What to get for myself during post partum period? I'm scared

[user1488492548]

Hi everyone, I don't know whether this is the place to ask this question but I am really struggling to know what to get for myself, please give me some advice! I'm trying to buy all the things that I would need for my hospital bag and my post partum period(I'm very nervous...) below is a list of things I read on the internet that I need to get.. but everything adding up is so expensive, just want to know from all of you what is worth getting for my post partum period

1. Maternity Pads
   
2. Breast pads
   
3. Peri-bottle ( to wash sensitive areas)
   
4. new born baby diapers..?
   
5. Nipple cream
   
6. Mesh pants
   
7. wet wipes
   
8. bed mats
   
9. some organic facial wash and mask
   

10. Baths salts for quicker recovery (down there..)
11. Baby sling..?
12. Aloe vera + witch Hazel (does that even work for there?)
13. Baby nappy rash cream

[user1488492548]

Thank you very much! any advice would be so useful for me :)

[haveacupoftea]

I am not sure you need all that stuff! I have never even heard of a peri bottle, and organic face wash and bask?! Not convinced bed mats are necessary either though i could be wrong - I certainly hadnt intended on buying any!

I will have:

Nappies
Cotton wool
Maternity pads
Breast pads
Spare pants
Towels for me and baby
Clothes for me and baby
Spare nightie or 2
Slippers
Dressing gown
Bag of mini toiletries
Little bottles of formula just in case
Nipple cream

[angelicjen]

High energy snacks and small cartons of fruit juice are great for your hospital bag and those first few weeks of intense breastfeeding.

A few weeks in, a soft fabric wrap carrier is really helpful for allowing you to do stuff while keeping your baby close and snuggly.

I know it's easier said than done but try not to worry. Enjoy your pregnancy. You'll take it all in your stride.

[angelicjen]

Water Wipes are much easier than cotton wool for cleaning the baby and much easier than an organic face mask (you won't have time to have a face mask for years!) for freshening you up too.

[GraceGrape]

I found arnica tablets helpful (had a significant tear). I also added a few drops of tea tree oil to a bath mixed with a base oil.

[BertieBotts]

I took Arnica after birth to help with healing. No idea if it helped or not.

From your list I'd say most are essentials (though you've included some items for baby, are you talking just for you or for both of you?) but I wouldn't/didn't use:

Bed pads (I had a waterproof mattress cover which was much more use with leaky breasts, leaky baby etc)
Peri bottle (though my antenatal teacher recommended a small jug to pour warm water over when you wee. I didn't need it. Perhaps you already have one?)
Special face wash/mask (not my thing really - nice if you like pampering I suppose)
Bath salts (same)
Aloe vera and witchhazel (not sure what this is for!)

[Anotherdayanotherdollar]

Is this just for you or for you and baby?? Really what I'm wondering is the question mark beside the diapers.
Bed mats, mesh pants, face mask, peri-bottle (thats a new one for me), baby sling, aloe Vera and bath salts are not necessities. They might make things a bit easier/ nicer.
If money is an issue stick with breast and maternity pads and normal black pants in a bigger size. The mesh ones are tiny sizes anyway

[SleepFreeZone]

I assume a peri bottle is basically water to slosh down there if you have an episiotomy?

Off the top of my head I took
Cotton wool and face cream, lip salve
Couple of pairs of big knickers and lots of big sanitary towels
Shampoo and shower gel
Dressing gown and nightie and they do like you to have slippers but I forgot!
Phone charger and cable (although I didn't end up taking my phone 🙄)
Deodorant
Breast pads and nipple cream
Snacks and bottle of water
Tens machine which I used in latent stage right up to deliver
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Change for the parking machine

For the baby,
Nappies and wipes
Clothes in tiny baby and newborn size as we weren't sure of the weight.
Going home outfit
Muslins
Blanket appropriate for swaddling

[Sparklyuggs]

A peri bottle is a perianal bottle, designed to pour/squirt water when you pee after birth. They don't sell them in UK that I've seen but are more common in the States.

[champagneplanet]

Mesh pants are useless, just get cheap bigger size ones you can put in the bin.

I wasn't a fan of maternity pads I found them bulky and uncomfortable, I went for heavy flow/night time sanitary pads instead.

Definitely get some arnica for healing.

[user1488492548]

Thanks a lot for all the answers! definitely useful for me as a first time mom! :)
so i gather from here that big knickers are better than mesh pants
peri- bottle is not useful neither

I heard I will suffer a lot ... down there.. that is why I was putting peri bottle for washing after going to toilet, and bath salts for quicker healing

What time should I get this you reckon? and any brands that you recommend especially?

[GraceGrape]

I just used a plastic jug when I went to the toilet.

[GraceGrape]

For pouring water, I mean. I didn't wee in a jug!

[wobblywonderwoman]

I wouldn't feel you need all that stuff.

Cheap very large knickers are great and tena lady pads were recommended on here for post partum bleeding and I found them great.

Then a clean towel, few nighties, decent bra. I took in peppermint and arnica (great for healing)

Wouldn't bother which all of that list.

[Orlandointhewilderness]

It can seem really daunting OP. But remember, women have been doing this since the dawn of civilisation without a tenth of the crap they sell as essentials today.

Def big cheap knickers. Pads you can get fairly cheaply. I peed in the bath but actually I was fine as long as I tipped forwards a bit. Facials aren't an essential! Cotton wool and water for the baby to start with.

[Orlandointhewilderness]

Oh never used bath salts!

[cornedbeefpie15]

I really liked maternity pads :D Much thicker and softer than, say, ordinary night-time pads. I mostly got Tesco's own, sometimes Boots. Midwife recommended arnica gel when I had stitches but I never needed it as they didn't bother me much.

Really useful for me were nighties with buttons you could actually open (for feeding) and thin dressing gown and flipflops for hospital. Also LOTS of disposable breast pads one milk came in (Tesco's own again). DS was quite small so we had to buy extra "small baby"-size clothes and nappies in a hurry, and when we got home we decided we also wanted a moses basket (got a nice-quality one from Home Bargains - can't quite remember how much but def less than £30). Having someone on hand to shop for you possibly the most useful thing of all :)

[PerspicaciaTick]

You don't need to spend much on most of these things. The cheapest supermarket maternity pads are fine (although you will need a lot). Boots distilled witch hazel (£3) drizzled on your maternity pads will soothe and reduce swelling. Cheap, giant cotton pants from a supermarket or Primark. Ordinary table salt will do the job of expensive bath salts. I bought one pack of breast pads which saw me through two bf babies and I ended up throwing half the box away, I simply didn't seem to get very leaky. Old towels, folded up, can be used to protect your bed.

The only thing I really loved was my zip up dressing gown. It made me look like a gnome (thanks DH) but it meant I could sit and feed for hours with just enough of the zip undone for easy access - very cosy. Although a large cheapy zip-up fleece would do just as good a job and be easier to find in the shops.

[CaipirinhasAllRound]

I would definitely recommend a pack of wet toilet wipes, they were so much kinder after stitches than scratchy dry paper.

[OuchBollocks]

As a pp said, witch hazel on a pad is great stuff. Very cooling and healing. Otherwise don't put anything else on your bits except water. I just poured some from a plastic bottle as I peed. You shouldn't bath until you're pretty healed down there, it's an infection risk. A few cheap flannels are nice to clean yourself up with rather than paper.

If you're in the UK or somewhere that has them, try a sling meet either before or after your baby is born rather than potentially wasting money on a sling that doesn't suit you.

Giant cheapy supermarket knickers are fine and softer than mesh ones.

Yy to packing snacks and juice. It can be a long hungry night if you don't have anything, hospitals do dinner obscenely early and your baby may have you awake and feeding.

If anyone is looking to get you a gift I would personally recommend asking for a washable baby wipes kit (eg Cheeky Wipes). Good for baby's little bottom and far better at removing sticky poo than a normal wipe.

Bed mat you don't need. If you're very leaky sleep on an old towel.

Good luck! :)

[BikeRunSki]

Just get big cheap, black pants from Primark or a supermarket instead of mesh ones.

Jug instead of peri bottle.

I never used a bed mat, or fancied a face mask.

Lip salve though -maternity wards are very hot and dry!

Water bottle with sports cap, so you can drink whilst lying down (important if you have a CS).

[savagehk]

I needed maternity pads, breast pads, bigger than normal underwear. I'd also suggest "earth mama angel baby bottom spray" and i used "intimate wipes" instead of loo roll for the first few bathroom trips. I was discharged from hospital with fybogel and lactulose which combined to make the first post baby poo (a) unavoidable and (b) nothing to be scared of.

[savagehk]

Also, wee in the shower if there's no jug / bottle.

[MinnieNoush]

Why organic face products? Just use your normal ones.