(The stuff that actually makes the first 6 weeks bearable)

You’re so focused on baby gear that your own recovery gets forgotten.

Then day 3 hits and you’re sitting on the toilet crying because everything hurts and you’re bleeding like a horror movie.

Here’s the exact kit parents wish someone had handed them at discharge — the real one, not the “you’ll be fine” version.

The Core Recovery Must-Haves

• Frida Mom Upside-Down Peri Bottle (the hospital one is trash)
• Giant overnight pads (Always Radiant or Frida Mom — hospital pads feel like diapers)
• Witch-hazel pads (Tucks or Frida Mom)
• Dermoplast spray or Earth Mama herbal spray
• High-waisted disposable or super-soft underwear (Frida Mom or Kindred Bravely)
• Stool softener (Colace — start day 1)
• Nipple cream (Earth Mama or Lansinoh — even if formula feeding, cracks happen)
• Ice packs or Frida Mom cooling liners
• Heating pad (for afterbirth cramps that feel like labor again)

Quick science: Afterbirth cramps (involution) are stronger with each baby because oxytocin is working hard to shrink your uterus back to size. Heat + ibuprofen are the fastest relief.

(Source: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)

“My second baby the cramps were worse than labor. Heating pad + stool softener saved my life.”

— Mom in r/BabyBumps

For C-Section Mamas (Everything changes)

• C-section recovery belt (Belly Bandit or Frida Mom)
• High-waisted C-section underwear (goes above incision)
• Loose button-front nightgowns (no pulling over head)

The Emotional & Feeding Lifeline

• Haakaa (catches letdown so you don’t soak shirts)
• Nursing pads (disposable or washable)
• Hydration bottle with straw (Yeti or Hydro Flask)
• Easy snacks (protein bars, Liquid I.V., nuts)

Quick science: Dehydration drops milk supply fast. Staying hydrated + eating 500 extra calories a day keeps supply steady.

(Source: La Leche League International)

Gear That Made a Difference for Parents

• Frida Mom Postpartum Recovery Kit “Everything in one box. I cried happy tears when it arrived.”
• Boppy nursing pillow “Kept baby off my C-section scar while feeding.”
• Yeti straw tumbler “Could drink lying down when I couldn’t sit up.”
• Colace stool softener “First poop after delivery — no horror story because of this.”

Your “I’ll Actually Heal” Checklist

• Peri bottle + witch-hazel pads
• Dermoplast + giant pads
• High-waisted soft undies
• Stool softener + heating pad
• Hydration + easy snacks
• Nipple cream + Haakaa

You’ve got this.

You just grew and delivered a human — now it’s time to heal like the badass you are.

One slow day, one gentle hug, one deep breath at a time. ❤️