I still can't believe that I am now 6 months postpartum (SIX MONTHS!) A lot has happened in the last six months but before we do through that rundown, I wanted to take this post to provide updates on what I used when I came home from the hospital and what I ended up disliking or even returning. There is so much out there regarding “What's in my hospital bag” or “Postpartum Essentials” and for me, it was WAY overwhelming. Simply put, less is more. Our hospital stay was prolonged due to an unexpected NICU stay for our little one and luckily, my boyfriend, my mom and my sister were able to ensure we were as comfortable as possible. Here are a few of my “must haves” and some of my “definitely not needed”
MUST HAVES
Travel toiletries and a full-size towel. Once we got settled into our postpartum recovery room, I took a shower and it felt amazing. We were admitted Sunday night at 8pm and I had Ezekiel the following Monday at 4:15pm. Once I felt ok, I opted to take a shower to refresh and get some much-needed rest; my boyfriend watched the baby while I showered with the door open just in case I needed his assistance. NOTE: you use alot of chapstick so don't forget it!
Black Pajamas were very useful as they are easy to hide a blood stain; lets face it, you bleed, a lot. Having black PJs made me less self-conscious about staining through my very sexy mesh undies. i would suggest packing a few sets. Due to our prolonged stay, my mom and sister ended up having to bring me a few extra sets of pajamas.
Slippers with soles were game changers especially on the walks from our room to the NICU and to the cafeteria. I also had non-slip socks to walk around the room in.
Battery chargers were also great since there are hardly any outlets and the ones that are there are usually far from the bed. We used one from Amazon that did not require additional cables.
Nursing Bra (if you are nursing) or bra with a zipper front. When I delivered, I had a zipper front bra (think a breast surgery recovery bra). This made it very easy to open it when it was finally time to hold my little one for skin to skin. It also made it really easy for that first latch.
Pillows and a blanket because hospital pillows and blankets suck LOL – they are also more cozy and came in handy for staying on a cot while in the NICU
All.the.snacks. I hardly ate the day I delivered and although once I had him, I had dinner, it was nice to have snacks in the room for the middle of the night feeds
A faja – once I got home, I started to wear my faja for most of the day (I would not sleep in it tho). I ordered mine from Amazon.
Always Discreet – now these were a game changer once I got home and finished the stash I brought from the hospital. These also came in handy for those first few periods. I got my period right at 6 weeks postpartum and it was heavier than usual so these underwear were a game changer.
DEFINIETLY NOT NEEDED: (However, I suggest asking the hospital to see what they provide)
Your own water cup - our hospital gave us (boyfriend included) large water cups with lids and straws
Postpartum underwear/pads – our hospital provided these for me along with postpartum pads and ensured I had a nice stack of them to go home with. I ended up returning the ones I received as a babyshower gift since I did not use them
Underwear ice packs – honestly, a baby diaper with ice worked so much better and the nurses ensured I had one at all times. I returned the ones I had received as a gift.
The hospital gave me one and it worked perfectly fine. My house had two bathrooms so I kept the peri-bottle I received as a gift in one and the hospital one in the other. To be honest, I preferred the hospital one.
Extra baby outfits – most of the time, he was simply in a swaddle since they were checking his vitals often. The only outfit he actually wore was his coming home outfit.
Diapers, wipes, suction bulb – the hospital provided us with all these things and more for our son
What did you truly use? What would you say was not needed?
xoxo,
Julie Marie
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