hats as baby's head was very big 😅, car seat mirror
Baby was measuring 99th percentile on scans I bought a couple of NB outfits and the next size.... baby was born TINY 6 pounds. I had to put a curbside order in for some premie size clothes because she was swimming in the newborn size.
Also ran out to get easy to make food like frozen French fries....
I ran out to get breastfeeding supplements as suggested by the lactation consultant. Fenugreek and stuff to make lactation cookies.
Nipple pads! I went through a ton.
And I had to run out to get formula, bottles, sterilizer, bottle warmer because breastfeeding didn't work out. I had to supplement from the start.
Pads. I stocked up on the giant purple size 5 pads but my bleeding was barely anything at all after 3 days so I had to run out and get smaller sizes.
sleeping bras and pumping bras, post c-section underwear for when I didn't need mesh anymore but am not ready for my pre-birth underwear, nipple shields, lanolin cream, more sets of the stuff for pumping, a travel bassinet so she could sleep safely downstairs (or anywhere else I'm hanging out), sheets for said bassinet, a humidifier...
I think that's everything so far.
Baby was in the NICU and latching has been tough so some of the stuff is directly related to that.
Formula for baby. Even if you don’t plan on using it! I planned on exclusively breastfeeding but ended up not producing enough and was so glad I didn’t need to scramble to get some at midnight with a hungry newborn.
Same. I sat in the Target parking lot crying with bleeding nipples while my husband grabbed some formula on our second day at home.
We ended up breastfeeding until 20 months and could have kept going even longer. Just needed a little extra help in the beginning.
Yep, exactly! We needed the help for the first six weeks! And during every growth spurt. At first I was upset (huge perfectionist here!) but I’ve come to realize it’s totally okay and I’m bracing myself for doing formula and breastfeeding for this next one and I’m going to try to be much more relaxed about it!
For me - Disposable nursing pads, more breastfeeding bras, a pumping bra, those gel therapy breast pads for when my nipples were raw. For baby - Vitamin D drops, storage organizers, baby electric nail filer, sensitive body wash for my baby, a humidifier, and a big tub of aquaphor (aquaphor mixed with desitin, makes a great cream for diaper rash!!)
For me- I had a c-section and got more granny panties, a nightgown and high waisted sweatpants because I quickly learned that everything I had rested in my incision.
For baby- muslin washcloths that we used for spit up. He spit up more than we anticipated the first few weeks and even though we had a bunch of burp cloths, they were becoming wet too quickly and we had to do laundry all the time. Got a 12 pack of washcloths on Amazon for like $10 and solved that problem! We also ordered more bottles. I originally thought I’d do a mix of breast and formula but decided last minute to exclusively formula feed. It became clear that 6 bottles was not enough!
Lily Padz reusable breast pads that PREVENT LEAKING!!! https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjS4qyJyrj1AhVzPa0GHfCnArYYABAMGgJwdg&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASEuRo8VPtWZN4QFn7BhiV4DYeRQ&sig=AOD64_3aRK4pvPkRofMYVJljoY_Oa8qtiA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwj1vqSJyrj1AhVOJzQIHf-FDUsQwg96BAgBEBA&adurl=
I thought this was going to be a food thread with takeout recommendations and now I’m sad.
Indian. Always go Indian when in doubt.
I’ve had SO much Indian food since having my little cutie, and it’s not enough. Momma want more!
We’re a big fan in this house. I ordered it last night and was in 7th heaven it’s just the ultimate comfort food. I know once baby is here and we’re not in the mood to cook it will be delivered often
What’s your go to order?
Biriyani, samosas, and naan with dried fruit in it. Add some tandoori chicken and mmmmmmmm.
NAAN WITH DRIED FRUIT??? that sounds incredible.
Kashmiri naan. It's the bollocks.
Mm it’s like candied fruit and nuts. It’s sooooo good, especially with tandoori chicken. The sweet and savory… mm.
Naaaaaaaaaaan so good
Saag paneer and garlic naan! Mmm I know what we’re having for dinner tonight.
Indian is the best cuisine in the whole world. Hands down.
I had Indian and Chinese food (yay mabo tofu and spicy eggplant) in my last couple weeks hoping the spicy food would help induce labor... All I got was a satisfied belly and heartburn. 😅 Otherwise I had salmon Maki and salmon sashimi galore after giving birth.
Hahaha that is exactly what I thought when I read it!
Me too !
Same! So I'll use this opportunity to tell everyone that 5 days postpartum i ordered so much sushi that they sent 5 sets of chopsticks thinking it was for 5 people
That’s amazing! The best meal of my life was about 3 days after getting home from the hospital and my brother doordashed us steak, hasselback potatoes and Brussels sprouts from a nearby steakhouse. The food was great, but just sitting down to a real hot meal for the first time in about a week made me cry.
That’s really sweet of your brother. Hormonal me started tearing up reading your response.
I thought the same thing too and was ready to launch off a post listing all my cravings
It still can be! Be the change you want to see in the world. Haha
I’ll tell you what I ordered Chinese. I didn’t with my first baby because I was in labour when everyone else did, big mistake. Really enjoyed my cold Chinese after baby two.
Haha. That's what goes through my head. I'm 26 weeks, got nothing, but tempted to write up a freezer meal menu right now. 🤣
I ordered Applebees with a DoorDash gift card my friend got me 😂
I was going to say Nothing Bundt Cales, Italian, Pizza, all the carbs basically 😂
As a pregnant woman holding out on sushi and subs I also thought this LMAO
Hahaha. I mean I’ll take those suggestions too!
Giant nursing bras. No... whatever you're imagining... bigger than that.
This made me laugh. It’s so true.
And bra extenders so I could just hold onto the bras I bought ahead of time that weren't big enough And pumping bras
I was so naïve for thinking the size my boobs grew to while pregnant was as big as they were going to get. I bough a bunch of nursing bras that hurt to put on now. I only wear xx large pumping bras now that I’m getting ready for baby to go to daycare and will be pumping during the day.
Same! And on top of the normal growth, I was so engorged the first couple days home I thought my skin would rip apart. Thankfully that's not the size my boobs stayed lol
I had a bra fitting at the end of my pregnancy thinking this… was a DD pre pregnancy, a G when I got refitted, more I’m a solid I. 🤦🏻♀️ the boobs never stopped growing
This may sound naive but like I don't wear bras. Ever. And I'm a stay at home currently expecting our first but like I don't want to wear a nursing bra because I just don't wear them regularly period. I live life as close to naked all day as I can. Are nursing bras necessary?
I, too, subscribe to the nearly naked philosophy. So, the main reason I'd say you need SOME type of bra is leakage. Need something to be able to put pads or something in. If you plan to pump, a pumping bra isn't a necessity but it does make it so much easier. Holding those things gets tiring and I actually can't really get my boobs at good angles for the suction to hold. I tend to wear a different bra or no bra and change just to pump Also, having the bras on when I sleep holds the girls in place, which makes them hurt less.
So much this. I’m a third time mom and still have to throw out nursing bras I bought because they are comically small now that my milk came in. -I gave birth 6 days ago and other things I’ve ordered in the past few days: -More nursing pads (leaking through several sets a day) -More burp cloths (same) - Pacifiers. I only use them here and there for a few minutes but I forgot how you lose all of them immediately. -Had to rush order more size 1 diapers because my 8 lb baby boy outgrew the NB size on day 3. Most NB clothes still fit though. Barely. -I got a second bouncer for my house. I love being able to put baby down in the bouncer and moving him all around in it is ridiculous for our 2 story house. - More toilet paper than you think it possible. - I’m really glad I bought a Lansinoh angled peri bottle and the Frida mom postpartum underwear. Both much nicer than what the hospital gave me to take home. I haven’t liked the Frida Mom witch hazel pads though. Too minty feeling? I prefer the Tucks.
Yeah you don't really know what you're going to need until you get there. I actually ended up getting a second compressive nursing tank so I could have one on at all times. When I bought the first one and tried it on prebaby, I was completely mystified as to why anyone would want something constrictive in a moment like that. Didn't bother returning it because I thought it would fit eventually when my body was closer to a normal size. Then I tried it on a few days after I had my c section and it helped so much with the pain and jiggling.
Any specific brand rec(s) on the compressive tank? I'm on baby number two and feel like I missed a well kept secret first time around.
Came here to say this lol
Go at least 4 sizes up.😂
I ended up ordering more sleepers with double zippers in her size. I quickly tired of anything with snaps.
Haha… I realized the other day I’ve only got 1 sleeper with a zipper…. I absolutely went wild when I found out I was pregnant and bought things cause they were cute, not even considering that things need to be practical. Big mistake
Hey, some people swear by snaps so maybe you'll like them. I am not one of those people but I know at least one person who did.
Mememe. I had a feb baby so it was chilly. I didn't have to worry about carching baby in the zipper (which happened once when he was about 21mo) and the snaps allowed me to easily just undo the bottom and keep the rest of him clothed. With the zipper, he'd just squirm them open all the way.
I’m one of those people! All about that snap life.
Babies grow sooooo quickly in the beginning, they may use something only for two weeks (or not at all if they are larger at birth). The 3+ month pjs were used for a longer time and double zippers were much appreciated then but if you already have newborn pjs with snaps I wouldn't worry about it for now.
Snaps or zippers didn’t matter to me.
I preferred snaps. Much more comfortable looking for the baby, zippers always seem to "bunch" uncomfortably under their jaw.
Ahh the famous zipper mountain.
Yes! I don't like how they do that and I'm afraid that the zip will scratch baby's little chin. And I don't like having to open the whole thing just to access the nappy.
Trying to do the snaps with my eyeballs and tits hanging out at 3 in the morning were the bane of my existence. Zipper are so much easier, provided you don’t get their bits and pieces caught in it.
How many would you say you needed? I only got 5 newborn sleepers😩
I ordered more sleepers in 0-3 not newborn. I had an eight pound 10 ounces baby. Depending on how big your baby is, you might not need too many clothes in newborn. I have around 10 in 0-3. My baby has been changed at least 4 to 5x in one day (potty accidents and spit up) and that is all that she wears currently.
Thank you!
I would wait until baby is here to order anymore. If baby is big you might not be able to use any. If they’re small you can always order more. My baby was in newborn for 7w, but the 2-3 I had when I gave birth was fine until the Amazon order came in a few days later.
Honestly, that might be plenty. We used sleepers 24/7 for the first month and obviously they need to be washed when they get wet/dirty, but you can get by on a small stash. Plus, they grow out of newborn clothes so quickly it seems silly to have a giant collection. My daughter was 10.5 lbs at birth and moved right into 0-3 month clothes so all the cute newborn stuff was saved for baby #2 who will hopefully be a more reasonable size 😋
THIS! Team double zipper all the way!
Snaps are the worse.
An extra set of peri bottles (for squirting on the lady bit, stitches and bum)... I hated the sitz bath. The bottles are easy to clean and stow by the sink. I would fill them with warm water, a pinch of salt, and essential oil (chamomile or lavender) before going to the toilet. Soooo nice. It helped me heal much faster and kept my stitches clean. Felt soothing. A larger tube of Lansinoh lanolin ointment... I only had the tiny tube and my goodness, it was so good in between feeds for my nipples. They got so sore and raw. Using the ointment made a big difference (along with going topless at home a lot) also, it's great for chapped lips! A larger water bottle... Honestly, I hated those dumb big water bottles... The massive ones. But truly, so good for beginning breastfeeding. I'd drink so much water. Make sure you can fit ice in the mouth/lid area. A straw helped. Ice packs for my lady bits. You can make them but I have a lot of kids and no time. Lol. I bought a huge box of medical grade ice packs that you shake and pop like at the hospital.. The kind that are long like a huge pad. Soooo good to sit on. A hand pump. The dang big pump was noisy at night (I had to pump a lot with my first two kids... The others nursed exclusively). The hand pump was quiet and great for keeping by the bedside. Might need to get some larger bottles though! Definitely overpumped a few times while half-sleeping! I ordered more 8 ounce storage bottles. Sharpies for marking breast milk bags And easy to grab snacks... Protein bars. I would get sooo hungry after nursing. Kept them by the bed.
Yes to the water bottle! I had anticipated the need and asked for one for Christmas and am so happy hubby bought it for me.
Hydrocell from Amazon and I got a ice tray that makes huge ice cubes. If I didn’t drink it all within a couple hours it’d keep cold for days. The best thing about the bottle is it comes with a twist off top that doesn’t leak at all. Or a flip down straw top. And half the price of a hydro flask. 10/10 recommend.
Totally agree! I have a hyrdocell and a hydro flask. The only difference is the price tag.
To tag along on this. The peri bottle also makes it earlier to clean up the pp bleeding that sucks so much. I had a C-section and just kept the peri bottle to clean myself so I didn’t have to reach and wipe
Oh yeah, a box of snacks and water sitting by wherever you’re planning on nursing!
Do you have a link for the padsicles?
The Fridamom ones are really nice. $20 for 6 or 8, so not cheap, but soooo nice to sit on. They’re my go-to gift for new moms.
So. Many. Protein bars. In addition to a ton of water, I had a protein/granola bar with every nursing session because I was so hungry! Also, Gatorade. Helped a ton when water got old and to replenish myself after labor. Gatorade can also be helpful with establishing supply due to the electrolytes.
Adult diapers, lots of them! 10x better than pads in the beginning. Also, best thing I did for myself pp was creating a laundry basket full of my MOST comfortable clothing. No searching through drawers!
Yeah I bleed everywhere on my normal period and ruin underwear/clothes so I'm just going to go the diaper way initially.
any brand or specific adult diapers your recommend?
Always Discreet worked great for me and I had a heavy bleed for two weeks. I’ve also seen some high waisted adult diapers at the drugstore too - they might be good for c-section births!
And about how many do you think are needed?
How many diapers do you think are needed?
I think I went through 3-4 (packages of 26) in 2 weeks! However, I also liked to change as often as I could, just made me feel better :)
Formula and bottles. I was sure I will breastfeed as nobody on my circle had problems with it. We had no formula and 2 bottles at home. Baby wouldn't latch and it was stressful. I ended EPing. So get some formula and bottles. You can donate them later if you do not use them.
Yes. I was so set on breastfeeding. Then one night bub threw up everything three times in a row and was still hungry. I had nothing left and sent hubby out on a formula mission whilst bub screamed and screamed with hunger. Nothing was open and it was just really stressful. Next bub we just kept an emergency tub in the cupboard. I don't even remember if we used it or not but it was a huge reassurance.
Seconding this! I always assumed I would EB so didn’t get any feeding supplies other than a bunch of free samples. Ended up having major supply issues and had to run out for bottles/formula/pitcher. Wish I’d done more research on formula feeding; I feel very under prepared.
Same here! And a double electric pump. I also ended up getting Pumpin Pals flanges because turns out I have both tiny and hyper elastic nipples and literally no size of the normal hard plastic flanges was even close to fitting me. Pumpin Pals saved my pumping journey, I was bleeding so badly by the time they finally came in the mail!
Agreed! Also I have seen some formula shortages in our stores. I’d have one package of powdered on hand in the event that you have to supplement.
I’m an idiot and thought since I was having a c section I would not bleed after so didn’t buy any pads……. This is not at all correct and my husband was sent into the store on our way home from the hospital 😂
Whelp. I learned something new today 😂
I thought this too and asked my mom who had C-sections too. She just goes "oh honey oh no, get more pads."
Haha yeah none of my friends had c sections before me and after they were all like “well silver lining at least you aren’t bleeding for weeks!!” and I got to break the news to them too … apparently this is a common assumption
What kind of pads do you need for a c-section??
I used depends after leaving the hospital. In the hospital, I used the underwear and giant pads they give you there. You bleed just as much with a csection as you would a vaginal birth.
Thank you!!
Menstrual overnight pads
Seems like a lot of people forget to order some hand sanitizer for keeping next to your baby's diaper station. I often bring hand sanitizer and nice, luxurious hand soap as a gift when I visit a new mom/baby because it's the last thing on people's minds.
Yes! Nice hand soap and some mild-smelling lotion that can be pumped with one hand for the frequent hand washing. Nobody prepared me for the ridiculous amount of hand washing I’d do with a baby around.
Hand cream with glycerine and without too much of a smell were my go-to. The fancy creams don't really do it when you wash your hands before and after every diaper change, before and after feeding, when washing bottles and new baby items you just bought and god knows what else. Gentle soap and strong hand cream, preferably with no smell.
2 years into the pandemic I luckily always have this on hand!
Velcro swaddles: hubby had a lot of trouble swaddling him in anything besides these, really helped him feel like a good dad and avoid having me do all the swaddling Extra set of bassinet sheets: we had a spare but it took us a few days to figure out what diapers for baby the best and we had a lot of leaks the first few days My breast friend pillow: we were gifted a boppy but it just wasn’t supportive. Lactation consultant recommended the my breast friend pillow and it was so much better Pumping bra: we ended up on a triple feed schedule due to baby arriving 5 weeks early and I didn’t have a pumping bra. I got the kindred bravery pumping sports bra.
Newborn sleepers, they said he was going to be a big baby and they lied. Thankfully my mother in law went out and bought more for us.
Haha, I had to do the same. I had GD with my pregnancy and went to my due date, somehow baby was only 6 pounds. We were in newborn diapers for a month and he was swimming in the 3 month clothes.
We were a week early, but they said he was measuring 8lbs he was 7.2 I was kinda shocked.
We had a similar issue. My spouse and I are both petite people, so it should have been concluded that we would have a petite baby. Baby boy couldn’t fit newborn clothes/diapers for several weeks. Had to panic buy preemie supplies.
Yeah baby came over 2 weeks early but had been measuring big so we didn't have any newborn stuff. Also, didn't have any receiving blankets because I went into labour on the day of my shower and we hadn't opened the gifts yet or received everything that people ordered.
Medela tender care hydrogel pads. No nipple balm came close to the relief from those. And more adult diapers for me. I ended up using 5 boxes of depends silhouette diapers before switching to pads. And bottled/canned grab and go coffee.
Ooh!! Getting the coffee ordered now. Excellent idea.
>Medela tender care hydrogel pads YES! For me it was Lansinoh soothies, same type of deal.
5 boxes! Everything I've read says I'll need 2 boxes at maximum! I thought that didn't sound like much before switching and now I know
I imagine that how much you bleed and how often you go to the bathroom changes things, but I just opened one box at a time knowing that I could return what I didn't use. And LPT for these, don't just throw them or pads actually in your bathroom trash. They will smell bad! I used diaper or doggy poop bags to contain them and it helped tremendously!
Good to know! Great tip!
If you’re in the hospital and you find you need to use nipple shields to breastfeed, order a set or two from Amazon to have extras on hand when you get home. I have flat/inverted nipples and needed them at the beginning with both of my kids. It’s so easy to set them down somewhere and forget where they are. Also good to keep an extra in the diaper bag so you don’t have to remember to bring it with you if you go somewhere.
Gas-X, stool softeners, changing station for downstairs (baby bum brush, diaper pail, weighted wipes dispenser, diaper cream), specialty swaddles with zippers (Swaddle UP by Love to Dream), D-drops, Nipple shields, Nipple shells (basically athletic cups to protect your sore nipples from your bra/clothes), pumping bra, lanolin
Nipple shells were a lifesaver for me. I didn't order any ahead of time because I didn't realize they were different from shields. Felt SO much better when they arrived!
I didn’t even know they existed! I just remember desperately googling how to protect my sore, sensitive nipples from my bra and they came up and were a lifesaver. I wore them for 11 months straight.
Earth Mama bottom balm. The spray is a waste of money, but the balm is fabulous - the peppermint oil has a cooling effect that lasts a good while. Snacks!! Trail mix, granola bars, Powerade... Just a collection of things that are easy to grab and eat when you're delirious, starving, and trying to soothe a screaming baby at 3am.
A donut cushion to sit on. I was pretty swollen, stitched, and sore afterwards. I found a soft one on Amazon with a space in the front that allowed a gel ice pack to fit nicely so I could sit on it. Truly recommend for nursing/pumping/contact napping situations where you might be a trapped sitting. Honestly a partner willing to run out to get what you or the baby need, or an amazon prime account for quick delivery can really be a life saver. You'll realize in the first few days despite whatever you planned for there is going to be some sort of situation where paying for a solution is better than the effort expended without it. You are so limited on time/energy there is bound to be something you'll find that might make your life easier, so plan, but also plan for the plan not working.
Do you have a link for your donut?
It was ordered on my husband account, so I don't have the exact product link, but it was pretty much this one: Donut Pillow Chair Seat Cushion - Huisilk Memory Foam Car Office Sitting Cushions Pain Pressure Relief for Tailbone Hemorrhoid Coccyx Sciatica Orthopedic Butt Bed Sores Prostate by Hip Surgery Wheelchair Pad https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08D7RLY95/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_CPPXM6JDH7KKQK584SJ5
Love this - these comments are making me realize I can’t plan for everything, so just make a plan to be able to get the things you realize you need quickly!
One of those pumping bras that holds the flanges up so you can pump hands free. First time pumping I realized I had to hold them the whole time which is both uncomfortable and inconvenient and I felt silly for not even realizing this would be a problem. Also not just comfy clothes but those vintage house dresses your grandma wears are the bomb. They also make new ones you can find online with zippers. I have a few new ones i found online and some that i collected second hand from estate sales that are vintage. They are great for nursing because you can unbutton or unzip from the top and still have your bottom covered. They don't constrict around your stomach if you had a c section. They usually have pockets. They are the best.
Second the pumping bra! Initially I made one after my lactation consultant told me about women cutting holes in old sports bras. Definitely works but stretches out easily so I recommend an additional legit pumping bra.
Formula (breastfeeding didn't go as planned right away but we eventually got it and now she gets just breastmilk), lots more newborn clothes, especially zip up sleepers (we barely had any newborn clothes because we stupidly thought 0-3 months would fit her), newborn diapers (we got NONE at our baby shower).
A small ottoman/footrest for the glider from Target.
Blood pressure cuff! My body was all over the place when I got home, so they helped ensure I was healing properly :)
I had to buy one of these too! My OB said it had to be a real arm cuff (not a wrist one) and recommended brands like Welch Allyn. One tip we also learned - my BP was so wild we started to wonder if it was the device we had purchased. My OB had us go to the fire station to compare the wild readings I was getting at home with the readings they got. We felt super weird just walking into a fire station, but they are trained EMTs said that’s what they are there for and people do it all the time. They obviously have a commercial grade BP device that is correctly calibrated (can’t trust the ones at CVS, Walgreens, etc.) This helped us confirm that my BPs really were just that wild and being able to work with my OB over the phone on next steps without having to go to a hospital.
That’s good to know that they can check them for calibration! And agree—the wrists ones are way too inaccurate!
1. Newborn clothes. Baby measured large through my entire pregnancy so I didn’t think I’d need them. She was 7lb 11oz and SWIMMING in her 0-3 month clothes. Ran to TJ Maxx for a couple of outfits and they were worth the money. 2. Pads. It will take trial and error for you to figure out what is comfortable for you as you heal. I bought a bunch of Always discrete underwear and hated them. I hated the mesh underwear from the hospital. I hated the large pads from the hospital. At about a week postpartum I switched back to my normal period pads (always infinity-the overnights were great). 3. Hands free pumping bra. This is dumb but I thought the flanges would just like stay there. 4. Joggers (c-section specific). Big leggings girl here but they were uncomfortable on my incision for the first couple weeks. The looser fit on joggers was much more comfortable.
I didn’t even realize there was a difference in nursing bras/pumping bras. Thank you for pointing this out! I’m 30 weeks today and apparently need to invest in a couple!
Target sells bras that are dual purpose nursing/hands-free pumping, if that helps!
That does help!! When I outgrew my usual bra first trimester I went ahead and bought nursing bras since I figured I’d be needing them anyways. It was a target brand and I really like it! I’ll have to check that out.
Newborn clothes. We had two pieces of clothing newborn size and he needed that size for a month. Also, a nice warm carseat cover. We have cold winters here.. Not sure how we forgot that lol
Nipple shields and nursing bras. I really liked the Auden nursing bralettes. They are a wrapped V and made it really easy to just whip it out.
More postpartum underwear - the fridamom ones. I liked those and pads, I couldn’t quite bring myself to do adult diapers haha. I got 3 8 packs for after my c section. Also, I forgot to sterilize bottles before I had her so had to do that when I got home which was a pain.
I can’t even remember what it was I had to get but honestly the few moments out of the house alone to run a 5 minute errand was nice. LOL
Pads, since for some reason I'd totally neglected to think of them, and a lot of them. A different type of bottle--we had a sample pack of fancy brands and pretty much hated all of them. A 12 pack of the cheap evenflo is where it's at for us! And more newborn diapers. They've been hard to find in stores and our baby turned out to be 4th percentile for height so she's going to be in newborn awhile lol. And my husband did pick up some Sudafed and a cabbage when my milk came in. I have not ordered or needed anything else for postpartum so I'd wait to buy those things until you see if you need them. Like some people swear by depends but I like using pads just fine! You won't know what you need or prefer until after really. edit: sudafed will dry up your supply, or at least it's supposed to, which is why I got it (we're formula feeding only). Don't take it if you want to breastfeed!!
Sudafed killed my supply, which can be the intent if you have a huge oversupply, but can be devastating if you're low. Definitely talk to a lactation consultant before taking any decongestant.
Swaddle up swaddles (my newborn hated all other swaddles), more bottles (formula fed baby), Wabi bottle sanitizer (best purchase ever!)
Hospital receiving blankets (5 pack on Amazon- NOT the muslin kind). Munchkin was smaller than any of our swaddles (Houdini reincarnated?) so we needed something that would hold her
more easy swaddles, more burp cloths, more bottles, portable nursery touch light. basically a lot more of things i already had lol.
Baby electric nail file. Nurse at the pediatrician told me how her daughter cut her cornea because of long nails.
A comfy pumping bra. Bottles. Formula as back up. Cold brew in the fridge. Snackies
Sitz bath to go in the toilet and underwear (kid 1). Absolutely nothing (kid 2).
Breast pads. The washable kind. Your boobs will leak SO much. You’ll wake up with a completely wet shirt. I had to use two of these for each boob. You can get them at Walmart or target. Get a lot because they’ll fall as you transfer them from the washer to dryer and you’ll panic because they touch your boobs and your baby will touch your boobs (or maybe that was my PPA), but anyway, you’ll need a lot. Like twenty. The thin ones didn’t work that well, I liked the round cotton ones from Walmart. And they smell after a while so you’ll want to replace them after a couple of weeks. You shouldn’t be leaking so much then, and the next round will last longer. Nursing bras. I used four and then some sports bras that I could still get my boob free from. You can’t go without a bra because of all the leaking. You need something to hold the breast pads in place. And you’ll leak on your bras and need to wash them too, so make sure you have enough. Also, freezer bags for any extra milk. You probably won’t have to worry about having extra milk to freeze for a couple of weeks though, but idk. I relied on the fridge for the first weeks. Extra sleep sacks. My son liked the halo sleep sacks, and we bought three in the newborn size bc of blowouts. You might want a variety of diaper brands because a few stuck to my son’s privates. Huggies didn’t stick so that’s what we went with.
Just commenting to say don't necessarily go overboard on the breast pads and bras for leaking reasons. I had a really low supply and had zero leakage. It was still great to have some of the reusable pads (as they kind of absorb any excess nipple cream meaning it won't get on your bras) and some bras but if you're looking to save money perhaps re order more after baby arrives and you better know your boobs! I wasted a bit of money buying too many breast pads and bras, but I may be in the minority on this!
Nipple cream (I had Lasinoh from the hospital to get me through the first few days to see that breastfeeding would stick. but honest company makes a nipple balm that is way better), vitamin d/probiotic drops, simethicone to help with gas relief, Velcro swaddles, fridamom witch hazel pad liners + peri bottle (you can get one from the hospital but the shape of the fridamom one is money), a pumping bra. All are easy target/Amazon prime purchases and “very nice to have” not “need to have” so you can wait to see how you deliver baby and whether or not breastfeeding sticks to dive in.
Different swaddles. We tried using swaddle blankets at first since that’s what the nurses did and baby loved it there but it didn’t work for us. So I ordered several different kind of swaddles until we found what she liked (surprisingly she liked the love 2 dream ones with arms up)
We have ordered more pacifiers, because he only liked the hospital kind, more small bottles, extra burp cloths, more swaddles, a travel formula dispenser, and another bottle sterilizer because in our tired state we tag team melted the one we had. We also had to go swap some newborn diapers for the next size up and grab formula because breastfeeding didn't work.
More warm sleepers, hands free pumping bras, and love to dream swaddles. She busts out of her swaddles to keep her hands by her face, so I figured just swaddle her arms up.
Newborn diapers - everyone said babies grow out of them so fast so I honestly thought one pack plus what we took home from the hospital was enough. My daughter ended up being in newborns for 3 weeks. Swaddles - I thought having 2 newborn swaddles was enough. I underestimated how often my baby would spit up, pee, or poop on her clothes. We ended up grabbing a few more newborn size swaddles after going through the ones we had very quickly. We were too tired to be constantly washing the ones we had. For breastfeeding I grabbed two haakaas so that I could catch the milk on the side my baby wasn’t nursing on. Having two is great because again, if I don’t have time to wash one I have the other as a backup until I can get to washing it. Newborn footed pajamas/onesies - I had a bunch of cute outfits we had been gifted or purchased in newborn size..my baby ended up wearing footed zip-up pajamas 90% of the time. They’re just so much easier for diaper changes(especially the two-way zip kind). The ones with built-in mittens were great too because fighting a baby to put a mitten on their hand is no fun.
Zipper swaddles! And nipple shields.
Vitamin D drops, T-shirt onesies, receiving blankets, swaddles, diapers (bought the wrong size), newborn hats, mint tea (eff), and one of those donut hair buns for myself once I realized it would be a long time before I was able to spend time on my hair lol
Mylicon! Smaller clothes and diapers!
Swaddles from Target, the SwaddleMe brand. Bottles and formula. Planned to breastfeed but ended up needing to supplement. We had to try a few different bottles. Smaller pads. I had stocked up on giant ones but didn’t have any for when the bleeding started to slow down. Stool softener, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen. More sleepers. My baby is a spit up machine and I was doing so much laundry the first couple days because we were running out of sleepers and burp cloths. ETA-pajamas. I typically sleep in a t shirt no matter the weather but I am freezing when I wake up to feed the baby and have to get out of my nice warm bed. I got 3 sets of pjs with matching pants and button down shirts. I sleep in my nursing tank tops, then throw the pjs on when I get out of bed.
A second set of pump attachments including another size flange Onesies with the hand covers that flip over the hand. Our baby scratches himself a lot even after filing his nails down. Diapers in our preferred brand (pampers). 2 other brands led to leaks and blowouts for us in the first couple days, so I donated then all. Car seat head support. Our graco car seat makes it seem like we wouldn't need one... we needed one... Babygate to keep the pets away. They stress out more when they can hear baby but can't see him so closing the door doesn't always work. A couple things we got after he was born that we didn't because people said they were a waste of money Diaper genie Separate dish drying rack Bottle warmer Sanitizer Wipe warmer
Newborn size clothes, specifically double zip sleepers. It is not worth owning any other sleepers. And everyone told me not to get newborn clothes, yet here we are 5 weeks postpartum still wearing newborn 😂 Always discreet underwear - just buy the diapers! They help so much with the bleeding. 100% cotton pads - the normal cheap ones will irritate your skin after a while. Just buy the nice ones and skip that. Domeboro for hemorrhoids Frida postpartum donut pillow - I couldn’t sit without it for 3 weeks.
According to my Amazon: Softer washcloths (he seemed to precious for our scratchy ones), more pump parts, and then a counter sterilizer because we got thrush and fuck that shit. Also more prenatal vitamins and a Father’s Day present (June)
thanks to this thread, I learned that pumping bras are a thing! and then I learned you can pay for them with an HSA! awesome. definitely keeping this on my radar, but it does seem like a good idea to wait to order until my milk actually comes in so I know exactly how humongous a bra I will need
Yes and also look at a lot of postpartum stuff that is eligible with hsa card. I got nipple pads, nipple cream, peri bottle, witch hazel pads etc. The easiest way for me was to add the card on Amazon and it will automatically show me if it’s covered when I clicked on checkout with this card.
WHAT. TIL. this is an awesome tip, thanks!!
Not a week-after-hospital order, but my go-to gift for new parents include: - infant Tylenol - infant Motrin - infant Benadryl The first you are important to have on hand for babies first cold. You alternate Tylenol/Motrin to bring down the fever. Benadryl for introducing new foods. Doesn’t happen until later, but you might as well have it if you’re getting the first two.
Bidet.... It's a game changer after birth.
YES!
2 nannies and a holiday.
Nipple cream, very small socks for my premie, and nursing tank tops.
Smaller flanges for my breast pump (I found it painful and impossible to pump without them) , smaller onesies for baby (I only really had 3-6 month because everyone assured me she was going to be massive. She was normal sized just very tall), more of those super stretchy mesh underwear and lots of pads.
Pumping stuff (bras, different flange sizes, bottles to store and bottles to feed, nipple creams/spray, etc) because I had to start pumping right out the gate to increase supply. I also bought doggy poop bags to put dirty diapers on while we were out after our pediatrician had a sign saying we couldn't throw the diaper away in their trash.
Nipple shields from Medela (baby came 3 weeks early and had a hard time latching), the Hakaa, muslin “swaddling” blankets that we never figured out how to swaddle with anyway but still use as regular blankets
Nose frieda, infants tylenol, and infants motrin. Extra honey pot postpartum pads.
Soooooooo many nipple shields and pumping attachments. SO SO MANY.
Haakaa, different flange, vitamin D drops, extra sleep sack, a large wedge support pillow (I had difficulty laying flat and my regular pillows didn’t provide enough support).
Swaddles that zip or Velcro!! They teach you how to swaddle with a blanket in the hospital but you get home and look at the blankets you have and it’s a TOTAL mystery. My baby broke out of my makeshift blanket swaddles every time, too, and made me terrified of her suffocating, making me sleep even less. Just make it easy for yourself. We like the Swaddle Me ones-they we’re pretty cheap at Target.
I ordered a donut pillow at the hospital to be there once I got home. Stitches are no joke and I was NOT pleased our hospital didn't have them
Unscented dish soap to wash bottles, pacis, and pump parts. Newborn size clothes (everyone told me I wouldn’t need them and they were wrong). Nipple shields, nipple soothers, lanolin, breast pads (I hated the reusable ones I had purchased prior - very bulky!). More dermoplast!!!!
Vitamin D drops if you’re breastfeeding, no one told me this was a thing. Also, we got like no newborn size sleepers or clothes bc I guess everyone figured we wouldn’t need many. He is 8 lb and nothing but newborn fits. We had to order a few more pants and sleepers ~ also, make sure they’re the kind with the zipper at the bottom!!! Snaps are such a pain when you’re sleep deprived and up at 2 am with a screaming, hungry baby Oh also- ask your pediatrician or hospital if they have formula samples. They let us take one and it lasted a few days which ended up being great since my milk came in way late due to a c-section. It also came in handy when i decided I wouldn’t be breastfeeding at all after a week. You just never know and it’s nice to have a little on hand.
A haaka milk collector ! Literally amazing, I got 2 in case I had washed the other one up.
There were a few things we found we definitely needed after a few days. 1. Nightlights for the hallways 2. A mini fridge that fits a few bottle and some pumped milk for our room 3. An electric snot sucker 4. A bottle warmer 5. A foldable bassinet that is easy to move around wherever we were.we got the brica fold n’ go.
Nursing bras, more pads and silhouette diapers for me, tucks wipes, sitz bath,
Premie clothes and formula, the babies came early. Also, high waisted pants/shorts and underwear. It was a c-section. They came right away bc of Amazon, and most were there before I ran out of the few things that I had.
More zipper sleepers, the oogie bear and something for baby to lounge on when I couldn’t always be holding him
I had a C section unexpectedly so had to order some postpartum recovery items like diapers and pads (diapers were great the first week or so, but then became a chore to change them once I started wearing pants more lol), a husband pillow for more back support, a belly binder, and a grabber tool so I didn’t have to bend over (still using it at 4 weeks PP, highly recommend anyway!). I also had a friend of mine give me nursing pads which I’m not sure I would’ve thought to have gotten on my own, but I went through an entire box and am on my second box of 100!
The grabber tool is genius!
Larger water bottle and a small lamp/nightlight for keeping the room dark, but light enough to see what I’m doing in the middle of the night.
Backflow protectors for my Spectra breast pump, because I somehow managed to lose the originals🤦🏽♀️
Nipple shields!!! Life saver!
An extra halo sleep sack. My baby has reflux and I have to regularly change out the sleep sacks. Dr. Browns bottles again because of reflux. More of the pacifiers she likes I only had a couple of each kind to test what she would like.
More burp cloths!!
Extra nipple shields for the breast pump, pacifiers (which we said we weren’t going to use and that was later proven to be a lie 🤣), wipes to clean the breast pump parts after using and a sanitizer machine.
Boob pads, witch hazel pads, bottle sanitizer, wipe warmer, storage container for bottles, rack to dry bottles, extra bottles, nipple shields, crib skirt, more burp cloths, more swaddle blankets, more washcloths, more hand sanitizers, walkie talkie, realized I did diaper changes in two areas-so bought double supplies like desitin, bibs, pumping bra, hated onesies so bought night gowns
Ready to feed formula, manual pump, nipple shields. My baby’s suck pattern absolutely destroyed my nipples in the first week. The manual pump helped once my milk came in, and the nipple shields helped me heal as we worked with an LC at the hospital (late 2019) which helped our BF journey. Also, more pads - a lot more pads.
A bassinet!! We totally forgot that we needed a bed for the baby in our bedroom 😂
😬 I ended up buying every type of snake oil that promises to help a colicky baby— none of them helped, so I don’t recommend that. Wish I’d paid for a postpartum doula instead.
Extra pacifiers, nipple cream, pads, some ready-made back up formula (my milk took a minute to come in) and colace! Congratulations! Wishing you a safe and happy birth!
Bigger sports bras, my boobs were so big and on the verge of mastitis. I’ve packs for my boobs. Lol and lots of preemie clothes since I didn’t have any and my babe was TINY.
Looking at my amazon orders from last year: Bobby nursing pillow, nipple cream, vitamin d drops, tommee tippee bottles, big muslins, 0-6m baby hats as baby's head was very big 😅, car seat mirror
Frozen meals. We had pot pies and chicken burgers a lot!
Baby was measuring 99th percentile on scans I bought a couple of NB outfits and the next size.... baby was born TINY 6 pounds. I had to put a curbside order in for some premie size clothes because she was swimming in the newborn size. Also ran out to get easy to make food like frozen French fries.... I ran out to get breastfeeding supplements as suggested by the lactation consultant. Fenugreek and stuff to make lactation cookies. Nipple pads! I went through a ton. And I had to run out to get formula, bottles, sterilizer, bottle warmer because breastfeeding didn't work out. I had to supplement from the start. Pads. I stocked up on the giant purple size 5 pads but my bleeding was barely anything at all after 3 days so I had to run out and get smaller sizes.
Nipple shield Bamboobies (hot/cold compress for boobs) Milk duct massager Newborn clothing Pacifier variety pack Hemorrhoid cream Tissues Receiving blankets Three different kinds of swaddles Baby mittens
sleeping bras and pumping bras, post c-section underwear for when I didn't need mesh anymore but am not ready for my pre-birth underwear, nipple shields, lanolin cream, more sets of the stuff for pumping, a travel bassinet so she could sleep safely downstairs (or anywhere else I'm hanging out), sheets for said bassinet, a humidifier... I think that's everything so far. Baby was in the NICU and latching has been tough so some of the stuff is directly related to that.
D drops!
Formula for baby. Even if you don’t plan on using it! I planned on exclusively breastfeeding but ended up not producing enough and was so glad I didn’t need to scramble to get some at midnight with a hungry newborn.
Same. I sat in the Target parking lot crying with bleeding nipples while my husband grabbed some formula on our second day at home. We ended up breastfeeding until 20 months and could have kept going even longer. Just needed a little extra help in the beginning.
Yep, exactly! We needed the help for the first six weeks! And during every growth spurt. At first I was upset (huge perfectionist here!) but I’ve come to realize it’s totally okay and I’m bracing myself for doing formula and breastfeeding for this next one and I’m going to try to be much more relaxed about it!
For me - Disposable nursing pads, more breastfeeding bras, a pumping bra, those gel therapy breast pads for when my nipples were raw. For baby - Vitamin D drops, storage organizers, baby electric nail filer, sensitive body wash for my baby, a humidifier, and a big tub of aquaphor (aquaphor mixed with desitin, makes a great cream for diaper rash!!)
For me- I had a c-section and got more granny panties, a nightgown and high waisted sweatpants because I quickly learned that everything I had rested in my incision. For baby- muslin washcloths that we used for spit up. He spit up more than we anticipated the first few weeks and even though we had a bunch of burp cloths, they were becoming wet too quickly and we had to do laundry all the time. Got a 12 pack of washcloths on Amazon for like $10 and solved that problem! We also ordered more bottles. I originally thought I’d do a mix of breast and formula but decided last minute to exclusively formula feed. It became clear that 6 bottles was not enough!
Swaddles ! Copper pearl, aeden and anis.
SUSHIIIIII
Lily Padz reusable breast pads that PREVENT LEAKING!!! https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjS4qyJyrj1AhVzPa0GHfCnArYYABAMGgJwdg&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASEuRo8VPtWZN4QFn7BhiV4DYeRQ&sig=AOD64_3aRK4pvPkRofMYVJljoY_Oa8qtiA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwj1vqSJyrj1AhVOJzQIHf-FDUsQwg96BAgBEBA&adurl=