Nontoxic Postpartum Must Haves
I remember thinking back in 2021 when I was pregnant with my daughter that I knew exactly what I’d need postpartum to take care of myself AND a baby. Here’s what I learned very quickly after delivery: I didn’t know a damn thing. Sure, I made some of those padsicles or whatever but other than having the ability to freeze my butt hole off- I didn’t have anything for me.
Fast forward to present day and I only have a few short weeks left until I deliver my next baby. This time I am going to be prepared AND this time I know exactly what I need. So, welcome to my little corner of the internet where I fill you in on everything I, as a health coach and general health conscious mom, recommend for postpartum. This is the perfect post for you if you’re expecting your first baby and unsure what you might need, you have a friend that is expecting their first and want to make them a nontoxic self care basket (such a cute idea), or maybe you know a friend that is about to have a baby and might need this post- send it to them! It’s all low tox and mostly all nontoxic- just how I like it 😊
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Nontoxic Nursing Items
I listened to a hell of a lot of birth stories leading up to my daughter’s delivery. However, no one in those birth stories ever talked about how challenging nursing can be. I’m going to be honest in the fact that I didn’t have trouble producing milk and I attribute that to 2 things: I ate blood sugar balancing meals (you can read my blog post about Balancing Blood Sugar here) that were nourishing AND I harvested my colostrum prior to delivery (it’s shown to help boost your supply later).
If you’ve nursed before, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say: that junk hurts (initially). I am not trying to scare you, but going from never having something on your nipples to something latched to your nipples almost constantly is a shock to the nipple region. It is uncomfortable. So, here’s some things I plan to have on hand for my next pregnancy:
Silverettes
These are little nipple covers made of sterling 925 silver and help alleviate nipple tenderness by being placed over your nipples. Being a health conscious momma, you probably already know the benefits of silver. These fit nearly any nipple size, are easy to clean, and are obviously reusable. There are other brands out there, but I think Silverettes are the highest quality.
Reusable Nipple Pads
Are you reading this and thinking “I will literally never wear these…” Then you’re exactly like pregnant 2021 Christina! However, whenever I actually had my daughter in 2022 and was sitting on my couch leaking milk all over my old college t-shirt, I realized I definitely needed these. These pads go in your bra to absorb the milk that you will inevitably leak- especially in those first few weeks. I like the reusable ones because you get more bang for your buck. These are made of organic cotton.
Haaka Pump
While this is technically called a pump- it isn’t IMO. Whenever I first started nursing, I didn’t realize how much my letdown from whatever boob Libby wasn’t nursing from could soak a t-shirt (or ninety…) I used this on whatever boob I wasn’t nursing with to collect the letdown because every drop of that liquid gold is precious and shouldn’t be wasted on soaking into an old t-shirt I used to wear with Nike shorts in a bar during drink specials in 2013. I used both the Haaka and the Lady Bug made by Haaka. I liked them both. The Lady Bug is more discreet and can tuck into your bra whereas the Haaka you have to let it all hang out- such a delightful sight.
Nipple Cream
I’ll be honest, I didn’t use this very much because I didn’t think it’d be very effective. However, whenever you’re considering a nipple cream- I beg you to consider what is in it. Because whatever is in it is going to probably end up in your baby’s mouth and therefore body and it is also going to soak into your skin and enter your blood stream. I like to recommend organic ones made with ingredients that are nontoxic, so here’s 2 that I have seen people raving about that have great ingredients.
Nursing Bras
I only had one of these when I delivered and I realized I needed a lot more. But I like quality. In a perfect world, I would’ve had some made of organic cotton. However, I ordered a bundle from Kindred Bravely that I really love and still wear to this day. If you get a bundle, the prices drop significantly, which is great because these are not cheap. I have the nursing bralette and a regular nursing bra. I still wear them to this day because A) they’re so comfortable and B) made so well so they are well worth the price. I tried Momcozy brand and it fell apart within a year and was very uncomfortable for me. I am also going to recommend getting a pumping bra- it makes pumping hands free. Again, I tried the Momcozy brand and HATED it. So, I recommend the Kindred Bravely brand for that, too. It just fits better and lasts much longer!
If you want a discount, use code HEALTHWELLNESSWOMAN15 when you visit the Kindred Bravely website!
“Down There” Care
I don’t know about you but I honestly never considered what was truly going to happen to my vagina after birth. I just thought everything would be okay and I wouldn’t really need anything for it other than the padsicles I mentioned. Boy oh boy, was I wrong. Hear me out- my first birth was traumatizing physically and mentally (you can read my homebirth turned emergency hospital transfer story here). I acknowledge that not everyone has an experience like mine (thank God), so hopefully you won’t need all of this stuff. But I was wandering around blindly not knowing what to do for myself or my poor vagina initially.
Full Butt Underwear
Seems like common sense but I didn’t have any. I always wore thongs and I thought I’d be good to wear those after I ran out of my mesh underwear I got from the hospital. Joke was on me because I bled for weeks (which is normal- I just didn’t expect it). This time around I am getting organic cotton full butt underwear (last time I got some from Target).
Mesh Disposable Panties
Don’t knock it til’ ya try it, okay girly? I NEVER thought I’d wear these but those were literally my favorite thing from the hospital. This time, I don’t plan to go to the hospital at all (God willing I get the homebirth I am planning for this time around). But I will not go without these things. It is wayyyyy easier to wear than regular panties initially and so convenient. I like the Rael brand because it is organic cotton.
Bath Soak
One of my favorite things to do after giving birth was take my floral bath. I had never had one before but the floral elements are supposed to help heal you quicker, which was great for me because I had stitches from a 3rd degree episiotomy… My midwife thought it’d be okay to have baths as long as it wasn’t longer than 15 minutes so that my stitches didn’t evaporate too quickly. I’d let Libby float in it, too. I also like to add magnesium flakes (it’s the pure version of Epsom salts) to help reduce swelling.
Bedet
Look. I know what you’re thinking- “you’re ridiculous”. But, hear me out. I’d gotten my husband a bedet that attaches to our toilet for his birthday 20 days before I gave birth to our daughter. Literally it was a gag gift (that he loves and uses all the time). But this thing SAVED me. Not having to wipe my butt or my stitched up vagina? Yeah, worth its weight in gold. Yes, you can use the peribottle. But it was inconvenient (I’d use it in my other bathroom sometimes) for me. Just trust me and get a bedet- they’re cheaper than you might think and your butt and vagina will thank you!
Heating Pad
I sat on our heating pad off and on literally every day. I’d alternate between the heating pad and my padsicles because only using heat can be highly inflammatory, so the ice chills it out. I never thought I’d need this and I am so grateful we happened to have one at the advice of our midwife.
Perineal Spray
I didn’t use this much but it did help my discomfort with my stitches whenever I used it. One thing to be aware of is the ingredients in what you’re using. Your vagina (and any skin) is going to soak up whatever ingredients you put on it, so quality is important- especially during this healing time! I used this Golden Salve to help heal my tear as well per my midwife’s recommendation.
Padsicles
You knew this was going to come up- the infamous padsicle. I made a ton of these and my freezer looked ridiculous. You couldn’t open it without a pad falling out. I am going to include the recipe I followed for making these because some of the ones I see online are full of junk and it annoys me- YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE PUTTING TOXIC JUNK ON YOUR VAGINA EVER! For the pads, I use Rael or Honeypot brand because they’re organic cotton and great quality. To download, save, or click on the items needed in this recipe- you can GET THE RECIPE FOR PADSICLES HERE!
Nutrition
One of the best ways to heal is to nourish yourself- especially if you decide to breastfeed your baby! Breastfeeding takes A LOT out of us, so nourishment was a high priority for me postpartum. While I know it is easy to fall into the convenience of takeaway food- having homecooked, organic, nourishing meals is best. You could meal prep this stuff before you give birth (if you have the time). This is a great book to follow that is extremely nutrient dense! Or you can make your own and read my blog post about what I meal prepped for my latest birth!
If time is an issue for you and you’re looking more for convenience than anything, you should look into Mama Meals. The ingredients are organic and geared toward nourishing new moms with meal kits. I wish I’d known about this with my first baby but I plan to utilize it with this postpartum period! You can get 20% off your first order over $200 by clicking the link below!
Other Things
Water Bottle
You probably already have one of these but in case you don’t- I highly recommend having a water bottle that goes everywhere with you. I like to use glass because there’s no plastic involved but a Stanley is also a good option or a Yeti. Also, please consider the source of your hydration. Don’t drink tap water. Drink quality, filtered water. You can read my water filter recommendations on this blog post about microplastics!
During this pregnancy, we invested in a water ionizer machine. I wanted to ensure I was drinking the best water possible and this machine was the answer. You can learn more about it by reading about it here!
Cart
Having this little roller cart was so convenient because it allowed me to move from room to room without having to lug everything with me. I kept my breast pump, diapers, wipes, burp cloths, creams and ointments on it. I got the idea on Pinterest, honestly. Here’s an example of someone’s postpartum cart. Pretty much anything I needed for me or baby was in this cart!
Grounding Mat
I am including this grounding mat because I have seen a lot of health benefits from it such as deeper sleep (I was waking up in the middle of the night at 3 AM for weeks) less swelling/inflammation, and less anxiety (I am not really a high anxiety person regardless, though). I also think a new mom isn’t going to have the time to get outside barefoot and walk around to ground to the Earth. The benefits of grounding with the Earth are profound and I really love this thing! Most of the time this item is on sale on their website and you can get an additional 10% off by clicking my link!
I hope you enjoyed my nontoxic postpartum recommendations and I wish you nothing but the best in your postpartum journey! Being a mom is truly the most rewarding experience I have ever had!
The first time I got to hold my girl <3
