#Parenthood: Postnatal must-haves that you might not have considered

Pram - check. Moses basket - check. Baby clothes - check. All the other accumulating baby paraphernalia - check. And then all the bits you might have remembered like nipple cream, food supplies...

We plan and plan for this, and the new purchases pile up, until you start to consider moving house, or at least an extension. So,I'm going to add to that pile with a few things you might not have thought about. You're welcome. But hopefully, they'll make your life a teeny bit easier in the long run... 

Candles and lovely bath stuff

One of the things I remember well from those overwhelming early days was when I got to have a long, hot bath. I remember looking at my belly and crying because I missed her so much, even though she was only downstairs with hubby. There was so much emotion at that time and I must have cried solid for about half an hour, until the water started to turn cold. I never used to have baths, but they've become a bit of a sanctuary for me. Lovely smelly candles, my favourite Neal's Yard bath oil, a crappy magazine, or a post-natal hypnobirthing track, or even a glass of wine. Bliss. Make time to simply be you.

DVDs/Boxsets that make you smile
I made the mistake of starting Game of Thrones two weeks after I had given birth. Looking back, there was a LOT of sitting around time. However, this programme does not promote happy thoughts! Not the sort of thing to throw into the mix alongside sleep deprivation. 
In contrast, I watched a lot of Disney in the last few months of pregnancy, but if it's all a bit sickly sweet for you, watch whatever makes you feel HAPPY. Not emotional or sentimental - just happy. You're going to need as much oxytocin fuel as you can when you're having a shitty day. 

An eye mask
I wanted to constantly check that tiddler was breathing. Like every half an hour some nights. And this served absolutely no positive purpose except to increase my anxiety and make me even more tired. Wearing an eye mask will shut the world out and might help you to signal to yourself that this is now time for rest. Plus, who cares what time of day it is? Put your eye mask on and it is always time for a sleep, no matter what time of day! (Also useful for blocking out light from husband's phone as he also struggles to sleep).

Incontinence pants

I tried the maternity pads, and in all honestly, they did the job for about an hour. (Although the DIY padsicle ones are a god-send, so make ahead of time and stick in the freeze if you can - instructions here). Incontinence pants, like these bad boys, are what we're talking about. Not great if you want to save the landfill from yet more baby-related waste, but perfect for those very messy days when you feel like you're having the longest, heaviest period of all time.

Many sets of comfy pyjamas
I bought one new set. So I had my nice new set and then I had all my skanky old ones with holes in all sorts of unsightly places. Buy a few nice pairs, so that they last, and make them long leg. You don't want to open to the door to the delivery man in a short, greying nightie with only your incontinence pants on underneath (true story). 

Crop tops
For the last two months of pregnancy, every bra I tried on felt like it was about to puncture my ribs. This continued after birth, as my body slowly realigned itself. My salvation was crop tops, and my favourite were Marks & Spencer ones like this. Not a whole lot of support, but easy to wear in bed and underneath the comfy pyjamas, without feeling as if you're giving your guests TMI (visually). Also super stretchy so easy if you're breastfeeding.

Hand cream
Really good hand cream for very dry skin. I recommend this Garnier one. Between the constant washing of hands and possibly the sterilizing (if you're bottle feeding), your hands are likely to get chapped and really sore. Not one I had even thought about. 

Biscuits and tea/coffee
You will have visitors. It's one of the only times when people will come to you, and you might not leave the house for days and days (as above, pyjamas are totally acceptable in these situations, but you don't want to smell like you've been festering for days so the more the better). Only have enough biscuits to last an hour though, so nobody overstays their welcome ;)

A tumble dryer
Bit controversial perhaps (might defeat the purpose if you're using re-usable nappies for example), rather on the large side, and a bit pricey for a must-have list, but if you can fork out for one, do it. The amount of people I know that gave in after a couple of weeks because the poo/sick stained clothes were just stacking up as time flew by. Anything to save on more housework. Just don't assume, as I did, that EVERYTHING can be tumble-dryed. Hubby's shirts for example. Teeny tiny crumpled rags. 

Reminders that you're doing just fine
You might have used affirmations during pregnancy and labour, especially if you were practicing hypnobirthing. And then, when you are no longer housing a small human in your body, you might feel a little bit....well...empty. You need to know that you are doing great. And you need to know often. Either, prepare your own parent affirmations beforehand, thinking carefully about the things you want to remind yourself of (I am a confident and able mother/I overcome challenges calmly, etc), or for a bit of inspiration, @theyesmummum produces some lovely little happy cards to help you along the way. You've got this :)