You won’t find these items on a traditional list of suggested items for a new mommy, although they can certainly help during the early postpartum transition with a new baby.

1. High quality, easy to fill and clean water bottle – Nursing mamas get extra thirsty and need to drink lots of water to stay well hydrated as well as to maintain an adequate milk supply. Having a nice water bottle that is easy to fill, drink from, and clean helps ensure mama gets plenty of water throughout the day. A water bottle with a straw is extra helpful for quick sips since mam’s arms are usually full with new baby.

2. Blackout Curtains – Sleep is a rather elusive concept during the early postpartum period, so having the ability to create a dark, quiet space whenever needed to get some overdue sleep is especially helpful for all family members…mama, papa, baby, and/or siblings included. Add in a sound machine and you’ll be able to create a peaceful sleep environment any time of day!

3. A well stocked pantry and freezer – Breastfeeding mamas need to consume between 300-500 extra calories a day. (did you know making milk was such workout? 😉 ) And that doesn’t mean just adding a daily milkshake to your diet because the quality of the calories is equally (if not MORE important) than the quantity. So as a breastfeeding mama be sure to have lots of healthy snacks readily available for yourself. Stocking your pantry and freezer near the end of your pregnancy can help you to avoid frequent trips to the grocery store with a newborn.

4. A Stash of Light Hearted Reading Material – Newborns nurse a TON…as frequent as every two hours. In addition to high frequency, the nursing sessions also tend to last a long time as baby is still gaining efficiency at the breast. As a mom of a newborn this means you will spend a great deal of time sitting with a nursing baby. Having a good book or a magazine to keep you company is helpful during this period of long and frequent feedings. Although keeping the reading material light hearted is usually best because new mommies operating on virtually no sleep often lack the mental attention for complex, in depth literature. Also hormones are pretty imbalanced during the early postpartum period and emotions can be a bit intensified, so you might want to avoid sad, dramatic literature for a while.

5. Comfortable Clothes – I didn’t catch on to the importance of comfortable postpartum clothes until my third baby was born. During the final weeks of my third son’s pregnancy I bought myself some nice pajamas to wear after baby was born, knowing that I would be spending a lot of time at home with him during the first several weeks of his life. During the early postpartum months feeling as comfortable as possible is essential. A wardrobe full of baggy maternity clothes or tight pre-pregnancy clothes usually leaves mama with limited clothing options that are comfortable. Therefore investing in some nice, comfortable, easy to nurse in postpartum clothes is a nice way to care for yourself (and subsequently for baby). You don’t have to spend a ton of money either; you can shop second hand store or clearance racks.

What non-traditional items are included on your new mommy must have list? Anything special that helped you survive those early postpartum weeks with new baby?

-Sarah

PS. Don’t forget about this week’s Fan Photo Friday! Let’s celebrate mama’s milk with some nursing photos! Send your Favorite Nursing Photo to photo to sarah@momsmilkboutique.com by Thursday, June 21. Be sure to include any information you
want shared such as age of nursling, significance of photo, etc. Then check back on Friday, June 22 to enjoy a celebration of mama’s milk through a collection of nursing photos! Winner gets 25 Milk Miles deposited into their account! 🙂