What Do You Actually Need for the First Week Postpartum?

The short answer: start with absorbent pads, a peri bottle, a wrapped cold pack, loose clothing, water and simple food within reach, and someone to handle practical tasks. Add only what matches your birth and discharge instructions.

Build one simple bathroom station

Postpartum bleeding, or lochia, happens after both vaginal and caesarean births. Use sanitary pads — not tampons or menstrual cups — and change the pad whenever you use the bathroom and at least every four hours. Keep a squeeze bottle filled with warm water nearby to rinse the outside of the perineum; do not rinse inside the vagina. Wipe from front to back and wash your hands.

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Match comfort supplies to your birth

After a vaginal birth, a cold pack may ease early perineal swelling. Wrap it in a clean towel — never place ice directly on skin — and limit use to 15 to 20 minutes at a time, up to once an hour during the first 24 hours. Follow your care team's directions for stitches and bathing.

After a C-section, choose underwear and pants with a waistband that does not rub the incision. A small pillow can support the area when you cough or sneeze. Pat the incision dry after showering and follow your discharge instructions for wound care, activity and lifting. For either birth, use pain medication only as directed by your health professional.

Put everyday needs within reach

Think soft, washable and easy to change: loose pyjamas, a robe or cardigan, stretchy underwear, warm socks and stable footwear. Where you expect to rest and care for your baby, keep water, simple snacks, tissues, a phone charger and your written care instructions. A second small station can save trips up the stairs.

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The most useful “item” is hands-on help

Ask a support person to refill water, prepare food, wash dishes, run laundry, manage visitors and pick up prescriptions. After a C-section, help with bending, lifting and household work is especially useful. Recovery is not the time to host.

Know when a checklist is not enough

Seek urgent medical advice for bleeding that soaks one pad in an hour twice in a row, clots larger than a plum or egg, a temperature at or above the threshold in your discharge instructions (PHAC lists 38.0 °C by ear, or 37.6 °C by mouth or underarm), severe or worsening abdominal pain, a severe headache or sudden vision changes, new pain with swelling in one leg, foul-smelling discharge, or an incision that becomes red, warm or draining. Call 911 for trouble breathing, chest pain, a seizure or fainting, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. This is not a complete list. In Quebec, Info-Santé 811 can guide you when you are unsure, but it does not replace emergency care or justify delaying a 911 call.

Frequently asked questions

How many postpartum pads do I need?

There is no fixed number. Keep enough to change after each bathroom visit and at least every four hours. Flow changes, so avoid stockpiling only one absorbency.

Can a cold pack touch the perineum directly?

No. Wrap it in a clean towel, limit each use to 15 to 20 minutes during the first 24 hours, and stop if it hurts or changes the skin.

Do I need postpartum supplies after a C-section?

Yes. Vaginal bleeding still occurs, so pads and bathroom supplies remain useful. Add clothing that clears the incision and help suited to your surgical instructions.

What belongs in a bedside postpartum basket?

Water, simple snacks, tissues, a charger, care instructions and the comfort items you use. Keep medications in their original containers and follow professional directions.

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This article provides general information and cannot replace advice, diagnosis or treatment from your physician, midwife, nurse or pharmacist. Your own discharge instructions come first.

Sources: Public Health Agency of Canada, Your Guide to Postpartum Health and Caring for Your Baby; INSPQ, The body after birth.