When it was finally time to leave the hospital with our first son after a long and difficult labor, I couldn’t believe the nursing staff was just going to let us leave so easily. This was our first child after all; wasn’t there some kind of class we had to take or test to pass before they would allow us to walk out those doors? Nope.
It was such a strange feeling for me to leave that hospital as a little family of 3; I was so unprepared for what to expect from life after baby, both mentally and physically. I laugh at myself now, but I was all ready to jump into my pre-pregnancy jeans only a few days after giving birth and on our way home from the hospital we had to stop at the store to buy maxi pads because I hadn’t even bought any. I was so clueless (and I had even read the what to expect books and had finished my maternity rotation in nursing school only 5 months prior).
Now, after seven babies, I pretty much have my pre-baby routine and prep down pat. And one of the things I prepare before baby arrives is a post partum basket. Well, I actually make two – one for the master bathroom upstairs and one for the bathroom downstairs.
So, what’s a post partum basket?
It’s a basket full of everything you will need to tend to all of vour needs ‘down there’ whenever you use the bathroom after you’ve had a baby. It doesn’t even need to be a basket really – a plastic bin, dishpan, or box will do. And the contents of your post partum basket may be a bit different from mine, but if you are a first-time mom, hopefully this will give you an idea of things to have on hand for after baby’s arrival.
Here are the things I include in my basket –
- Maxi pads (overnight protection, with wings)
- Peril Bottle – you will get one of these at the hospital (ask for one or two extra); fill with warm water and spray on your lady parts as you pee and/or after you pee
- Wash cloths – I buy a couple big packs of wash cloths from Target or WalMart; after having a baby, I prefer wiping (or rather dabbing) with a wash cloth instead of toilet paper after I use the bathroom.
- Plastic grocery bag – to hang on the bathroom door and put the used wash cloths in for easy transport to the washing machine
- First Aid Spray – I have had stitches with each of my births and I use the first aid spray on the area after I use the bathroom
- Tucks pads/Witch hazel pads – I put a layer of these on a clean maxi pad to help soothe the area and help with swelling
- Medicated Wipes – use these interchangeably with the first aid spray
Well, I hope this was a bit helpful to the expecting mamas out there. I love the convenience of having all my womanly post partum necessities handy in a bathroom on each floor of our house. And everything is conveniently kept in a basket that I can keep in the bathroom cupboard or on the back of the toilet.
What would be something you would add to your post partum basket that I haven’t listed?
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Love this post, Sarah! I’m working on packing my bag right now! I’ve got my Earth Mama Angel Baby creams and sprays packed, and am waiting on some aloe vera gel to make my own postpartum wipes — sort of like the DIY baby wipes, but with lots of witch hazel!
Love coming here and reading about babies and childbirth!
Thanks so much for featuring my post! 🙂 I’m so glad, as a new mom, to be able to offer up helpful info to other moms.
That’s an awesome post partum basket! I had many of those items post partum myself. The Peri bottle was the best, and I made my own post partum wipes with witch hazel and lavender essential oil.
What an awesome idea!! With my youngest being almost 16 it’s a bit late for me now. But I love this list.
I hopped over from Angie’s and Kris’s link to say HI!
This is a great list! I really needed that peri bottle!
The peri bottle is crucial! Although I did have stitches, I didn’t use any type of medication on them but didn’t have any problems–just keeping them clean with water was enough.
An alternative to washcloths is to cut up some old T-shirts or other soft cotton knit–even softer than terry.
Yes, I am amazed at what most people do not tell you about your body after baby is out. Thanks for this article!
I started to laugh at the beginning of your post. I felt that way with baby#4 being discharged from the All Natural Birthing unit. They cut the security bands right in the room and would have just let us walk right out. No escort to the car or anything. I’m sure the look of shock on my face told it all. They got a young nurse to walk us out to the garage so we could manage everything in one trip, lol. No problems with the prep or after-baby prep but 4th delivery at the same hospital and each birth natural each a different story. Still gotta write those:) Thanks so much for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Blog Hop!
This is such a great idea. I had no idea what to expect after having a baby either. This post is sure to help many soon to be moms prepare for caring for their needs!
Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!
With my first, my sweet sister (who hasn’t had children) asked a friend what I would need. The above covers it, but you should try the sitz bath spray from Motherlove- so soothing! She also got me a sof-sitz inflatable sitz bath that made quick sitz baths a reality (as great as a full bath feels, this made it super easy to fit one in).