Minimizing going up and down stairs helps speed recovery for women who just gave birth, whether it’s a vaginal or c-section birth. No matter how you gave birth, you have a placenta-sized wound in your uterus. Your body is transitioning to making milk and establishing breast milk supply, and you have swelling that needs to heal.
Rest and good nutrition are the keys to recovery, prevention of mastitis, establishing your milk supply. Don’t let your newly-smaller size and increased energy level (thank you stomach sleeping!) fool you. It’s important to rest more than you probably feel like the first 30 days of having a baby.
This little basket of newborn essentials is kept in the living room. This basket is ideal for homes where the nursery is on a different level or different end of the house from the living room.
Read: New Moms: You need to rest. Everyone else: This is how you can help
Speaking of help- a basket like this, with instructions for the new mama to rest, is a fantastic gift to drop off for a family welcoming the new baby, or give as a shower gift!
What to put in your Downstairs (or Living Room) Basket
Make a little mini changing station in a basket (this is the basket shown), containing the things you know you’ll need daily. You can replenish the basket on your way to the living room the next morning. Don’t try to re-create the entire nursery downstairs just keep the basics here, and you’ll be set for baby snuggles, rest, and faster recovery!
- Diapers and wipes.
- Baby oil to help keep meconium from sticking to baby’s bum (put it on a freshly changed bum) and to help with dry skin.
- A swaddle blanket + prefold diapers or changing pads to change on. Newborns are so little that it’s easy to change them right on the couch, you will want to put down a blanket and pad though.
- 2-3 spare outfits in case of spit up or blow outs.
- Socks, since they always get lost.
- Cloth diapers, covers, and a wet bag if cloth diapering.
In addition to the basket it’s also helpful to have the following handy wherever you’ll be hanging out with baby:
- Water water water! And electrolyte drinks, like our Labor-Aid.
- High protein snacks like jerky.
- Blankets for wrapping baby or laying baby on.
- A bouncer.
- A boppy or other breastfeeding pillow.
- Nipple cream.
Looking for more mom-to-mom advice?
A 42-week guide to the decisions made during pregnancy, birth, and the baby’s first few weeks.
Check out my book The Empowered Mother: Your 42-week Guide to Pregnancy and Early Infancy!
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