Must-haves for the postpartum week

Things that make the first week after birth a little easier:

• Plenty of food. The first week is busy — you’ll be focused on your baby, and there’s little time to cook. It’s smart to prepare and freeze some nourishing meals during the final weeks of pregnancy. Or ask visitors to bring food instead of gifts!
• Iron-rich snacks. Every woman loses blood during childbirth — that’s normal. You can help your body replenish its iron stores by eating iron-rich foods such as dried fruit, nuts, and green vegetables.
• “Beschuit met muisjes.” A fun, typically Dutch tradition! Traditionally pink-and-white, but nowadays also blue-and-white, rainbow-colored, or even in the colors of your favorite city.
• Cooling maternity pads. After a vaginal birth, your perineum may feel sore. These cooling pads can be wonderfully soothing.
• Peri bottle. If you have stitches, it’s important to rinse well after urinating. Rinsing with water can also reduce stinging. A peri bottle makes this easy.
• Nipple cream. If you plan to breastfeed, have a soothing nipple balm on hand that’s safe for babies and specially formulated for breastfeeding.
• If you experience breast engorgement (swollen, firm breasts due to milk buildup), these thermal pads can provide wonderful relief when cooled — or stimulate milk flow when warmed. Even if you’re not breastfeeding, these pads can help reduce discomfort and milk production by cooling the breasts.

No need to buy yet:

• You don’t need to purchase a breast pump before giving birth. If pumping is necessary during the first week, we’ll advise you to rent one — the type you need early on is different from regular breast pumps.