The postpartum period is a whirlwind of activity, exhaustion, and trying to figure out exactly what is going on. Luckily, Haakaa is here with a handy list of the best things to add to your postpartum essentials kit to help you navigate this time without having to use up too much of that precious energy!
The Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump & Ladybug Milk Collector
These two products are hugely popular among postpartum mums, and with good reason. The Ladybug Milk Collector is precisely what it says – it’s an adorable Ladybug-shaped, one-piece silicone nursing pad replacement that sits discreetly in your bra to collect the leakage and let-down many postpartum mums find themselves having to deal with. And that means no more milk stains on your clothes! So why would you choose the Ladybug over a nursing pad? For starters, the Ladybug is reusable, which means less waste. And secondly, the milk you collect can be transferred and stored, meaning not only are you saving on landfill waste through not throwing out disposable pads, you’re also avoiding wasting that precious liquid gold your body has worked so hard to make!
The Haakaa Breast Pump is another mum favourite, and that’s because it’s so simple to use, easy to clean, and incredibly effective. An amazingly easy-to-use manual breast pump, it’s an absolute lifesaver for building a freezer stash, building supply, collecting let-down on the other side during feeding, and more. Combining the Ladybug and pump means not a single drop of milk need go to waste, leaving you with the option to be as flexible as you need.
Breastfeeding Essentials
Breast discomfort is one of those things that is incredibly common for those who are just starting their breastfeeding journey. If your discomfort is interfering with your breastfeeding, you should immediately seek advice from a lactation consultant, your midwife, or your maternity care professional. They’ll be able to check out what’s going on and help come up with a strategy to get things back on track. If you’re dealing with more minor discomfort, there are a couple of options available to help. Haakaa’s Nipple Cream is made with ultra-pure, 100% medical-grade lanolin. It’s completely natural and is a soft, gentle way to heal sore or mildly cracked nipples. Simply warm a pea-sized amount between your fingers and apply to your nipple. If you have a Ladybug to hand, it might be a nice idea to pop it on, both to keep the nipple cream in place and to keep your clothing from rubbing against your skin. Because our lanolin is all-natural and has been refined to meet the standards of the US Pharmacopoeia, there’s no need to remove it before feeding (though you’re certainly more than welcome to if you prefer!).
Another way to protect cracked or sore nipples is through the use of a nipple shield, though this should only be done under the advice of a lactation consultant or maternity care professional. Haakaa has two varieties available: the traditional Ultra-thin Nipple Shields, available in two sizes (18mm & 24mm) and the extended teat Breastfeeding Nipple Shields, which has the option of either a round or triangle base (for new or experienced mums, respectively) and orthodontic or bottle teats (the former aimed at mainly breastfed babies, as it mimics mum’s nipple shape, and the latter at babies being transitioned to bottle feeding). These shields each serve different purposes. The ultra-thin version is designed for only minor discomfort that isn’t impacting breastfeeding too badly. And how do you go about choosing the right size nipple shield, you might be asking? Grab a ruler or tape measure and measure the diameter of your nipple at the base, excluding your areola. Make sure you are measuring in millimetres. Once you’ve got your number, choose the size that will give you at least 2mm of space between your nipple and the shield. If you measure 19mm, it might be tempting to get the 18mm shield, but this may cause further discomfort, so try going up to the larger 24mm size. The extended teat versions, on the other hand, are designed to help alleviate pain from nipples that are dealing with more damage, such as cracks, by creating a space between your nipple and the end of the shield where baby latches. The chamber prevents anything from rubbing against your skin, while at the same time creating a vacuum effect to ensure bubs can still nurse and receive milk as usual.
The Best Postpartum Wrap
Postpartum belly belt, belly band, abdominal binder – whatever you know it is, it’s a great thing to have included in your list of postpartum essentials. It can sometimes come as something of a surprise (since movies tend to hide this aspect of things), but pregnancy can very often leave your abdominal muscles with a condition called abdominal separation, aka diastasis recti. This is where there is some separation between the two sides of your abdominal muscles, and it’s quite common. Luckily, that’s where the Haakaa Postnatal Belly Band comes in. Designed to provide extra support to these muscles as they begin the healing process, it can also help to relieve back pain and help ease your abdominal area back to where it used to be. It’s incredibly easy to wear – simply pop it on over your clothes, fasten it at a comfortable level using the strong hook & loop tape, and you’re set! Best of all, though, is that this band can be used whether you delivered your baby vaginally or via caesarean section – just make sure the edge of the band isn’t directly over the incision.
Keeping Hydrated
Keeping your hydration levels up is crucial in the postpartum recovery period, and that goes double if you’re breastfeeding. But so often mums are stuck in place during feeding time, making it hard to get up and grab a drink – and you just know you’re going to end up busy with something once you’ve put bubs to bed and forget to drink as much as you need. Having the Haakaa Stainless Steel Thermal Flask is a fantastic way to make sure you’ve always got a good hydrating drink to hand, safe and secure. Its 750ml capacity will keep you going for ages, and whether you’ve got yourself some chilled water or a nice, warm drink, it’ll stay at just the temperature you like it.
This is, of course, merely scratching the surface of what is available for postpartum mums – but they’re some of the solutions that provide the right tools to allow you to focus on healing and bonding with your new baby.