Postpartum Bathroom Basket

You may have seen my postpartum diaper cake before, today I’m sharing a postpartum basket I made that’s a little more practical than the cake. Here’s what I included in my postpartum basket for my best friend. These are tried and true products for vaginal and cesarean births. I’ve included affiliate links so you can order everything you need for your own basket!

FridaMom Ice Pads

These are AMAZING! As a belly birth mama, I needed to ice my incision for swelling and pain relief, and these ice pads are sterile and are the perfect length for covering your incision. For vaginal deliveries, the ice helps with any swelling and perineal discomfort while being absorbent.

Squatty Potty

Any pelvic floor therapist will agree a Squatty Potty is great for anybody, but it’s especially helpful for those first postpartum bathroom trips. They have a travel squatty potty I wish I had invested in, but you can also get a collapsible step stool to take to the hospital!

Always Overnight Extra Long Pads

Take ALLLLLL the hospital pads you can, and if you run out these are incredible. I also use these pads to create homemade padsicles for postpartum recovery because they absorb the healing ingredients, freeze well, and still remain absorbent for postpartum bleeding.

Tuck’s

I personally didn’t use these, and prefer padsicles instead that way you aren’t trying to line your pads and pull them up without the Tuck’s circle shifting, but I know SO many postpartum parents who SWEAR by Tuck’s so I had to add them to the list. The main ingredient witch hazel, can also be bought in a large bottle and sprayed onto an extra absorbent pad for the same relief (or you can make padsicles!).

Depends Diapers

I loved wearing Depends diapers more than the disposable underwear the hospital gave me, and the price point is more cost effective than buying your own disposable underwear. You can wear them without adding a pad, or add a padsicle to them for extra relief. If you have a cesarean, these go waaaay above your incision without adding any discomfort or pressure!

FridaMom Upside Down Peri Bottle

This is the G.O.A.T. of postpartum recovery! This is the one thing on this list I recommend taking to your hospital or birth center (stock up on all the hospital freebies, but their peri bottles just don’t compare to the FridaMom!). With the upside down head, you don’t have to hunch over and can easily aim the warm water towards your perineum while you pee. I could NOT use a regular peri bottle without pain from bending at my cesarean incision, so the Frida was a must and I here from my clients with vaginal deliveries they loved it too!

Dermoplast

The blue lid Dermoplast is on almost every hospital bag checklist for a reason, the numbing effect of the benzocaine is soothing for vaginal tearing, stitches, and any hemorrhoids you may have. Some hospitals will give you a topical analgesic spray, but mine did not so this is something else I would recommend bringing to the hospital as well.

MotherLove Sitz Bath Spray

This is the only organic spray that actually sprays upside down on the market (you just remove the straw in the bottle). The witch hazel in this makes it perfect for healing hemorrhoids and the soothing herbs in this are soothing, not cooling (no menthol, analgesics, or peppermint). You can use this as a spray or soak your pads in it and toss them in the freezer for a quick DIY padsicle. If you don’t have a vaginal delivery, this spray is still incredible for any discomfort having a catheter for your cesarean may have caused.

Extra Long Phone Charger

So this one doesn’t HAVE to be kept in the bathroom basket, but it can be handy to have for those first few postpartum poops, hospital stays, and labor (if you haven’t thought of laboring backwards on the toilet, don’t knock it till you try it!).

Lip Balm

I included an organic hydrating lip balm because the hormone changes postpartum can make you feel thirsty and leave your lips cracked. Keeping lip balm nearby for labor, the diaper bag, and at your breastfeeding station or basket can be helpful, so I threw in quite a few!

Honorable Mentions:

If you are breastfeeding, here are some products I would keep in the bathroom as well so you remember to reapply whenever you’re changing your pads. If you can afford duplicates, I would keep these products at your nursing station as well, or create a nursing basket that you can carry into the bathroom from your nursing station!

Breast Pads

Since you’ll be changing your pads/diapers it’s a good time to remember to switch out your breast pads (especially if you’re using the reusable ones). Make sure you’re changing these out frequently so they don’t create a damp, dark environment for thrush or bacteria to multiply and give you a rash.

Saline Spray

This is great to quickly rinse nipples off while changing your breast pads and a great way to get any nipple cream off before feeding your baby (most nipple creams state they need to be wiped off before nursing or pumping).

Nipple Cream

If you don’t want to worry about whether or not you remembered to remove your nipple cream before nursing or pumping, try MotherLove Nipple cream which is safe for nursing and can be used as a pump lubricant. Mustela is another nipple balm that doesn’t need to be removed.

Did I forget anything you HAD to have in your postpartum basket? Let me know!

xo, Kayla