Best Postpartum Products for New Mums

No matter what your labour and birth was like, it’s always tough going to take a lot out of you and be tough on your body. Your perineum is likely to be swollen and tender, if you’ve had a c-section, your scar will likely be painful. Then there’s engorgement a few days later when your milk comes in and the potential pain from starting breastfeeding. Let’s not forget after-pains which get worse with every subsequent baby!

Many women don’t realise how challenging the postpartum period can be, especially because you’ve now got a brand new baby to look after as well. Kick-starting your recovery to support your healing process can help you feel more relaxed, allowing you to bond with your baby and enjoy those first few weeks with as little pain as possible. We’ve spoken to our customers, staff and wellbeing professionals to give you the lowdown on what can help to make your postpartum journey easier and recovery quicker. Here’s what they’ve recommended.

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Best Products for Healing Your Perineum

Peri Wash Bottle

If you’ve had a vaginal delivery things can be pretty swollen and tender down there and urinating can sting uncomfortably after birth. Using a peri bottle can help to reduce the sting and can help to keep you clean after you’ve used the toilet.

Peri Wash Bottles have been ergonomically designed with an angled spout, allowing you to easily squirt water onto your perineum which will help soothe and clean. We highly recommend filling with warm water and witch hazel for the best results.

Witch Hazel

Organic Witch Hazel has renowned soothing properties for supporting postpartum care. The Sleep Store witch hazel can be used with a Postpartum Peri Bottle. First, boil water then let it cool before filling the Peri Bottle. Add 3-5 drops of Witch Hazel & give the bottle a shake. You can also put 3-5 evenly spaced drops of Witch Hazel directly onto a postpartum pad. For extra cooling effect store pad in fridge for added benefit.

Sitz Bath Salts

Heal your pelvic region with a warm bath with sitz bath salts. A bath can be calming and relaxing on its own, but adding Sitz Salts can also help to relieve pain, itchy skin and swelling. These salts can be used for tender vulvas, swollen and/or torn perineums, and haemorrhoids.

Postpartum Pads and Underwear

Our customers have loved the comfort, softness and stretch of the Partum Panties Disposable Maternity Underwear. In the first few days after birth when you’re likely to be bleeding a lot, a disposable underwear solution can be much easier and less stressful to manage than a reusable alternative. These disposables can also be used during pregnancy (think waters breaking). Another option is Tom’s Maternity Pads, which are 100% organic cotton and have been described as “sitting on a cloud”. If you’re looking for a reusable alternative, the Awwa range is one of our favourites.

Best Postpartum Products for Your Breasts

Silver Nipple Cups

Many new mums are surprised about how difficult breastfeeding can be. Engorgement, blocked ducts and helping your baby to latch are just some of the issues new mums can face as they learn to feed their newborn. Silver Nipple cups are an effective and widely used solution for cracked and sore nipples. They are designed to provide relief for blisters, cracked and sore nipples during the early stages of breastfeeding. Easy to use, simply apply a drop of breastmilk inside the nipple cups and place them on your nipples and wear them inside your bra for at least 2 hours a day.

Breast Heat & Ice Packs

Within the first few days of birth, your breasts may become engorged, leaky and tender. An ice pack that has been specially designed for the breast can be easily used inside your bra without feeling super bulky and uncomfortable. Frozen ice packs can help offer relief from engorgement, mastitis and overall discomfort, so make sure you stock up before birth, ready to whip them out of the freezer at a moment’s notice. And if you’re pumping and need some help to get your milk flowing, warming the pads can help with letdown as you prepare to pump.

Breast Pads

Save yourself some worry with Reusable Breast Pads to absorb any drips and leaks. The early days of breastfeeding can be hard, especially as your breasts adjust to the hunger of your baby, meaning leaks may be common. Reusable breast pads will give you peace of mind that any drips or leaks will be absorbed to keep your clothes dry and stain-free. We love these reusable pads which can be easily washed and reused over and over and our customers love how absorbent and soft they are.

BINK Mama Bottle

Adequate intake of water was essential in pregnancy and it continues to be so whilst breastfeeding. Having a bottle that tracks your intake and is easy to sip from makes meeting your daily water intake a breeze. Our customers have loved it for breastfeeding, especially the guidelines for timed water intake throughout the day. And we think it looks pretty stylish too ;)

Best Postpartum Products for Mama Comfort

Woolbabe Relax Wear

No matter what time of year your baby arrives, comfortable, natural fibre relax wear, that’s easy to feed in, sleep in and wear all day, is a must. Look for fabrics such as cotton or merino, that will help regulate your temperature, keeping you cool and comfy in summer and cosy & warm in winter. Pants with a wide, elasticated waistband, that’s kind to your middle as you recover are ideal, especially if you’ve had a caesarean birth. Our customers love the Woolbabe Relax Pants, so much they wear them well beyond postpartum.

Combine Relax Pants with the Woolbabe Henley Tanks and Tops which have a domed front making them easy to feed in. Their relaxed fit is ideal for use postpartum when comfort is key. And did we mention they can be matched with Zipsuits or PJ’s for bubs or even the whole family? Because who doesn’t love a little matchy-matchy???

Shop all Relax! Wear

A Robe

Not to be overlooked, a Robe is a comfortable staple to have on hand from the hospital to home. Easy to wear over PJ’s or clothes, the relaxed fit of a Robe means you can quickly and easily cover up or add an extra layer of warmth for a cool morning feed. Look for styles with pockets - because there’s always something to carry and ties which can be easily adjusted for the ultimate comfort. Super soft, breathable cotton is always a win.

Postpartum Self-Care - Tips For New Mums

Cultivating a practice of self-care is ideal to do before your baby arrives, so you will know what activities and tools make you feel best. Adapting your self-care rituals to life with a newborn can take time, however, a mother who can care for herself and fill her cup will be better off both physically and emotionally. Joelleen Winduss-Paye shares some of her favourite ways to encourage self-care in your postpartum routine.

First Weeks With A Newborn – What To Expect Once Baby Is Home

The anticipation is finally over, your little bundle has arrived and you are home. Now what? It’s very normal for parents (especially first time parents) to focus on the ‘big day’, the ‘birth day’ and rightly so, this is such a momentous day. However, once your little baby is here you will quickly realise that the birth is just one part, many would say the ‘easy’ part in comparison to the numerous challenges that the coming years will bring.

The Happiest Baby Techniques - The 5 S's

When you are looking for solutions for a crying baby or helping a newborn sleep, look no further than the amazing 5 S's techniques. These techniques are so good, they inspired us to found The Sleep Store back in 2006 after using the 5 S's with our first two babies. Read more about the 5 techniques.

Best Postpartum Products for New Mums

Mum with newborn baby in a boba stretchy wrap sitting with dad on the sofa

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Best Postpartum Products for New Mums