My Postpartum Essentials – Third Baby

My Postpartum Essentials – Third Baby

I’m getting very close to the birth of our third baby. My due date is just over two weeks away which is not long at all — especially with how fast time is passing. The end of pregnancy is supposed to feel long and slow but that’s not the case when you’re juggling work, a house move, sorting out your new house and looking after two of your other kids at the same time…

The weeks are still flying by and there are probably just another two weeks to go judging by the arrivals of my first two children. This has got me thinking about my essentials for the postpartum time — the things that I find necessary and helpful during this special but exhausting time.

I’ve not included the completely obvious things in my picture collage — buckets of strong coffee and an endless supply of biscuits, cookies and other baked goods… oh and chocolate… a lot of chocolate.

My Postpartum Essentials

My postpartum essentials (other than the above mentioned fuel and caffeine), mainly focus on comfort as discomfort after birth is to be expected. Two of the main things to deal with is postpartum bleeding and getting breastfeeding established. Here are the things I wouldn’t be without:

• Breastfeeding friendly tops and dresses as a must for my postpartum capsule wardrobe. These do not have to be labelled breastfeeding/nursing — there are many kinds of regular clothes that work very well for breastfeeding. I’ve shared more about that in this blog post about how crop tops and stretchy tops work very well for breastfeeding without costing a fortune. I have a few breastfeeding dresses and tops but will mainly be using stretchy deep v-neck t-shirts and the aforementioned crop top solution. Any kind of wrap top or dress also works well.
• Comfortable nursing bras. You can get away with using stretchy bras like the Comfort Bra from ASDA George (I had a few of these last time around) but for a bit more support, get a few maternity/breastfeeding bras if you don’t have them already. I’ve been using mine throughout my pregnancy and have the kind that will adapt to a growing bust once my milk comes in. H&M is a good place to shop for budget friendly breastfeeding bras — though I’d recommend going into store to ensure you get the right size. I’m a small A-cup but have to buy Large in their bras which is a bit odd.
• A good nipple cream is a must for the early breastfeeding days and, this time around, I’ll be using the new Weleda Nipple Balm. I’ve only heard good things about it and Weleda is one of my all-time favourite skincare brands so I’m sure I’ll not be disappointed. It’s available from Amazon.co.uk here.
• When you’re breastfeeding, you need breast pads to keep your clothes nice and dry as you never know when you might leak some milk… This happens when your baby is due a feed and often during the night. I prefer to use washable/reusable bamboo breast pads and have a bunch of different brands stocked up — some from my first two pregnancies and some new ones too.
• An insulated water bottle has been my saviour throughout pregnancy, will be there with me at the birth and then be a breastfeeding essential too. Breastfeeding is thirsty work and you need to ensure you’re drinking enough to stray hydrated and to produce enough milk for your baby. I’ll be keeping my insulated water bottle filled up and with me at all times to encourage healthy hydration.
• After the birth, I’ll be swapping my maternity leggings for options with a bit more support around my belly and waist. I’m not sporty at all but will be using active-wear type leggings with a high waist with built in support to help my body return to its normal shape and to make me feel more comfortable. I have a couple that I bought from H&M last year and some new ones from Love Leggings that I’m looking forward to trying. Comfort and support is key for this stage!
• Speaking of support and comfort! The type of underwear you wear at this time is really important too. Comfort is very important here and I like to choose pants with built in support to help encourage my belly to return to its regular size. I’ve got a couple of different types from MAGIC Body Fashion — Dream Invisible Briefs and Comfort Shorts. The first will be great for daytime wear and the latter are perfect for wearing at anytime and can be worn over other pants too to add support.
• For the postpartum bleeding, I’ll be using a range of different maternity cloth pads. These are MUCH more comfortable to wear than the plastic equivalent and naturally much better for the environment as you simply wash them and use them again and again. I’ve got a few new brands to try this time around, including ImseVimse maternity/night cloth pads (in Black!). I’ll also be using my big stash of RedRags cloth pads that I’ve been gradually buying throughout my pregnancy and some new maternity cloth pads from Ecopipo. I’ve used their regular pads before and they’re great — they wash so well and dry super quickly which is very helpful. The maternity pads from Ecopipo are only £6.99 each too which is a bargain! To keep cloth pads firmly in place, I recommend using tight fitting pants and using shorts like the ones mentioned above on top of your regular pants as this really helps them stay put.

If you’re shopping for new items, always do a quick search for discount codes and deals in order to save some money while buying.

Collaboration. This post features some PR-samples that I’ve chosen to include.