These Postpartum Kits Help New Moms Take Care of Themselves (2024)

When you bring up a newborn, everyone talks about the sleep loss (yawn, literally) and skips over the birthing parent's recovery. Enter the best postpartum kits, which can make the physical aftereffects of giving birth a little bit easier, whether it hurts to sit down, you have a C-section incision, breastfeeding is throwing you for a loop, or you're dealing with some other complication.

Our Top Picks

• Best Overall: Frida Mom Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit, $50
• Best for C-Section: Bodily Scheduled C-Section Box, $139
• Best for vagin*l Delivery: Earth Mama Postpartum Recovery Gift Box, $92
• Best Luxury: Ebi The Everyday Postpartum 3-Piece Set, $145 $102
• Best for Breastfeeding: Lansinoh Breastfeeding Essential Kit, $42
• Best Apparel: Hatch Maternity The Hospital Departure Bundle, $248

After all, giving birth inflicts a ton of trauma on the body—on top of all of the other challenges that a new baby, cute as they might be, can introduce. (See: postpartum hair loss and pelvic floor dysfunction.) "The postpartum time is one of the most stressful times in a woman's life for several reasons," says Lyndsey Harper, MD, board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and CEO and co-founder of Rosy. "The lack of sleep, responsibility for a new life that is completely dependent on you, hormonal and body changes, stress of feeding, and changing dynamics with partners can be a lot for anyone to handle."

The good news is that hospitals usually set you up with some helpful supplies, which you can (and absolutely should) stuff into your hospital bag before you head out. "This is a standard part of postpartum care, and most hospitals will provide these items for their patients to take home and keep," says Dr. Harper. "With that said, some women may find it helpful to order postpartum kits and familiarize themselves with all of these items prior to giving birth." That can help demystify the postpartum experience—which, let's face it, is still largely taboo to discuss—and set yourself up for recovery, she says. Plus, they can make a great gift for a new mom. Just putting it out there.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the best postpartum care items?
• What to look for in a postpartum kit
• Is a postpartum kit necessary?
• Meet the experts

With that, scroll ahead for seven of the best postpartum kits for new parents out there, with products recommended by ob-gyns and used by parents here at Allure HQ.

Best Overall: Frida Mom Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit

Why It's Worth It: The Frida Mom Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit might be the best-known kit out there, and for a good reason. According to Dr. Harper, it "offers high-quality items that most women will use frequently." And the praise doesn't just come from doctors, but actual moms, too: "Most of my friends recommended this to me, and they were so right to," says Allure shopping director Shanna Shipin, who added it to her baby registry.

She ended up buying more of the brand's disposable postpartum underwear, "which are way better than the hospital ones — no slouchy, diaper-butt feeling with these," she says, as well as the perineal cooling pads. FYI: This brand is also clutch for baby products, too. Just add FridaBaby NoseFrida the Snotsucker to your registry and thank us later.

Coolest Product: The upside-down peri bottle in this postpartum recovery kit is the best. "It is designed so you can get the water where you need it without having to reach down too far," says Jill Purdie, MD, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and medical director at Pediatrix Medical Group in Atlanta, Georgia. "It is gentle but effective."

Everything Included: Disposable underwear (4), instant ice maxi pads (4), cooling pad liners (24), perineal healing foam, toilet-top storage caddy

Best for C-Section: Bodily Scheduled C-Section Box

Why It's Worth It: While you'll find the usual new mom essentials in the Bodily Scheduled C-Section Box, including a peri wash bottle and mesh underwear, what sets it apart is the addition of the postpartum belly band, which can be especially helpful during C-section recovery. It also has two booklets, one for the parent and one for a caregiver. "Bodily's supplementary guides are so helpful for women who may not have an immediate community or family to ask questions to," says Shipin, who notes that the booklets are short and straightforward enough for a tired parent with limited time.

This postpartum care kit comes pre-packed in a pouch that you can simply toss into your hospital bag, and we appreciate that the brand offers boxes for an array of difficult postpartum situations, like a Care for Stillbirth Box.

Coolest Product: As long as your doc okays it, get that belly band on, stat. "Many women who have C-sections feel they do not have a lot of abdominal strength, especially when they are getting up and down," says Dr. Purdie. "An abdominal binder can give some support to the core and make it more comfortable to get up and down."

Everything Included: Peri wash bottle, Nip Nourish, Nip Protect, nipple gel pads, non-slip breast pads, socks, belly band, mesh undies (3), maxi pads (14), stool softener, Guidebook for You, Guidebook for Your Supporter

Best for vagin*l Delivery: Earth Mama Postpartum Recovery Gift Box

Why It's Worth It: Tell your doula to hit pause on the tea, because the Earth Mama Postpartum Recovery Collection has you covered. It comes with an herbal perineal spray (with an upside-down sprayer), herbal sitz bath sachets, a perineal balm, a tea designed to help manage cramping pain, and more. Although you might want to DIY your own ice pads, the sitz bath, spray, and balm for the perineum area in this organic postpartum recovery regimen make this a good option if you're dealing with a tear or hemorrhoids.

Coolest Product: The Earth Mama Nipple Butter is a game-changer if you choose to breastfeed. "I relied on this to help manage the soreness and speed up healing when I was first breastfeeding my baby," says Allure contributor Deanna Pai. "It smells really good and I loved knowing that it was USDA-certified organic—which was a big deal since my baby was literally eating it." It's made with not lanolin, but olive oil, cocoa seed butter, mango seed butter, and beeswax.

Everything Included: Peri wash spray, sitz bath, tea, perineal balm, nipple butter, breast massage pads

Best Luxury: Ebi The Everyday Postpartum 3-Piece Set

Why It's Worth It: Proof that a postpartum kit can be cute—elegant, even!—Ebi's The Everyday Kit rethinks the fourth trimester with a simple trio. Instead of the usual ice packs and perineal spray, it offers an herbal bath soak (billed as the modern version of the traditional sitz bath) infused with herbs like yarrow and comfrey. The multitasking oil, which is infused with sunflower seed, sesame seed, and almond oils, can be applied anywhere on the body to calm skin, while the tisane (or tincture) is intended to support healthy milk production and supply key vitamins and minerals.

Coolest Product: The herbal bath soak is especially thoughtful. Sitz baths "are the most helpful for reducing swelling, soreness, and itching in the perineal and anal area," says Dr. Purdie, who notes that they're most helpful for people who've experienced significant swelling or painful lacerations. They can also alleviate swelling related to hemorrhoids, she says.

Everything Included: Tea, sitz bath, multipurpose oil (You can buy these products separately at Bluemercury)

Best for Breastfeeding: Lansinoh Breastfeeding Essentials Kit

Why It's Worth It: The Lansinoh Breastfeeding Essential Kit is a game-changer for the mom who has no idea what to expect. It's packed with breast milk storage bags to help you handle the first days of engorgement (the pain is real), therapy packs, and even a hands-free silicone breast pump, which allows you to collect milk from one breast while nursing baby on the other. Pai is a fan of the nursing pads, which she now buys in bulk, as well as the silicone breast pump, which made it easy to catch extra milk during letdowns.

Coolest Product: "I inherited a bunch of Lansinoh's breastfeeding essentials from my cousin and found that the therapy packs were so, so helpful when I've had mastitis," Pai says. You can stash them in the freezer to get some relief during mastitis, or warm them up in the microwave to encourage a letdown.

Everything Included: Nipple cream, silicone breast pump, breastmilk storage bags (25), breast therapy packs (2), nursing pads (48)

Best Apparel: Hatch Maternity The Hospital Departure Bundle

Why It's Worth It: Make the fourth trimester feel a little more elegant with Hatch's The Hospital Departure Bundle. While you'll get the Hatch Nipple + Lip Rescue Balm to protect against chafing, the bundle also includes the brand's Skin to Skin Bra, which feels as close as it gets to going braless, but still offers support and a way to hold nursing pads. The top and pants, meanwhile, offer all the comfort of pajamas but still feel a little more put-together than your old college sweats.

Coolest Product: The super-soft Visitor Top isn't just any sweater: It has a stretchy neckline that you can pull down to nurse your little one, as well as a relaxed, slightly oversized fit that still feels polished. Plus, it's machine washable.

Everything Included: Bra, top, pants, nipple balm

Best Beauty: Honest Company Glow Like a Mother Postnatal Skin Care Routine

Why It's Worth It: If you have less than five minutes to shower, the Honest Company Glow Like a Mother Postnatal Skin Care Routine helps make them count. A nice gift for a mom-to-be, it subs out the usual postpartum products for in-shower TLC, including a nourishing shower oil that smells faintly of rose, a body cream packed with shea butter, a hypoallergenic body oil infused with coconut, avocado, and olive oils, and a USDA-certified nipple balm.

Coolest Product: The Honest Company's Calm Your Nip Balm helps comfort and heal chapped or sore nipples in the early days of breastfeeding and pumping. You can swipe extra onto your lips and cuticles, and since it's made with coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax, it's safe for baby to ingest while nursing.

Everything Included: Cleansing oil, body cream, body oil, nipple balm

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best postpartum care items?

First up, control the pain with over-the-counter pain relievers. "If you had a C-section or a vagin*l delivery with a significant tear, it is likely you will be sent home with prescription pain medication," says Dr. Purdie. But if you run out or don't necessarily need prescription-level medication, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen are helpful to have on hand for aches and pains.

A stool softener should also be on your hospital bag checklist—which, again, goes whether you had a C-section or vagin*l delivery. “Keeping the stool soft helps make the first bowel movement after delivery less painful,” she says. On this note, hemorrhoid cream is also worth stocking at home, too, since many people get hemorrhoids during pregnancy. Bad news: These usually get worse before they get better, so creams or witch hazel pads can help reduce swelling and itching.

Then, there's the peri bottle, which is a huge deal, especially after vagin*l birth. "The perineal area is often sore, swollen, or has stitches," says Dr. Purdie. "Using a peri bottle can help dilute the urine so that it does not sting as much during urination. It also can help keep the stitches clean." It's also a good option for people who've had C-sections, she says, since you can rinse if it's too uncomfortable to reach down to wipe. (Heads up: You don't need a dedicated formula for this, and can simply use warm water as needed.)

Ice is also your friend. "Ice packs that can be used on the perineal area may help decrease swelling related to vagin*l delivery," says Dr. Purdie. "They can also help with any burning feeling that may be associated with the C-section scar."

You should definitely have extra postpartum pads (which are basically large maxi pads) on hand, “as most people will continue to bleed for four to six weeks post-delivery,” says Dr. Purdie. “Some women also prefer to use disposable underwear, as they may be more stretchy and comfortable during this time.” (Adult diapers are also a convenient option, and they can be easier to use. “Many patients have told me that these do not rub against their C-section scar like most regular underwear does,” she says.)

What to look for in a postpartum kit

When you're shopping, either for a gift or for yourself, “things to consider include whether the delivery was vagin*l or a C-section, whether there was any tearing — and what degree the tear may have been — and whether she is breastfeeding,” says Dr. Harper. If you plan to get a C-section, you might want to go with a dedicated kit for that purpose.

That said, there's still a lot of overlap. “Women who have a C-section will still have vagin*l bleeding, so maxi pads and mesh underwear and even a peri bottle will remain important,” she says. Plus, moms who give birth vagin*lly might want to use a belly band to get extra support the first few days after giving birth.

If you're breastfeeding you might want to look for a kit with nipple creams and other breastfeeding essentials. Nipple cream “is very helpful to apply post-breastfeeding or pumping to help prevent or treat sore and cracked nipples,” says Dr. Purdie. “In addition, breastfeeding pads are useful for collecting any milk that might leak.”

Is a postpartum kit necessary?

It depends! If you plan to deliver in a hospital, many now offer peri bottles, mesh underwear, and maxi pads. During this time, you can stuff your bag with them and take them home. (For certain things, like iced maxi pads, you can DIY your own before giving birth.)

However, if you're looking for something a little more luxurious or thoughtful, a postpartum kit might be the way to go. (After all, fancy postpartum retreats in the U.S. exist and are fairly common in Asian countries like South Korea.) Whatever the case, new mamas shouldn't overlook their own well-being. "We often have really high expectations of ourselves, when what we need to do is worry about eating, sleeping, and caring for ourselves and our infants," reminds Dr. Harper. "If postpartum kits can help women with their self-care routine, that's wonderful."

Meet the experts

• Lyndsey Harper, MD, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and CEO and co-founder of Rosy
• Jill Purdie, MD, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and medical director at Pediatrix Medical Group in Atlanta, Georgia

Want more mom-centric beauty stories? Check out our For the Mamas collection of maternity and baby beauty guides:

• The Best Beauty Products for New Moms in 2024
• 8 Best Nipple Creams for a Smoother Breastfeeding and Pumping Journey
• 15 Best Shampoos for Thinning Hair, Tested and Reviewed

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