38 - Postpartum Must-Haves: What to Buy for You (Not Just the Baby) After Birth

In this no-nonsense episode of Doula Talk: Postpartum, Babies, and the Battle for Sleep, Deb pulls back the curtain on what birthing parents really need for postpartum recovery—and spoiler alert: it’s not another swaddle.

Too often, new parents are sent home with scratchy mesh underwear and a peri bottle that sprays like a rogue firehose, leaving them to figure out the rest. Deb’s here to change that. She walks listeners through a doula-approved list of postpartum essentials that are simple, soothing, and seriously helpful.

From clever DIY padsicles and soothing herbal sitz baths, to the lowdown on nipple creams, water bottles, and heating pads. Deb’s goal is to make healing easier and less overwhelming. She also shares gentle reminders about mental health, comfort, and the power of being prepared with easy snacks, cozy blankets, and a notebook to help capture those foggy postpartum moments.

This episode isn’t just a shopping list—it’s an invitation to center your needs as a new parent, and to feel empowered and supported through one of the most transformative seasons of your life.

✨ Listeners will walk away with:

• A full rundown of what to buy for perineal care, breast/chestfeeding comfort, and mental wellness
• Easy-to-implement tips for using what you already have (hello, frozen newborn diapers!)
• Gentle reminders to prioritize rest, support, and self-compassion
• Encouragement to not wait until it hurts to get help

🎁 Freebie Mentioned:

Download the Postpartum Recovery Essentials Checklist for free at douladeb.com/free-resources-sign-up—you’ll get instant access to Doula Deb’s full library of practical, printable guides for birth, postpartum, and beyond.

🌀 Want more personalized support?

Deb offers one-on-one consults to help you prepare for postpartum and the wild ride of new parenthood—whether you’re still pregnant or already in the thick of it. Reach out through her Preparing for Parenthood consults or First Year Support Program for customized guidance.

And for families juggling older kids with a newborn on the way, don’t miss Deb’s Rooted Rest Sleep Course. This is going to be a game-changer for helping siblings sleep well before the baby arrives.

This is the episode every new parent didn’t know they needed.

Because yes, baby gear is cute—but you deserve to heal in comfort. Tune in, take notes, and share with a friend who’s preparing for postpartum recovery.

Chapters

• 0:41 Introduction to Postpartum Care
• 2:53 Essential Items for Postpartum Recovery
• 7:58 Breastfeeding Essentials
• 10:40 Self-Care and Comfort in Postpartum
• 12:49 Conclusion and Encouragement

Transcript

Deb (00:40)
Hey hey, welcome back to Doula Talk postpartum babies and the battle for sleep. I'm your host Doula Deb here to remind you that you matter just as much as that sweet little baby. Today's episode is all about something we forget way too often, what to buy for you after birth. Not the cutest swaddle not the fanciest stroller, this one's for your healing, your comfort and your recovery. Because here's the truth.

your body just did something enormous. Whether you had a vaginal or a belly birth, your body is in full on healing mode. the hospital will send you home with a few basics, let's be honest, it's usually the scratchy mesh underwear. Some people like it. Most people don't. And the peri bottle that shoots in a direction that is not helpful.

So today we're going to walk through some super practical doula approved list of postpartum essentials. Things that are easy to grab and actually helpful. We want to think soothing, not stressful. Because you deserve comfort, you deserve support, and you deserve to feel like someone is thinking about you, not just the baby. And don't worry, I've got a free printable checklist that you can grab in my free resources on my website.

and I'll go ahead and put a link in the show notes to gain access to the whole library. We have a lot of great resources in there to help set yourself up for birth, labor, postpartum, and even support you in the first year of sleep. So let's get started. Here's the deal. We spend so much time preparing the baby's closet, folding

the tiniest onesies known to humankind and making sure we have 17 different types of swaddles. But often we forget that our own bodies have just done something epic. Birth is no joke, whether it's vaginal or surgical. It's a physical, emotional, and hormonal roller coaster, and your recovery deserves way more attention than it usually gets.

So let's dive into what you really need to stock up on for a smoother postpartum recovery.

The first thing we're going to talk about is perineal TLC. if you had a vaginal birth or even just labored and ended in the surgical birth, your perineum is probably going to be sore. Even if you didn't tear, that area is going to be swollen, stretched and quite tender.

Your provider might send you home with some basics, if you really want to level up your comfort game, here's the things that I would recommend. The first one is ice packs or pad sickles. The hospital may send you home with some, or you can make your own out of the pads that you prefer.

you can do what I love is not buying anything extra and take a clean newborn diaper, pour a little water, you can add some herbs if you wanna get fancy, and then you're gonna freeze it. You're only gonna use these for the first 48 hours, so you don't need a ton. And if you run out, just make a few more. The trick here is when you freeze that, freeze it over a bowl.

and that won't get the shape that you want. Once it's frozen, you can go ahead and wrap it up and put it in a freezer, in a freezer bag. But if you freeze it, fold it up, that's gonna be a heck of a time trying to open up that pad to use it. So take that little tip and freeze it open, fold it up and put it in the freezer for use later. The next one is Dermaplast spray for numbing the pain.

and you can also pair that with a good perineal balm for soothing afterward.

For those of you with the tears, this numbing spray is gonna be a changer. really hard to sit and nurse when your bottom is in pain.

And if you pair it with the perineal balm or spray it can really help with the soothing You can make your own spray or there's a lot of different brands that you can buy for a spray or a balm I usually do one or the other but if you want to pair it up do a spray first and then balm Great, and that'll really help soothe that area with some herbs built in Now speaking of herbs, I really love herbal sitz baths

you can buy these packets already made so you don't have to buy the individual herbs. And these are great for after that initial ice stage is over. So that's going to be 48 hours on until you feel like your perineal area is healed.

These packets are really convenient because you can stick them in some hot water and you're basically brewing a tea. And you can use that tea in a Perry bottle, which we're going to talk about next, Or you can use it in a sitz bath, which we will talk about in a minute.

Once you use the Herbal packet a few times you can take that packet and be applied right to the area and heal you up really fast for great soothing. So we're going to talk about that Perry bottle.

It's really great to get a peri bottle with an angled neck. Trust me, the hospital ones are just meh.

Let's be honest, the angle to use this Perry bottle because you're not using toilet paper for a little bit is imperative. You can't see the area very well. And if that Perry bottle has to be upright to squirt, believe me, it's really challenging when you still have that belly. So getting that angled neck will get the angle you need without having to turn that bottle upside down and spraying up. Now, the next one is the sits bath. So

There's a couple different ways you can do this. Either you're going to pop one over the toilet or you can just do one in the bathtub and you're going to add the herbs to make that tea and boom, that is so healing. You can sit there for a little while and just have that soothing tea heal that area. And the next one is stool softeners and ibuprofen. Do not skip these. Your provider may prescribe them.

but it might be nice to have some at home just in case.

after you've pushed a baby through your vaginal canal, it kind of feels like pooping and we really do not want you straining when you're having bowel movements. So having those stool softeners can come in handy so that you're not putting a lot of strain and that perineal area can heal. And ibuprofen, I mean, that'll help with the swelling and keep the pain at a minimum.

And then last but not least, yes, we want to grab some heavy duty pads or disposable underwear. ⁓ Even nowadays there are some heavy period panties that are washable that are totally acceptable for this time. Just keep an eye on the bleeding so that you're not going through a pad more than once an hour. That is a big red flag to call your provider.

but otherwise you're going to be using these pads for a while and get enough to get through that period. Bleeding is so normal and you just want to be prepared, not surprised.

Alright, so next up we are going to talk breast or chest feeding survival If you are not choosing to nurse you can go ahead and skip ahead, but

if you do want to nurse, we have to consider that your body's not just

it is super to make this as sustainable as possible from the get go. So here are some things to make it a little bit easier. You're going to want a big giant water bottle, but make sure there's a straw. Your thirst is next level when you're lactating and bonus if it keeps things cold or hot for hours.

The next one is coconut oil. This is just like simple staple thing to have.

It is multifunctional and affordable. You can use it on your nipples, you can put it on your baby's bum to help get the meconium to come off. You can use it on your face, use it as a lotion. It's just magic in a jar. I like to recommend

organic cold pressed coconut oil just to make sure you get all the goodies in there. The next one is some type of nipple cream and this is for going above and beyond what the coconut oil isn't doing. Sometimes we just need a little extra balm there. I like again to stick with the organic kind but you may have to try a few to find one that works with you.

If you're having a tough time with nursing in that first week, which a lot of us do, to get us through these gel nipple pads, you pop them in the fridge and it is so soothing. If you know, you know.

Last but not least, we have breast pads. That is to help catch the letdowns. You can choose to go disposable, throw them away every time or washable. Just get enough to get you through the day at least because you can just throw them in the wash and reuse. There are also milk catchers that can be put in place of that if you are leaking and you'd like to catch that milk. That's your call.

And as a side note, if your baby is crying in the first few days and your milk isn't fully in or you're not sure, do not hesitate to reach out to a lactation consultant or your pediatrician. We don't mess around when it comes to feeding support in those early days. In fact, I usually recommend having the lactation consult already scheduled before you leave your birthing location.

This really ensures that you get the support that you need before you even know you need it. So before you head home or within the first day or two after birth, make sure to get some type of feeding support so you can kind of just double check that everything is going well. You won't regret it.

Alright, here's the last few things that I want you to have on hand as you prepare for postpartum.

The first one is a heating pad because those after birth cramps, every time you latch your baby, you're going to have some cramps of contractions that are making your uterus go back to the normal size. So they can be real, especially after baby number two or more. They can be quite uncomfortable.

The next one is easy one-handed snacks. You want to think trail mix, protein bars, bite-sized chocolate, crackers, anything that you can keep handy in station. And yes, chocolate counts as self-care. And here are some things that are not required, but they should be, right? Because I want you cozy and comfortable in this postpartum period.

not just worried about keeping the pain at a minimum. So that means you're getting a cozy robe and some warm socks and maybe some extra soft blankets for you because your comfort matters. And lastly, this is just something to help ease your anxiety and that's a notebook or a notes app to jot down questions. You can jot down your to-do list while you're feeding because sometimes those things come running at you while you're feeding and you can't get up and do anything.

And then any random things that your sleep-deprived brain is worried that you'll forget. if you have the capacity, it might be nice to write down one sentence of what you remember from each day. This is such a great way to go back and look at your postpartum period and have those really beautiful gratitude moments that you maybe forget in the future. So let's not forget mental health.

is really important. Your hormones are shifting during this time, your life is changing, and the emotions, they are big and they are so valid. So make sure to keep something nearby that brings you a sense of comfort or joy, whether it's a daily affirmation book, a favorite snack, or a little reminder to text your friend who always seems to make you laugh.

you have it, your postpartum survival kit straight from a doula who's seen it all. the baby gear is great, but please don't forget that you are the one doing the healing. You matter and yes, you deserve comfort and care just as much as your little one you found this helpful and think maybe it would be helpful for a friend,

Go ahead and forward it on and don't forget you can download the full checklist in the show notes. and if you're preparing for postpartum and want a little bit more help, I go over this and so much more in my preparing for parenthood or postpartum consults. So feel free to reach out and we can have a customized consult to go over everything that you need for becoming a parent.

if you were in the thick of it and you've already missed your postpartum things, we can talk about that too in my first year support program. we get to talk about how your recovery is going, how we can course correct if we've already missed some of this and get you on the route to healing. And then we can talk about what's going on with your baby too and help you get more efficient and more comfortable.

in becoming a parent. And lastly, if you are having trouble with an older sibling sleep, you might want to check out my Rooted Rest Sleep Course that I am dropping this fall because when you add a new little one to the mix, it's probably a good idea to get the older sibling sleeping well before you have them. I usually recommend having this all done at least by 34 to 36 weeks.

so that you have enough time to establish a good routine before your new little one comes. So we can talk about that all in a free discovery call. Feel free to reach out at my website www.douladeb.com and fill out my contact form or just make a call right there and we will just do a quick check in and see how I can help. so until next time, keep resting.

Keep asking for help and never forget that you are doing an amazing job.