In this post I will share some of the information about postpartum that I wish I had known before I had my babies. I explore the fundamentals of what mothers truly need after giving birth and what basic essentials you can gather to prepare for your postpartum. I also share details of resources that will prove invaluable to any new mother.
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What is the 555 rule for postpartum?
The 555 rule for postpartum encourages mothers to spend the first 5 days after giving birth in their beds. Days 6-10 should be either in bed or on their beds and days 11-15 mothers can start to move around their beds.
The emphasis is for women to retreat to their beds and bedrooms for at least two weeks following the birth of their baby. This time allows for mothers to fully rest and recover from the birth and have time to focus on their new baby and establish breastfeeding. During this time mothers should be brought all of their food and drinks and be taken care of by a small group of trusted friends and family.
Like so many of us, I did not follow the 555 rule and I have suffered the consequences as a result. In our culture we are often encouraged to just keep going and get on with life, almost immediately after giving birth. There are appointments to attend outside of the home, meals to make, other children to take care of. Postpartum is not honoured in any of the ways that it should be.
Postpartum Essential Resources
Following the birth of my second child I participated in the online course Postpartum in Bliss with Nancy Lucina and Emilee Saldaya. The things they spoke about in this course blew my mind and also made so much sense. I was left feeling slightly bereft after taking this course, when I realised how different things could have been. How had I totally bypassed this short chapter of my life that could have left me feeling restored, instead of depleted! I highly recommend taking this course if you are pregnant or newly postpartum.
I also listened to The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou on Audible. This book talks about how there are so many cultures around the world that recognise the importance of a ‘lying in’ period for women following birth. The traditions might vary ever so slightly, but they all recognise the fundamental needs for rest, recovery, support and nutritious meals for the mother. This book also contains recipes for postpartum meals, drinks and snacks. Again, I highly recommend listening to or reading this book if you are currently pregnant.
What do new mums need after giving birth?
The most important things that mothers need following the birth of their baby are surprisingly simple and yet often quite difficult to achieve.
Rest
During pregnancy and birth your body exerts an enormous amount of energy that will draw on all of your strength and reserves. According to The First Forty Days, if the opportunity to rest and recover following birth is missed or overlooked, it can negatively impact mothers for the next forty years of their life.
New mothers need to stay in bed. Not get up and make meals, or host company, or look after older children. Just stay in bed. In order to do this you really need to make plans whilst you are still pregnant. Communicate expectations to those around you, so they know you will be out of action for at least two weeks, but ideally 40 days.
However long you are able retreat to your bedroom for, try to keep distractions such as being on your phone or watching TV to a minimum. This way you will be more inclined to try and sleep when your baby sleeps.
Eat Well
In order for your body to have enough energy to recover from your pregnancy and birth and to produce milk for your baby you need to eat well. Warming meals such as soups, stews and bone broth are ideal. You want food that is easy to digest and packed full of the most nutritious meat and vegetables available.
Spend some time batch cooking meals whilst you are pregnant and ask a trusted friend or family member to organise a meal train for you.
You also need to stay hydrated. Breastfeeding is extremely thirsty work, so having some water on hand at all times is essential. I like this Yeti drinks container, as it has a straw.
I personally filter my tap water and add mineral drops to my drinks. I like to use Trace Mineral Drops.
Keep Warm
Keeping warm is essential when you are newly postpartum in order for your body to heal. Wear warm, cosy socks and bed clothes. You will want a dressing gown or something to cover your shoulders when feeding. If you want to wear a top then make sure it’s either a V-neck or button down, to make it easier when breastfeeding.
Drink warm teas such as nettle, raspberry leaf, ginger or tulsi. Make sure ingredients are organic whenever possible.
An electric heat pad is also great for when you experience stomach cramps or back pain. This is definitely a postpartum essential. It’s like a hot water bottle, but so much more convenient. This is probably the most useful thing I have ever purchased from Amazon!
Support
Ask your partner to provide you with some form of loving touch, such as massaging your feet and legs with coconut oil. Text a close friend to come over so you have someone to talk to and share your birth story with. Ask a family member to come over and hold the baby whilst you take shower. Most people are often not very good at knowing what a newly postpartum mother needs, so be specific about how they can help support you during this important transition.
What do I need to buy for postpartum?
You and your baby actually need very little in the early days. Below you will find some postpartum essentials for both mother and baby.
Postpartum essentials for the baby
Your baby will need some clothes (ideally organic cotton), some nappies (I use Pura) and some wipes or cotton wool to clean their bottom with. Muslin cloths are also handy if they are prone to spitting up following a feed. Other than that new babies don’t really need much else.
Your baby will be on you almost constantly. You as their mother are pretty much all they need.
Once you have completed your lying in period you may want to try wearing them in a baby wrap, or sling. It’s a game changer to have your hands free when moving around the house. Just make sure you wrap it tight enough to your body, so baby feels secure inside.
The benefits of wearing your baby on your body for the first year are huge. I would recommend reading The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff to fully grasp the importance of babies being held close to their mothers for the first year of life.
If you want to buy more than just the essentials for baby please check out my previous post for additional practical items that are nice to have on hand. Baby Shower Gifts
Postpartum essentials for the new mother
As I have mentioned above, it’s really important that you stay warm and comfortable when you are newly postpartum. You will want a few items of bed clothes that are breastfeeding friendly and some warm cosy socks.
You will bleed for up to 6 weeks after giving birth. Your uterus will shed its lining and contract from the size of a watermelon back down to the size of a pear. You will therefore need some reusable or disposable postpartum/period pads and underwear.
If you prefer disposable pads, I would recommend making sure that they are good quality and made with organic cotton. You also want to make sure the pads are not scented and are free from any nasty chemicals. These night time pads from Eco by Naty or Natracare are both good options.
Alternatively you can free bleed on to a bed pad that can be washed and reused. You will probably want at least 5 of these pads, so that you always have a clean one available when the others are in the wash. These are also good to lie your baby on, so that they can have some no nappy time. Plus they can later be used when potty training.
Wuka is my favourite brand of reusable period underwear and they also have a collection specifically for maternity and postpartum. Wuka recommend you use their underwear from 2 weeks postpartum onwards. They also sell reusable breastpads, which are good to have on hand.
Using a peri bottle filled with warm water when you go to the loo is also something I learnt about during the Postpartum in Bliss course. It’s an item I would invest in if I have another baby.
Breastfeeding Essentials
When it comes to breastfeeding, the two items that I am so glad I found before I had my second baby were the Haakaa breast pump and silver nipple shields.
The Haakaa breast pump can be attached your other breast, whilst baby is feeding on the other side. It catches any milk that starts to leak, so you don’t waste any that would otherwise just leak into a breast pad or muslin cloth. Make sure you get one with a lid, just in case it gets knocked over.
These silver nipple shields were a game changer for me during my second postpartum. I wore them in between feeds and they completely prevented my nipples from becoming cracked or sore. I have lent these to all of my friends who have since had babies.
I really hope you’ve found this article on postpartum essentials helpful. If you are about to have a baby then I’m wishing you all the best!
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Katie Green says
Great thoughts! I never seem to take enough time postpartum! Currently pregnant with #5- maybe this will be the time! Thank you for the thought provoking post!
Rachel says
Thank you so much, Katie! I have never managed to take enough time postpartum either. Hope you are able to take some more time with baby number 5! You deserve time to fully rest and recover. Wishing you and your baby all the best.