What I Actually Used In The Hospital & Newly Postpartum
Hospital Favorites
What I Really Used
I am back at it with the sequel blog post on what I brought and actually used during our hospital stay. In case you saw my previous post on What I’m Bringing To The Hospital, you may remember that I prepared for every possible scenario! In hindsight, I didn’t use it all but I don’t regret how much we packed. I still need to write my birth story at some point, but I previously shared that my water dramatically broke on Father’s Day, right in the middle of preparing dinner. We made it to the hospital without eating, so I was especially glad for the snack bag because BK was into those as soon as we entered the labor and delivery room.
Some of my favorite items I brought were the pillows, towels, and a diffuser, which I threw in my bag last minute. The pillows for Brian and me felt like a little piece of home, making me more comfortable than I would have been with the hospital pillows. After seeing how small the hospital towels were for my first post-birth shower, the bath sheet towels came in clutch. Our defuser brought a sense of calmness and peace to the room, and I had lavender going the entire time we were there. All the nurses loved coming in, commenting on how great it smelled! I also had Brian assemble this name sign during some of our downtime, which was how we told our family the name at the hospital.
Postpartum Recovery
Favorites
The postpartum experience was something that I definitely was not prepared for. I spent a lot of time reading and taking courses on delivery but felt utterly blindsided by the recovery process. When I did hear stories about postpartum, they were all horrific so I guess that’s why I didn’t lean into knowing more. If you’re currently pregnant, know that everyone’s experiences are different and while the recovery process isn’t fun, you will get through it. I had a lot of luck with the Frida Mom postpartum options. The postpartum recovery kit includes much of what I needed to use at home post-hospital stay, and I ordered more ice pads, regular pads, and disposable underwear. I wore these disposable ones with pads layered into them the most. I liked those because they come in different sizes, whereas the larger size of the Frida ones felt a bit small. Whatever you do, the peri bottle is a must! I also shared more of my postpartum favorite items here!
Nursing bras and tanks have taken a bit to find the right ones. The Kindred Bravely bras have been so comfortable and supportive, and I wrote more about my nursing bra, tank, and general nursing item favorites in this post. A special THANK YOU goes out to the reader who suggested this underwear to me. They were so comfortable at the end of my pregnancy and postpartum. I have more of my pregnancy undergarment favorites here.
Newborn
Favorites
I previously shared what I registered for in this blog post and shared our nursery reveal for things we got for his room. It’s hard to know what you will need for those first few weeks, but the nice thing is that we live in the age of quick delivery and carside pickups. The most unexpected newborn favorite is his first hairbrush, which I ordered when we realized how much hair he was born with. I ended up ordering a bunch of clothes because everyone told me I would have a monster-sized child, and none of the clothes I had for him fit! I preferred dressing him in one-piece outfits with sleeves and pants like these, making the changing/getting ready process easier.
We also used this caddy filled with wipes, diapers, a change of clothes, and muslin cloths, which we still use for downstairs convenience. These muslin cloths are the real MVP’s, and we use them nonstop for spit-up, spills, etc. I ended up purchasing more to make laundry less frequent. One of my girlfriends bought me these Squid Socks and they’re incredible. They stay put with their little grippies on the inside of the calf that help them stay on. You can find more of my newborn favorites here!
Thanks for reading!
I hope this post was helpful! Do you have any favorites from the hospital, postpartum, or newborn stage? Feel free to share them below! You can see more of my journey under the “motherhood” tab of the blog, including my first, second, and third-trimester recaps and what was on my baby registry.
xx CMK