Preparing for postpartum: A pelvic floor therapist’s postpartum supplies checklist
Hey mama! I see you trying to be the MOST prepared for postpartum:
maybe you’ve heard horror stories of the pain after a C section
Maybe you’ve heard that breastfeeding is super painful and HARD the first few weeks
Maybe you had a rough time the first time you gave birth, and want to be more prepared this time around
Maybe you are seeing a pelvic floor therapist during your pregnancy (GO YOU!) to manage pain and prepare for birth and you know you want to be prepared for those first delicate weeks postpartum
and maybe you’re feeling a little (or a lot) OVERWHELMED about ALLLLLL the things you need to do and buy before baby comes (hello nesting energy)
Wherever you’re coming from, I am SO glad you are preparing for postpartum - as a pelvic floor physical therapist, this is one of the MOST underrated tasks of pregnancy.
The truth is, the first few days and weeks postpartum can be rough - recovering from birth, all while figuring out this crazy thing called breastfeeding, feeding baby day and night, all while sleep deprived and RAVENOUS with hunger.
But as a pelvic floor physical therapist specializing in pregnancy and postpartum, I know it can be overwhelming to prepare for birth, postpartum, and just… ya know, the transformative process of becoming a mom.
Let me make it simple for you: In this blog post I’m going to share my top 5 ESSENTIAL postpartum items, no overwhelm needed!
And for those who want to dive deeper, you can find all of these AND MORE linked in my full postpartum checklist PDF.
Think of this as your boobs, butt, & vagina checklist - covering the ESSENTIALS you need for postpartum perineal care, breastfeeding, and pelvic floor recovery.
Alright, here are my top picks for postpartum supplies as a pelvic floor physical therapist:
These bloomers were designed by a pelvic floor physical therapist to provide support for diastasis recti and prolapse. Regardless of having these diagnoses, I recommend these to all postpartum mamas for the first few weeks - whether you had a vaginal OR a C section delivery.
As a pelvic floor PT AND mama of 2, these bloomers are SOOOOO comfortable and the number one item I recommend to my pelvic floor PT clients for postpartum recovery. They provide a gentle hug with compression from the bottom up for your healing vag! This helps with the pelvic heaviness as your pelvic floor recovers, and provides an external support as your abdominals are slowly coming back online after being stretched out for 10 months.
After a tough postpartum recovery with my first, I made sure to have these on hand for my second birth - and I actually loved the support they gave at the end of my pregnancy too.
(this link gets you 10% off!)
2. Frida mom pad sickles
Frida mom pad sickles are one of my favorite items I put on my postpartum supplies checklist. Trust me, you will want some QUICK cooling action in the first few days after a vaginal birth. Frida padsickles are so easy! Crack ‘em and they are ready to cool down your perineum in an instant.
Some other great options, if you want to have other things on hand:
Make your own padsickles, with witch hazel and aloe.
Lansinoh cold/hot packs - another great option you can freeze and put in a little sleeve and into your undies. Downside: not absorbent so these are really better for after bleeding slows down
3. Upside-down peri-wash bottle
An Upside-down peri-wash bottle is a MUST for recovering from a vaginal birth, but you may also want one post-cesarian, too. If you give birth at the hospital, they may give you a small squirt bottle, but the upside down peri bottle is superior (trust me), and is almost like a small portable bidet.
I own the Bodily peri wash bottle, and also love the peri-wash bottle from Frida-Mom, which you can purchase from target.
4. A few nursing bras
You will probably live in these for the next several months if you choose to breastfeed, and it is soooo important to wear nursing bras that are comfortable and accommodating to the fluctuations in breast size to prevent complications like clogged ducts and mastitis.
My favorite nursing bras are the “The Everything” nursing bra and The Effortless Bra from Bodily. These are developed alongside lactation specialists- and I swear they helped me avoid mastitis and clogged ducts.
PS - you can read in depth about my favorite nursing bras here (I have tried TOO many and did my homework FOR you)
Having a few clip-down nursing tanks are also a great idea. I waited for sales to splurge on the luxurious tanks from Bodily and Storq. Bodily’s are softer, but Storq’s has better sizing options and are a bit more fitted - so better for in-bra pumps as well as slightly more supportive and made me feel a little less matronly wearing them out of the house :) Try Old Navy or H&M for some functional and more budget-friendly options.
5. Nipple butter
for those raw nips you’ll have in the early days! If you’ve ever breastfed before, you KNOW you’ll need this on hand. The experience of breastfeeding a tongue tied baby for the first time was a LOT for me, and this Earth Mama nipple butter saved me.
There you have it, mama! That’s my bare-bones, essential postpartum supplies checklist for pelvic floor recovery.
You may want to deep dive (I see you little miss type A mom trying to be prepared - I do love that about you!) and if that’s you,
You’re going to love my FULL postpartum supplies checklist. You can get it here.
BTW - Hi!!! I’m Dr. Jackie Joy, your pelvic floor bestie for all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I am a pelvic floor physical therapist in New Orleans (and virtual services everywhere) and a mama of 2-under-2 helping mamas navigate fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and all things pelvic floor during every stage of motherhood.
If you’re looking for more support on your pregnancy , or postpartum journey - whether that’s to understand your pelvic floor and how to keep it healthy during this season of new motherhood, how to exercise during and post-pregnancy, or preparing and recovering from birth, I’m your girl! Take a look around and reach out to say hello!
You might want to read these blog posts next:
The best Nursing and pumping bras for breastfeeding mamas - I did my homework (aka, I tried TOOOOO many), so you don’t have to!
The best exercises to prepare for labor - Everything you need to know about preparing your pelvic floor for labor
My favorite Postpartum Physical Therapy Exercises - The best place to start when returning to exercise postpartum
