Being a first-time mom, I was a little anxious heading into the fourth trimester. I had just heard so many women complain about how hard it is, how terrible they feel, how little sleep they get…

But it really has been a sweet few weeks for us!

As I’m writing this, I’m 6 weeks postpartum with our precious angel so I’m still freshly in the throes of the postpartum sweetness and chaos. 

A pregnant friend was asking me what items I've liked and what she needs to put on her registry for the postpartum days, so I decided it was worth putting together a list of my favorite must-haves to share with you!

I've compiled a round-up of all my favorite things that have saved me in this postpartum season; I hope you love them as much as I have!

(You'll see I've broken it up into sections – mama self-care, breastfeeding essentials, postpartum wardrobe favorites, nutrition and supplemental support, and nursery must-haves.)

Mama Self-Care

In the midst of these demanding days, it's so important to care for your body while you give yourself space to heal! These have been my self-care favorites:

Disposable diapers and underwear

I know this isn’t the glamorous fun stuff, but trust me when I say investing in a small stash of disposable diapers and underwear will save you in those first couple of weeks.

I’m so thankful my bleeding stopped by the 2-week mark, but while I was actively bleeding, I didn’t want to be bothered with sticking a thick pad inside my underwear.

I used these organic disposable diapers early on when my bleeding was still heavy, but as it lessened I switched to these disposable boyshort underwear which were so comfy and somehow felt so luxurious after the diapers. 

Primally Pure skincare

When you’re wearing diapers and covered in milk or spit-up, you aren’t exactly spending time putting yourself together. Most days, I’m just happy to get a long shower or magnesium bath in!

So my 3-minute organic skincare routine is a little moment of indulgent self-care each day that helps me feel so much more cared for while I’m giving all of myself to my babe.

Primally Pure has been my absolute obsession for skincare for 2+ years now and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s not just greenwashed alternatives to drugstore products; it’s truly clean skincare with amazing ingredients that actually do your body good.

I use the clarifying bundle, but I always recommend starting with their skin quiz to find out which system is best suited for your skin needs.

And their baby balm is also the only thing I’ve trusted on Teagann’s skin. A little bit on her face and forehead when her skin was transitioning saved her from too much baby acne or skin peeling.

You can use code MOLLIE10 for 10% off everything on their site! 

Nontoxic Deodorant

Primally Pure’s nontoxic deodorant is also a major postpartum necessity.

I ran out right before I gave birth so I had to use the Native brand I used to buy from Target and oh my goodness I couldn’t believe how much I smelled! (That crazy postpartum hormone fluctuation can bring some stank!)

As soon as I got my Primally Pure order in and slapped the blue tansy deodorant on, no more BO – even when the hormonal night sweats came on!)

Again, you can use code MOLLIE10 for 10% off everything on their site! 

Acupressure mat

Holy freaking smokes the upper back pain! With the hours and hours a day of nursing and holding and rocking and bouncing, this little 7-pound babe starts to feel really heavy really fast.

Even when I try to focus on my posture and relax my shoulders when I breastfeed, the back pain after a couple of weeks came on strong.

My handy dandy acupressure mat has been a lifesaver. It really helps to bring good blood flow to the area and I always pull off it feeling great relief. 

Magnesium baths

I know some people say no baths in early postpartum but I didn’t heed that advice; I soaked in a bath as soon as I could!

My warm magnesium baths were a near-nightly necessity for me at the end of my pregnancy and they were my main form of self-care in the early postpartum weeks!

Magnesium is restorative for the adrenals and healing for a body that has just gone through a lot. And nothing felt as good as soaking in that warm tub and taking a deep breath while I knew my hubs was getting to love on our girl.

I get these magnesium flakes from Perfect Supplements and I always buy 6 jugs at a time because I’m so afraid to run out of them! You can use code MOLLIE for 10% off! 

Breastfeeding Essentials

If you choose to breastfeed, these are the few items that have saved me in these first few weeks:

Haakaa silicone pumps and collectors

I’ve so far been exclusively breastfeeding her so I haven’t wanted to fully pump with an electric pump, but I’ve loved the haakaa to help me store up a stash while the supply is strong and unregulated in these first 2 months!

I love the haakaa products because they’re silicone so they’re plastic-free, easy to clean, and have no annoying parts to pull apart and sanitize each time you use them.

I tried the original pump but found it to be a little too intense and a bit hard to keep on the breast.

I do like the ladybug which is more of a collector with no suction. 

But the shell is my favorite because it’s the perfect mix; a little suction to get more milk out but with the convenience of fitting inside your nursing bra.

For now, while my supply is so strong, I’ve been placing the shell on the other breast I’m not feeding her on while I nurse her and it’s helped me get 16-20 oz a day to freeze for later without having to pump!

(I’m also so glad my midwife encouraged me to handexpress colostrum starting at 37 weeks – I used these Haakaa colostrum collectors every night for the final 2 weeks before she came and had a decent little stash of colostrum to give her in the hospital after my hemorrhage praise the Lord!) 

Silverettes

It’s wild how much a tiny little mouth with no teeth can tear up your poor nipples! I love Silverettes as a nontoxic option for nipple healing support.

I like these ones because they’re pure 925 sterling silver. They provide instant cooling relief and they help protect against rubbing and chafing in your clothes. 

Nipple butter

As much as I’ve loved the silverettes, they look like mega-crazy nipples through a shirt so you don’t exactly want to be wearing them in public or when guests are over.

I’ve liked this organic nipple butter as another option to soothe the beat-up nips. (You definitely want something lanolin-free with clean ingredients because your baby is going to be sucking it in every time you feed!) 

Organic nursing pads

I can’t believe how much milk I’m constantly leaking! I know a lot of women buy disposable pads, but most of those are laced with chemicals you don’t want near the boobs you feed your baby off of! Plus, they’re just a waste.

I love this 10-pack of Kindred Braverly organic nursing pads. They’re soft on torn-up nipples but they really do keep anything from leaking through. And they’re so easy to just add to your white load of laundry. Go ahead and get 2 packs, trust me, you’ll want them! 

Breastfeeding Pillow

I registered for the My Breast Friend one but didn't love it. It was just too cumbersome and bulky and hot.

So instead I bought this organic one and have absolutely loved it. It's easy to wrap around me, doesn't get me overheated, and gives just enough support without being hard to navigate.

Plus it doubles as a great tummy time tool for Teags! A favorite item for sure!

Breast therapy packs

When the milk comes in, the engorgement is real. Goodness, it got quite uncomfortable. I loved these hot/cold packs to freeze for some relief after I fed her.

(I never heated them up, I found my magnesium baths were enough for the heat treatment but these felt so good frozen!) 

Postpartum Wardrobe Favorites

Coziness required! These items have basically been my postpartum wardrobe:

Nursing bras

A new essential in my wardrobe! I thought I’d like the crossover style, but I haveactually preferred the ones with a clip.

This one is my favorite – it looks and feels good like a comfortable sports bra.

But this pack is a must: a 5-pack for the same price! Comfortable enough to sleep in and numerous enough to keep the laundry at bay when you need to replace it a few times a day from any leaks or spit up. (I mean seriously, some days I end up cycling through 3 or 4! You need a lot on hand.) 

Bodily underwear

I treated myself to a Bodily order during a hazy 2:30 AM feed one night after I saw Karrie Locher raving about their products. I ordered 2 nursing bras which I admittedly haven’t loved (the clip comes undone way too easily, ugh) but the underwear on the other hand… oh my goodness.

I got the 3-pack of the All-In Panty and holy smokes they are the best underwear I’ve ever owned. So stretchy and silky and comfy and just the perfect high-waisted fit.

As silly as it sounds, I feel good in these underwear even with my freshly postpartum belly and it just makes everything feel a little bit better. Half the time I’m home you’ll find me in a pair of these, one of the nursing bras above, and a big 2XL t-shirt – my postpartum dream uniform!

Now that I know how much I love them I will definitely be going back for the 5-pack! 

Comfortable and cute loungewear

Let’s be real; in the postpartum season, you just want to be comfortable. But you also want to feel a little pulled together. Matching sets or cute rompers are the answer here!

You feel like you’re in your PJs but a bit elevated and just cute enough to have visitors over.

I love this cute set for comfort and breastfeeding ease.

I also love this jumpsuit with this white square neck crop underneath  – again, great boob access but also a little cuter for those first out-of-the-house errands

The best yoga pants

I never bought maternity pants; I just sized up one size in my favorite yoga tights from Amazon to accommodate the bump. But they’ve also been the perfect comfortable leggings to wear postpartum.

They’ve got plenty of stretch and not too much compression but still just enough structure.

And for the pulled-together, matching-set vibes, I love this cropped half-zip hoodie with the matching tights.

Babywearing Carriers

I can’t even put into words how much I love babywearing. It’s the ultimate mom hack!

You get to give your baby all the skin-to-skin and important bonding time while also getting to be hands-free!

I’ve worn Teagann so many hours these first few weeks and I can’t imagine that will change as she gets bigger.

Here’s our quick and honest review of the carriers we’ve tried:

For the freshly newborn days, we’ve loved the Solly Wrap.

It’s so soft and easy and perfect for the tiny, scrunchy newborn.

There’s definitely a little learning curve to putting it on, but once you learn how to it’s easy and comfy.

The biggest downfall is just that it takes a few minutes to get it on which is not always ideal when you have a screaming baby or you’re trying to get in and out of a car running errands.

As she’s gotten bigger, we’ve also started using the Artipoppe Zeitgeist structured carrier.

This was one of my registry items I was most excited for and I have to say I have some mixed feelings about it.

It’s so easy to strap on and clip in. And the added structure definitely takes some weight off the upper back so it's easier to wear for extended periods or on long walks.

Buuut my biggest complaint is the structured, large belly band at the bottom makes it pretty hard to sit in. 

For that reason, I just ordered a Mabe Carrier, an Artipoppe dupe with a softer belly band that I've heard is easier to sit in. I'll let you know what I think after I get a chance to test that one too!

Cute and comfy sandals

Since Teags was born, I haven’t put anything on my feet besides these platform sandals! They’re seriously the perfect slide.

They’re cute enough to wear with a dress but also look great with activewear. They’ve got enough cushion and support to be comfy. And they don’t require you to bend down and lace up laces when you’ve got a newborn strapped to you. 

Nutrition and Supplemental Support

Of course, since I'm a nutritionist, I've got to cover the nutritional support I've loved during my postpartum healing! I could write up a whole separate post on postpartum nutrition tips, but here are a few of my easy essentials:

Morning Elixir

Yes, I drank this magic drink every morning through my whole pregnancy, but I didn’t stop after I birthed her!

Just like it supported hydration, blood sugar balance, and mineral support while I grew her, it’s doing the same now while I continue to nourish her! 

You can get the recipe and details in this post. 

Water bottles and cups

I’ve been a #basic girl loving my 40 oz. Stanley cup for years now, but a few weeks into postpartum I just realized it wasn’t cutting it. I loved the handle and the straw and the size, but with how often I need to one-hand hydrate while breastfeeding, the Stanley was just too easy to spill.

I got myself a 40 oz. Hydrojug Traveler and I love it.  It’s everything I loved about the big Stanley cup but you can put the straw down with no concern of leakage so you can just set it on the couch or lay it on the bed.

Hydration is everything postpartum, so I like to keep 2 bottles with me at all times! I keep my Hydrojug always loaded with the elixir, and I always have my 30 oz. IceFlow bottle full of ice-cold water too. 

Frozen soups

We have been so blessed to have my mom come visit and my mother-in-law down the road cooking us meals and amazing friends who’ve brought us dinners. But even with all the help, I’ve still had to fend for myself for many a meal and my go-to has been all the frozen soups I stocked ahead of time! They’re easy, nourishing, healing, and a great source of protein.

Watch this video for a few of my favorite recipes and mason jar hack.

3 of my protein-packed, nutrient-dense favorites: Avgolemono Greek Lemon Chicken Soup | Butternut, Lentil + Turkey Soup | Creamy Kickin’ Tomato Soup 

Nursery Must-Haves

I can also do a separate full post on our nursery and my quest for low-toxin options of all the necessities, but for the sake of this post, I'll highlight the few items that have been the absolute essentials:

Himalayan salt lamp

My absolute ride-or-die, can’t-live-without love for my bedside salt lamp has been a 10+ year love affair at this point, but having a baby has only made it even stronger.

Salt lamps are amazing because they emit a nice, natural red light that’s much more soothing to our eyes and our brains so it doesn’t wreck your melatonin levels and wake you up the way most artificial lights do.

I use the plug-in nightlights in our bathroom and I have 2 of the stand-up salt lamps – one on my bedside nightstand and the other on the dresser that we use as her changing station in her nursery.

I’ve ordered from a few different brands over the years and trust me this is the winner – it’s the perfect size and the dimmer switch allows you a really nice range, all the way down to basically off, which is so nice for customizing the light during the night – more light when I’m trying to change a diaper or see what I’m doing when feeding her, but the option for really low light to keep the sleepy vibes going when less light is needed. 

Rocking chair

Ok, I have to be honest: my entire pregnancy, I had my eye on the beautiful Olio Studios chair and tried to convince myself it was worth the money, but ultimately just could not spend that much on one piece of furniture.

Because of that, we almost didn’t buy a rocking glider chair for her nursery, and wow would that have been a mistake!

After trialing a few options and heavily debating whether or not we needed an electric option, we ended up going with the Arlo Recliner from Carter’s by DaVinci (in the ivory boucle fabric, a total dupe!).

And we couldn’t be happier with it!

It’s beautiful, functional, and comfortable. And thank goodness because I’ve already spent many late-night hours sleeping in it when she’s been fussy and will only sleep in my arms.

And a big requirement for me was the greengaurd certification to know it’s not loaded with toxic fumes! 

Birth ball

I bought this exercise birth ball early in my pregnancy to prep my pelvis for labor, but man has it come in handy postpartum, too!

When Teagann is really fussy and nothing seems to be settling her, bouncing her on the ball always does the trick. 

Mobile postpartum cart

I didn’t know how much I’d need this!

After my blood loss, I was quite weak for the first 10ish days so this was insanely helpful to just keep my necessities with me wherever I went – mostly in the bed but also to wheel it easily out to the living room when I wanted to switch up my location to the couch. 

I stumbled upon mine randomly at Homegoods but you can get this one or this one from Amazon. 

I used my favorite clear drawer organizers to create little cubbies inside of each layer to keep things organized. 

The things I've loved stocking in my cart: 

• A spot for my Hydrojug and water bottle
• Nipple butter and silverettes 
• Lots of nursing pads
• Snacks — I loved having Chomps for protein, these grain-free peanut butter pretzels, Simple Mills crackers, and dried mango from Trader Joe’s for easy grabbing while nursing.
• I thought I’d want diapers, wipes, and a portable changing pad for easy diaper changes but since her nursery is so close to our bedroom, we always just found it easier to use the full station we have set up in the nursery.
• Burp cloths! Lots of burp cloths. These ones are our favorites we got 2 packs so we always have lots sprinkled throughout the house. 
• Lotions — I liked having this magnesium lotion to put on at night time but this is my favorite go-to nontoxic body lotion which was great for keeping the belly lotioned as my skin was 
• Chapstick! 
• Cough drops. Oh mannnn those first postpartum coughs, you feel like your entire insides are going to pop out. 
• And of course the haakaas 

I hope this round-up of my postpartum favorites gives you some inspiration and support for your own postpartum season!

Remember mama, you've got this. Give your body the rest it deserves and soak in the sweetness!

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