Product Recommendations
These recommendations come purely from my own experience and research; I do not have paid sponsorships with any of these brands. Just honest sharing, from one mother to another.
Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. I only share products I personally used, researched, or genuinely found helpful.
This page is based on my personal experience and research and is not medical advice. Always check with your OB, midwife, pediatrician, lactation consultant, or healthcare provider before starting supplements, medications, or products related to pregnancy, postpartum recovery, or breastfeeding.
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Antepartum (Before Birth)
I thought these were great because they did not have any flavor to them and used the natural form of folic acid, folate.
I also wanted to make sure I was getting enough choline and knew I was not eating enough food that would contribute to additional choline in my diet so these helped supplement the choline that was already in my prenatals.
This is great for pregnancy and after it helps with boosting energy and can help with baby’s brain development and nervous system.
If you know you know… If you don’t, these are not for oral consumption (probably would not hurt if you did take it orally) but it is for birth prep and the dreaded perineal massages.
I took these to help with any digestive issues I was having in the later stages of pregnancy.
During one of my appointments when I shared I was eating tums frequently for the nausea and heart burn I was informed to take it easy on them due to the metals so I immediately looked for an alternative and found these. I still use these to this day and their flavors are great.
Another goodie that I would mix with pineapple juice to make a postpartum cocktail.
Postpartum (After Birth)
As important as your prenatals. I switched to these after birth to try and avoid any postpartum blues and make sure to still be getting the vitamins I needed to be able to support my baby.
There is nothing more magical then your hair postpartum - said no one ever. I took these to try to prevent too much from falling out and I do think these genuinely helped.
Energy energy energy! If you are breastfeeding you are still supposed to limit caffeine intake so I continued these to hopefully give me an extra boost that was safe for baby in the womb and potentially still had benefits during breastfeeding.
Continued these after birth, because why not? Also any one who has an epidural knows it can be a little tricky in the bathroom department after for a few days so was willing to try anything.
Great for trying to increase milk production and a million other benefits even if not breastfeeding.
I was not one of the most successful producers so I was willing to try everything to be successful. This was recommended and I think it helped a little but it did not turn me into a human cow by any means.
Another one I tried to just get more milk flowing.
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Perineal Care (Vaginal Birth)
Order a few if you will be using multiple bathrooms in your house. Wiping after baby is scary this will help to any areas that are still healing.
These work wonders for soothing any hotness you are feeling down there.
I know this is a controversial brand, but these were my favorite underwear that I purchased during recovery.
You will need these the first few days/weeks after birth. You cannot use tampons and will need some heavy duty absorbency. These also work great to create postpartum padsicles. Here’s how!
These also work great if you do not make your own postpartum padsicles! Again, controversial brand but great.
Dermoplast Pain, Burn, & Itch Relief Spray
I used this as well to help with any pain. It may not be the most organic so another alternative is below, but I have not had personal experience with that specific one, just other products from that brand that I loved.
Here is the organic alternative from a wonderful brand that I used for nipple creams, raspberry leaf tea, and belly oil.
I did use this for perineal care, going to the bathroom the first few times can be a challenge especially if you have had a C-section. This can help with the process.
I purchased this but never opened it or used it and built my own kit from the above but if you do not want the headache of prepping your own kit, this is a great option.
This is beneficial for both vaginal and C-section births. I used this during my recovery to try and shape my belly back after delivery.
Cesarean Care (C-Section Birth)
I have not had a C-section and some of these are not my own recommendations but a friend who had an unplanned emergency C-section and items I researched.
This is safe for breastfeeding and helps with the pain.
This can help to relieve incision pain. I purchased this for prenatal pain and loved the large size and pattern.
I did not use this for a c-section but another procedure and think it helped with reducing the appearance of my scars and can be used for a week at a time.
This is beneficial for both vaginal and C-section births. I used this during my recovery to try and shape my belly back after delivery.
High Waisted Stretchy Underwear
These help with covering the incision spot and keeping it protected when moving around.
You will need these the first few days/weeks after birth. Even if you have a C-section you will still experience postpartum bleeding.
Order a few if you will be using multiple bathrooms in your house. Wiping after baby is scary this will help to any areas that are still healing.
I did use this for perineal care, going to the bathroom the first few times can be a challenge especially if you have had a C-section. This can help with the process.
Can help with any swelling caused by the procedure you just had. These are taller options I used when flying in the prenatal period as well as the crew socks below by Bombas.
These were my everyday sock all throughout pregnancy, maybe you do not need a full knee length shop these can also be nice for the day to day.
Premade C-Section Recovery Kit
If you do not want the headache of prepping your own kit, this is a great option.
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This one is PRICEY but I believe it was worth every penny. My biggest fear was having sleepless nights and I truly believe this crib saved us from any of those. I also liked that this crib lasted up to age 2 where the snoo has a 6 month expiration date (not really an expiration but your baby grows out of it a lot quicker). Our girl is still using this at 20 months and likely will still until she can climb out or she hits the 2 year mark.
Code for $100 off: LNJMVSRM
Easy to clean and aesthetically pleasing.
I read everywhere how the standard wood rocking chair is a cute idea but they are not comfortable. The bowed out arms I think made a huge difference in space for trying to breastfeed. I purchased mine at living spaces but this is a great option on amazon if you like quick and convenient delivery or do not have a living spaces near you.
I originally bought a cute little one for the night stand which was nice during the rare moments G would wake up in the night but this one has been our go to every night from breastfeeding before bed to now reading books together at 1.5 years old.
I have 2 sets for a total of 4 of these. Floor bookshelves have been compelling but I also think its nice to have one less thing to clean up each night.
This is the one mentioned above that was helpful during the rare middle of the night wake up calls.
While nesting I learned all the cute ways to fold clothes and to keep their structure in the drawers of her dresser these helped.
We had a standard sliding door closet that we wanted to be able to put more items in if needed, because how much do you really need to hang for a baby? So we installed this and replaced the handles with gold ones to match the handles on the rest of the furniture in the room.
Diaper Pail
Option 1: Diaper Genie
Option 2: Ubbi
We purchased a Diaper Genie and an Ubbi. I feel like the Diaper Genie locked in the smell more but the Ubbi also is convenient because it uses regular trash bags. However once your baby starts solids I do not think it matters what you have because they SMELL.
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Boobs
Putting this into the flanges for your pumps was good for reducing friction but also after and throughout the day when your nipples would be chapped and in pain. It also is Lanolin free so it is considered safe for baby.
These were nice to have on hand and convenient because they could be used for hot and cold.
These were nice when the nipple cream was just not enough. However they do have Lanolin on them so they are only for after breastfeeding and need to make sure to clean the breast thoroughly before next feeding.
I used this before breastfeeding and to help with any soreness I thought was caused by clogs. It is nice because it can be handsfree and just put into your bra.
I am allergic to some metals including silver and worried these would cause irritation but these did not and helped to protect your poor nipples from any unnecessary friction from your clothes after feedings.
Not nearly as comfortable as my skims bras but a great fallback when they were dirty if you do not want to buy 7 days worth of skims.
This was my favorite bra so comfortable, I did purchase the pumping bra as well but after finding a nice hack on TikTok I was able to use these for both nursing and pumping.
Breastfeeding Tools
This was my ride or die during my breastfeeding journey. It had pretty good suction and drained me the best. I also liked that it could be portable when needed. Now the settings can be overwhelming TikTok helped me with figuring this out initially. I wrote a blog about my entire breastfeeding journey and included the settings in there that I used.
Medela Pump in Style: Travel Pump (Not Cordless)
I had cordless travel pumps that I did not mind but they ended up breaking after 2 months and this was the one I ran out and bought. I have seen reviews on other pumps and will likely try other cordless ones once I have a second baby but these were easier to travel with and allowed me to pump on the plane, in the car, etc. My main grievance was no screen but it got the job done.
For the cordless pump I purchased this which seemed to work well. I only used it for a max of 20-30 min when needed but it was reliable.
For the most part you should be able to get replacement parts through insurance. The one thing I continued to purchase on my own were duckbills. These were the strongest of the ones I purchased and will be buying again.
I loved this brand and purchased this kit a few times but I really appreciated the variety in size because shocker… but not all nipples were created equal.
I had a few of these but also had a breastfeeding consultant come out so I did not have the painful task of figuring this out myself but having options is always great. If you can working with a breastfeeding consultant, if you can’t this might save you the headache of not understanding why your flanges are getting no milk out of you.
Another great purchase for on the go pumping or bringing extra milk out and about.
Bottles
I went with glass and the million parts that come with these because they are supposed to be better for baby. I had a mix of 8 and 4 oz bottles.
I went with glass and the million parts that come with these because they are supposed to be better for baby. I had a mix of 8 and 4 oz bottles.
I loved and still use these, they have different nipple sizes and lid types to convert to sippy cups as baby grows. The compact travel pods below were a big win when traveling as well. I did recently learn they do not pass the triangle test but we did not start using these until G was about 5 months old.
These nipples are compatible with the Boon Nursh and are closer to passing the triangle test. I have not tried them personally but will be my next go around.
Love these because it avoided needing to pack 5 glass bottles for trips with baby.
Great for creating a nice place for bottles to dry and compact enough to not take up too much room!
Great for on the go and when at hotels that did not have a stove to boil water.
Love love this thing. We still use it 2 times a day just because waiting for the dishwasher to be full can take a day or two. I have seen others that are intriguing like the Momcozy which I like the design and shape of a little better but cannot personally say if it is better. If our Brezza dies I might give that one a whirl.
Good for keeping bottle and pump parts together in one area of the sink without getting contaminated by other dishes. Ours is still in there.
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Disposable Changing Pads (Puppy Pads)
These are quick diaper changing pads that you can throw away and also great at catching any spilled liquids or solids if you know what I mean. Also a pro tip: use in the crib by putting one sheet down, then the puppy pad, then another sheet on top. This will be a lifesaver if there any middle of the night blowouts or spills.
Wonderful for a quick wash after feeding and I think helped with reducing the gunk that builds up under their cute little double chins.
I kept this on hand as our baby girl had the worst baby acne within days it was cleared up. One jar goes a long way.
Another great product. We bought the paste with the spatula but let’s be honest that was just another item we had to clean and not worth the headache.
I feel like a burp rag is a burp rag but these were the ones we use for everything and work great for wash clothes too.
Love these and still use them, I feel like they are larger than average wipes and when blow outs happen size matters.
Diapers
This is very much a trial and error process. We used the Honest Baby Newborn Diapers and Honest Baby Size 1 Diapers which seemed to be decent for the little babies but once we got to size 2 we switched to Hello Bello and those have been great. Hello Bello even has night time diapers that paired with the Dimples booster pad inserts have helped with leaks at night.
These are a nice organic option in the caddy, we used the amazon basics ones and tried these as well when baby was really little. If you want a more basic option, we used Amazon Basic Sanitizer and they have aloe in them.
Helpful for sanitizing items that fall on the floor, get licked by our furry friends, or just look like they need a little wipe.
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Baby Carrier
I used both the Solly Baby Wrap and the Artipoppe. Solly baby was wonderful until she started moving a lot and gave me a lot of freedom with baby strapped to me throughout the day. The Artipoppe, outside of the hype and beautiful quality and pattern, I am not sure if it is worth the price. If I were to buy a new carrier today I would try the Mabē Carrier, beautiful partners and looks similar to an Artipoppe.
We used this one many times and thought the shape was better than the adjustable Skip Hop bath. The Skip Hop one is great in theory but we struggled with keeping it rolled as baby got bigger.
This was a gift and one of our most used items. The baby Bjorn one is lovely and allowed baby to be contained and near me when I was cooking or trying to get some work done. A more affordable option that I have heard other moms say they like is the Baby Delight Highland Bouncer.
We would use this for lounging on the couch with baby on the couch, in bed, while we were eating.
Nothing is more exciting than watching your baby in tummy time or laying on their back figure out how to use the piano. The music can get a bit daunting but the baby giggles make it all worth it.
We had 2, one that stayed in the playpen on top of the floor pads we laid down and another we moved around the house and now use outside when we take playtime outdoors.
We originally purchased the one with mesh sides but after seeing how many pieces there were, we quickly returned it for an easy one we could move around the house. This helped to give G her own space and keep the dogs away from her toys. It is still used in our living room to try and coral the mess to one area, which is rarely successful.
This was an alternate to our baby bouncer once G was able to sit up right on her own. She loved whipping around and playing with all the fun things on the tray.
Our crib had a built in camera but we needed something for when we travelled and also wanted one that was not tied to the internet in case that went down in the middle of the night. It has an eco mode which keeps the screen off and you can set different settings for volume level for when to turn on. They also had a bunch of stands/wall mounts/crib mounts that have been used at various times.