Note that I delivered vaginally and have no advice for C-Section experiences.
These are the items I appreciated having at home in the first 10 days after delivery!
Frida Peri Bottle – Hospital provided an average peri bottle that you take home with you, but this one is much nicer.
Ice Pack Pads– These were nice for the first few days.
Mesh Underwear- You can take them from the hospital and they’re washable! No need to purchase these. I only used them for the first week at home.
Breathable Panties– I used these basic Fruit of the Loom panties for the subsequent weeks after the mesh panties. The elastic is soft, so they’re comfortable for your shrinking belly! They’re also cheap so you could get rid of them after postpartum healing. (Pads with wings also fit these well, and not in the boy-short-style mesh panties.)
Pads for first few weeks– You can also take these from the hospital! I used the hospital jumbo pads for the first week, with the mesh panties. Then I just used Always Flexfoam Pads for the subsequent weeks. These Always Flexfoam Pads are made in a ton of different sizes- I started with size 5 and then decreased over the next three weeks to a size 2.
Always Pure Cotton FlexFoam Pads– These 100% Cotton version of the Always Flexfoam pads have been the best! The cotton isn’t irritating, and the flexfoam stays dry.
You don’t need adult diapers– I bought adult diapers, but only used them at night, and I thought that the mesh underwear with a large hospital pad was sufficient. Adult diapers also weren’t cost efficient, since you have to change your pad every three hours. I also found that the elastic wasn’t comfortable on my belly, which was the main reason I’m not recommending them.
Night gowns that button-down the front! These are awesome for nursing at home. I didn’t wear any of my gowns in the hospital- just wear their gown! Our baby pooped right on my gown, so I was glad it was hospital property!
Tylenol– As your stomach shrinks, it cramps similar to period cramps. This mostly happens when you breast feed, but you might want some Tylenol on hand to ease the pain. Some of my friends had a little stronger stomach pains and the doctor was able to prescribe them something stronger. These occasional stomach cramps only lasted about 10 days for me.
Tine Murray 