Be a Total Hero by Treating a New Parent to Some of These Postpartum Essentials

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Having a baby is a monumental life change. There are countless articles about what parents should pack in your hospital bag, what soaps parents should use, what formula, even which burp clothes are best, but because we are all so wrapped up in the baby, we too often forget about the parent who just went through a very traumatic experience and needs to recover.

No longer. As a mom, I've been there — sore, exhausted, and trying to heal while caring for a newborn. After my second child, I found several postpartum essentials that make that period so much easier, there's absolutely no reason why parents should have to get all of these for themselves. Understanding grandparents, sisters, best friends, anyone close to the parents can and should be getting these for the new parents.

And these essential postpartum gifts are not just the birthing parents, either. Non-birthing partners and adoptive parents are also in a time of upheaval that demands some serious attention. While their bodies haven't had the trauma that birthing parents have, it's still a lot on a person. One day, you're just a couple, and the next? "Here's an entirely new, fragile human. I hope you can take care of it!" Just like that. Surely, that changes a person. Comfy sweats and coffee aren't just a want at that point. And items like bidets aren't just good for postpartum parents, they're nice for everyone. The same goes for heating pads — great to sit on or use on aching uterine muscles, but also good on the sore backs of parents carting around babies in infant car seats.

Here are the very best gifts of postpartum essentials you can get for the new parents.

Dermoplast Pain, Burn & Itch Spray

Oh sweet, sweet relief. Dermoplast is the universe's gift to your perineum after giving birth. Whoever invented this deserves the Congressional Medal of Honor, The Nobel Prize, and a package full of gold stars.

Do I give my girlfriends multiple bottles of this tied up in a bow every time they give birth? Of course I do. I am an excellent friend to have around when you have a baby.

Chances are, the hospital will give them a bottle of this when they give birth. That bottle won't last long. Buy a few more and spray away.

Pro tip: Even after the perineum heals, this is wonderful to use a few minutes before a Brazilian wax. It really numbs well.

More: Postpartum Bathing Suits That Are As Comfortable As They Are Flattering.

PureRelief™ XL Heating Pad with 6 InstaHeat Settings

During the postpartum period everything hurts. Your uterus cramps for days, your back is thrown for a loop, your neck muscles strain from the new weight on your chest, and overall, you're uncomfy.

The Pure Enrichment XL heating pad helps all of those, and there are different heat settings designed for different regions of the body. Yes, your cat will lay on it the second you take it off, but that's only because cats are jerks.

Milkmakers® Lactation Cookie Bites

Pregnancy hungry is one thing, but breastfeeding hanger? It's next level. In the middle of the night, when you are starving, and you want a snack, having yummy lactation cookies at the ready is a gift and wonder every time. The lactation cookies are especially filling thanks to the oats and malt, and sure, they can help supply, but...cookies.

Women's Shorts Pajama Set Short Sleeve Sleepwear

Why doesn't anyone tell you about postpartum night sweats? They're a real thing, and many postpartum parents will sweat through their pajamas. Having multiple pairs of lightweight, stretchy, breathable pajamas is a godsend. This set is under $30, goes up to an XXL, and not so precious that if you ruin them you really care that much.

Organic Nipple Cream for Breastfeeding

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Self, what would it be like to put my nipples in a wood chipper?" Because that's how I felt the first few days of breastfeeding before my nipples toughened up like a pair of old, rubber wellies.

Good nipple creams can alleviate that feeling. Mother's Promise is an organic nipple balm that's baby safe, odorless, tasteless, and lanolin-free. It soothes and protects nipples at the same time.

Water Filter Dispenser for Tap and Drinking Water

Dehydration is a real worry for pregnant and postpartum people. This only gets riskier if the parent is breastfeeding. Getting enough water to drink is critical. Having a huge water filter dispenser like this one, right in the fridge, makes it so much easier. No bottles to buy, fewer worries about the Earth you're leaving the little ones. Just water.

Classic 3.0

Bidets — they're not just for global pandemics where we all run out of toilet paper, anymore. They're also for parents with abused perineums and parents who forgot to change the toilet paper because their baby kept them up all night.

Tushy's classic is an affordable bidet with no electricity required. It's easy to install and easier to use.

Washlet K300 Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat, Cotton White

Want to really level up the whole bathroom? Why not get a heated-seat, self-cleaning, multi-function bidet? It's from Toto, the same brand that makes the toilet that Drake gifted to DJ Khaled for his birthday.

This bidet seat does everything but sing you gentle music as you get clean, and honestly? I would not be surprised if there was a program for that. You'll never want another toilet seat ever again.

Medicated Cooling Pads, 100 Count

Between the sprays, and on top of the ice packs, go the Tucks pads. They're covered in witch hazel and feel like they're made of angel kisses. They get replaced with every trip to the bathroom, so they run out quickly, but they're a real gift for a vagina that's recently evacuated an entire human being.

Waterproof Foil Shaver, Series 9 Pro

Male partners and transmasc birthing parents have precisely zero minutes to shave. Having an electric razor can make all the difference, just ask my husband, who has been using some version of this electric razor since our babies were born.

This one has been his favorite by far. The charge lasts the longest, the shave is the closest, the blades are the sharpest, and it gets the most clean. It makes those first days back to work much more bearable.

C-Section Recovery Band

C-sections are an entirely different monster from vaginal births, and they treat the body very differently. Having targeted hot and cold support for swelling and pain can make the difference between a really hard day, and a regular hard day. This comes with a washable band and two hot/cold packs.

Vertuo POP+ Deluxe Coffee and Espresso Machine

I am a coffee lover, and normally, French Press coffee, or a pot from my Moccamaster is what I crave. Neither are always the most convenient or quickest, though. That's why for postpartum parents, I think the Nespresso Pop with milk frother is a wonder. It's really good pod coffee, with an automatic frother that makes decadent foam from any dairy or nondairy milk in a jiffy.

Frida Mom Disposable Postpartum Underwear

Ask any mom what they wish the hospital gave them more of when leaving the hospital, and they will tell you – the mesh underwear. Those things are so stretchy and so comfortable, it's amazing they don't sell them in the gift shop.

Frida Mom figured this out, and went and made them better. They stretch more than Sally Impossible's arms, they hold a pad perfectly, and you can toss them at the end of the day. A gift, really.

Perineal Ice & Heat Packs for Postpartum Soothing Relief (Pack of 2)

Do you know why this is a good gift? When your perineum feels like it just got hit with a semi truck going 80 miles per hour, a cool gel pack or a warm heating pad on your nether regions is just the thing to soothe your battered undercarriage. The covers are machine-washable, and the gel packs themselves are easy to wash and sanitize. All parents need to do is to pop one in their panties and exhale loudly.

Leonisa Postpartum Belly Band Panty

Partners! This may not be the panties you gifted for Valentine's Day, but they may be even more appreciated.

I have had multiple lower abdominal surgeries, and a little compression can provide great relief. This postpartum belly band panty allows parents to adjust how tight they want the fit to be. The full-coverage back means that they won't get your panties riding into uncomfortable spaces. They have ample stretch to accommodate their changing body, as well.

Lansinoh TheraPearl Breast Therapy Pack

Whether the parent chooses to breastfeed or not, there will be some initial breast discomfort. It's just what happens thanks to that hormonal dump. These heat/cool therapy packs can make it feel a whole lot better. They don't actually touch their nipples, which can be oversensitive and throb. The Lansinoh packs fit right into their bra, either over or under their breast pads.

Sitz Bath Salt

Take the baby for a few hours and leave them with this (and possibly a bottle of wine).

Recovery Ritual Sitz Bath Salt is absolutely a postpartum essential. The soothing oils relax the body and mind while soothing the perineum. (Bet you never thought you'd read perineum so many times in one article, did you?) Comfrey root, lavender oil, and nettle leaf have been used for centuries for postpartum care, for good reason. It's truly heavenly.

Frida Mom Upside Down Peri Bottle for Postpartum Care

If you've given birth, you know that toilet paper is no longer an option for awhile. This is a much more comfortable way to get clean, especially on the go.

Pro tip: If you're going out and about, bring a warm bottle of water in the thermal part of your diaper bag to fill it up on the go. Cold works, but it is jarring. (But honestly, it might be nice.)

Period Panties: Hipster for Women

Eventually, the postpartum flow will slow down, but since tampons are out, and remembering to change a pad is tricky with a newborn, these period panties are a lifesaver. They're absorbent, comfy, and best of all, machine washable.

When the parent's cycle eventually starts again, these are wonderful to have for medium-to-light flow days. They truly don't leak. Plus, they're a more gender-neutral style than many period underwear happen to be, making them more comfortable for trans and nonbinary birthing parents.

Hanes Terry Sweatpants

Cheap sweatpants in a dark color are a birthing parent's BFF. Buy them in a size larger than you think they need (and for goodness sakes, tell them you bought them big on purpose), and thank me later. If they bleed through them, or if their baby messes them up, they can toss them in the washer and not worry about them.

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