Pregnancy, Hospital Bag & Postpartum Must Haves
My little one has finally arrived! After 37 long and beautiful (and at times exhausting and emotional) weeks our sweet Gavin Lux has met us earth side. While I do plan on sharing my birth story soon, I wanted to first give you some of my must haves during pregnancy, for my hospital bag and during the postpartum healing journey. These are the products I used/use every day!
Pregnancy
Vitamin C Serum and Sunscreen- I struggled with melasma during my pregnancy, so using a Vitamin C serum to brighten my skin and a sunscreen to help prevent more melasma was essential.
Prenatal Vitamins- I also used these postpartum too!
Pregnancy Pillow- This pillow here is affordable and comfortable. Using a pregnancy pillow can help relieve lower back pain especially towards the end of pregnancy!
These biker shorts and leggings! They are so comfy! I wish I could have bought more because I wore these frequently especially as my belly grew more at the end of my pregnancy. I also am still wearing them during my postpartum recovery days and during walks!
Gua Sha Tool- I used this tool for my face and this tool for my body! I started body gua during my pregnancy to help with swelling in my feet and legs and to prevent varicose veins. I also loved using this facial oil and this body oil before my gua sha ritual. Legs up the wall was also helpful for foot and leg swelling during pregnancy, especially after summer walks and workouts.
Hospital Bag
If this is your first time packing your hospital bag, listen to those who tell you- do not over pack! I decided to pack light and only pack the essentials and I am so glad I did. Disclaimer- I was only in the hospital for 24 hours after giving birth, so if you plan on being in the hospital longer, you may need more items!
Snacks! Also, plan on having your support person bring you meals too. Since I am mainly plant based and more health conscious, having my husband bring me meals was key especially because the hospital options weren’t great.
Blanket- this blanket is so affordable, cozy and warm. I used mine while waiting to start pushing because the room was chilly and I used it after birth for sleep.
Pillow- Hospital pillows are not the coziest, so definitely bring one from home!
Portable Sound Machine- This was our most used item! I actually used the ocean waves setting to help calm me through contractions and to listen to while pushing. We also loved that it has a night light setting for night feedings! This item will also come in handy during travel too!
Cozy Pajamas- This is a great time to splurge on yourself and buy yourself some new cozy pajamas (preferably some that are nursing friendly if that’s apart of your plan).
Robe- This is great to have at night at the hospital and for postpartum when the night sweats kick in and you need something to bundle in for night feeds!
$7 Target Slip On Sock Slippers! The best $7 I ever spent! You can wear these in bed and to walk around at night. They also have a good grip on the bottom so you don’t have to worry about slipping.
Facial wipes- I was exhausted after birth and the last thing I wanted to do was shower or wash my face, so having facial wipes on hand was a must!
A good moisturizer- If there is one time that you get to skip your 7 step skin care routine, this is it. I stuck to using this moisturizer and skipped my other products! After birth, you might be too tired to think about standing in front of the mirror and applying skin care.
Ice Roller- This is something that I didn’t pack (but wish I did) because I did not have access to a fridge. If you do have access to a fridge, I would recommend bringing this with you to help with any puffiness.
This duffle bag- This bag is an amazing weekender bag that is the perfect size to fit all your essentials and it has lots of compartments to keep everything organized- an essential when you and your parter are exhausted and the last thing you want to do is search for items.
Postpartum
I highly recommend having all of your postpartum essentials stocked at home a few weeks before your due date! The last thing you will want to do post birth is run to target to shop for pads!
Period Pads- I used these for the first 2 weeks and they worked great!
Period Panties- These have been an essential for me. After the heavy bleeding stopped, I was sick of wearing the heavy pads every day so I invested in some period underwear. I use these during the day and these at night.
Postpartum Kit- This kit has everything you need postpartum. It helped to get me through those first few days where the pain and bleeding is the worst.
Peri Bottle- This is great to help keep things cleaned down there. I also loved adding witch hazel and water to mine when things started feeling a little itchy a few weeks after birth.
Easy to make meals OR pre-made meals- This is one of my favorite make ahead meals that you can store in the freezer and heat up when you are ready to eat. I also recommend ordering healthy pre-made meals like this one from Sakara! The first week was the most exhausting for me, so having remade breakfast, lunch and dinner was beyond helpful.
to shop Sakara, use XOKIMMYL at checkout for 20% off!
Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.