The 7 Best Postpartum Recovery Kits, Tested by Parents

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Recovering after bringing a baby into the world can be a challenge, but these premade kits with products to pamper and soothe can help.

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Parents / Joy Kim

Toward the end of my pregnancy, I remember watching videos of how to make a postpartum recovery kit. It was 2018, and I didn’t know that you could buy them premade. So, there I was in my eighth month, watching YouTube videos on how to make ice pads and stocking up on nipple balm cream, nursing pads, and disposable undies, all the while feeling clueless about my postpartum needs. To help other expecting parents avoid all these extra steps, we rounded up the best postpartum kits we could find and tested each item they include in our lab, with the help of a doula.

I ended up having an unexpected C-section birth, and luckily, I was well prepared. In the process, I learned that the birthing experience can look different for everyone, but a good postpartum kit can help make the recovery process and settling in at home with a new baby just a little bit easier.

Kristin Revere, a certified birth doula, encourages keeping “individual style, postpartum goals, and personality in mind" when shopping for a postpartum recovery kit. Most kits include practical post-birth tools like ice packs, nipple and perineal cream, pads, and postpartum underwear as well as self-care items, but you can also choose kits with additional features and specific products.

To create our guide for the best postpartum recovery kits, we asked our Parents editors to review some of the most popular options available. We also consulted experts, including doulas and midwives, for their input on the best postpartum kits. Lastly, our Expert Board reviewed our content for accuracy around postpartum care and needs.

Depending on your specific needs and preferences, postpartum recovery kits can include pampering and comfort items. A basic, dependable kit should include most of the following:

The Momcozy Postpartum Recovery Essentials kit fulfills its promise of addressing the most critical issues that most people face during postpartum recovery. This kit is stocked with products for the perineum concerns that can happen with vaginal births, like cooling witch hazel foam and cold pads with covers, along with additional necessities for nursing parents.

We loved how the included disposable underwear allowed for the use of a cold pack and had just the right amount of stretch for being comfortable against a fresh postpartum belly. The kit also comes with a tote to store all your supplies.

Our testing revealed this kit to be more utilitarian than giftable (translation: it's not the prettiest kit on the market), but it still checked off the must-haves for postpartum recovery. The reasonable price point paired with the decent range of items earned Momcozy’s kit high marks in our testing.

Our onsite expert, Megan Davidson, PhD, a labor and postpartum doula, had reservations about the nursing pads and cooling foam. She noted that the nursing pads may contribute to thrush by creating a warm, wet environment because they’re made of plastic instead of natural fiber.

She also shared that the brand’s claims that the tea tree and witch hazel cooling foam could facilitate healing might be a little misleading. According to Davidson, “cooling gel is good for soothing early on, but for actual healing, you want warmth, not cold.” So if you do use this kit, consider switching away from the cooling foam after the initial postpartum period and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns with how you're healing.

The Details:

Whether you have a vaginal or C-section birth, perineum care in the weeks after delivery can be critical to promote healing and avoid complications like infections. The Lansinoh recovery bundle is a perineal-care specific kit that addresses healing with a peri bottle to spray wash the area, herbal postpartum spray, two hot and cold therapy pads, and 24 disposable pad sleeves. It’s also reasonably priced as an all-in-one perineum care solution, making it affordable for a wider range of budgets. Even though this doesn’t come with a storage container, the smaller set of products is travel-friendly and can fit into your hospital bag.

Disposable underwear is such a staple for postpartum recovery that it seems like a major oversight to omit it. But then again, many hospitals send you home with disposable underwear, so it could be a practical choice to spend your money elsewhere. Davidson also flagged the witch hazel spray in this kit as not being entirely effective at supporting healing, although it can be soothing.

The Details:

As someone who had a C-section birth, I received very specific instructions that outlined how to care for my scar as well as what I could do in the immediate days after giving birth. The Bodily Scheduled C-Section Box matches specific post-surgical concerns like abdominal compression and constipation with products that can help.

Plus, the kit includes two guidebooks, one for you and one for your support person, to help you both understand what's happening to your body post-birth. There are also cozy socks, stool softener pills (word to the wise: don't skimp on stool softener!), mesh undies, nipple-soothing products, perineal spray, and a belly band to provide compression during the C-section healing process. It's all pre-packed in a pouch that you can tuck into your hospital bag.

Davidson approved of the Bodily C-section kit, noting that “these items are actual improvements from what you’d get for free from the hospital, with a better belly binder, better socks, and mesh underpants.”

This is one of the more expensive options on our list, so adding it to your baby registry might be a good idea. Also—and this was a common complaint across brands throughout testing—the pads lack wings. Without additional coverage, more accidents could happen since the pad may shift with movement and time.

The Details:

Adjusting to nursing can bring challenges like breast engorgement, milk leaking, and maybe even tears from both you and your baby. Nyssa's postpartum kit aims to directly support nursing parents with a postpartum bralette that doubles as a nursing bra. The bra can accommodate the kit's two included hot-cold nursing pads, which are super clutch to help coax your milk down, soothe blocked ducts, or relieve pain from engorgement.

Since Nyssa is a period care brand, it only makes sense that the kit also comes in strong with uniquely designed underwear to handle postpartum bleeding. Parents will get a machine-washable absorbent pair of undies with a front pocket design to accommodate the two hot and cold packs that are included. One ice pack is specifically shaped for uterine use while the other is intended for perineal use, so you’re not stuck wearing diapers or ill-fitting mesh underwear for weeks.

Plus, we noticed in testing that not only are the eight heavy-duty pads soft, but they also have thick contouring around the edge, which helps them lock in a lot of fluid. We also appreciated the “Knowledge is Power” canvas tote so you can bring these essentials to the hospital. And if you decide you want more than one pair of these absorbent undies, Nyssa also offers a three-pack set you can buy separately.

We wish this kit included nursing pads to help with leakage, but we still consider it a great option because it’s the only kit we tested that features a nursing bra and hot-cold pads to ease initial nursing discomfort.

The Details:

Postpartum parents definitely deserve a little pampering, which is why this luxurious kit includes offerings beyond perineal aftercare. The kit includes typical postpartum healing items like mesh underwear, hot/cold packs, and herbal-infused maxi pads, and then adds in some additional postpartum self-care goodies like a sitz bath spray, stretch mark balm, an affirmation card, and a candle. The brand also offers a great C-section kit that’s ideal for gifting.

Our tester did note that this kit includes winged pads, which is important to prevent leaking during the postpartum recovery period. In testing, they absorbed liquid easily and could hold a lot even though the pads feature a thin design. And our expert doula gave this kit high marks for including perineal-specific disposable wipes.

This is a nice kit, but since it includes items that can be purchased separately from other brands, the splurge price may not be justified for some. Our onsite expert doula felt that the inclusion of so many witch hazel-infused products may be more placebo than factually beneficial. Studies are mixed on how effective witch hazel is at perineal healing and some people may experience irritation with use.

The Details:

For more natural-minded parents, Earth Mama’s Postpartum Recovery Collection is a bundled kit of some of its bestselling prenatal and postpartum solutions. It includes the Herbal Perineal Spray, Organic Herbal Sitz Bath, Organic Periodic Tea, Organic Perineal Balm, Organic Nipple Butter, Organic Milkmaid Tea, and Booby Tubes. Specifically for nursing parents, the Booby Tubes are helpful since they can be placed in the microwave to create reusable warming pads that help soothe sore or swollen breasts and aid in milk letdown.

Reviews of this Earth Mama’s kit were mixed among our experts. Our onsite doula was skeptical of how effective the balms may be for speeding healing. On the other hand, Lucy Chapin, a certified nurse midwife, approved of the balms but also noted it would have been helpful if the kit included instructions for using them, such as how to perform C-section scar massage or when to start the scar balm.

Earth Mama's herbal milk tea also contains fenugreek, which should be used with caution by nursing parents, as it may lead to unpleasant side effects like gassiness and potential toxic exposure if consumed for extended periods.

The Details:

The star of the Frida Mom C-section recovery kit is the clear illustrated instruction booklet that makes using the peri bottle goof-proof. This seven-piece set features mostly universal postpartum essentials but also includes four silicone scar patches to support recovery and help reduce scarring after a C-section.

During testing, we loved how everything was effectively labeled, making it clear what each item was intended for. Universally, the expert doulas and midwives we queried also preferred the Frida Mom Upside Down Peri Bottle as one of the better-designed options that’s less likely to leak and easier to use. We also appreciated the Skip the Shower wipes that can be lifesavers during postpartum’s sleepless nights. Along with the peri bottle and scar patches, you’ll get a compression abdominal band, disposable underwear, shower wipes, grippy socks for the hospital, and a bathroom essentials tote bag to toss in your hospital bag and keep things organized.

This kit falls short in a few areas. It lacks absorbent maxi and nursing pads, and our testing revealed that the mesh underwear can feel rough against sensitive skin recovering from surgery. Our onsite expert doula also cautions that if scar patches are applied too soon before the incision has sufficiently healed or are worn for too long, the material could fuse to the incision site and create further irritation, so they should be used under professional guidance.

The Details:

To create our guide for the best postpartum recovery kits, we acquired 11 top-rated products and put them to the test in our Parents lab in New York City. We asked our testers to rate designated kits against a list of criteria we formulated with expert insight, and doula Megan Davidson, PhD, sat down with each of the testers to go over the products one by one. Our tester pool included members of our staff who have given birth and have first-hand insight into the recovery process and which items would be most useful. We asked them to consider the following:

To develop our testing criteria and provide informed recommendations for the best postpartum recovery kits, we consulted the following doulas and midwives, who provided feedback and recommendations:

Katrina Cossey is a commerce writer, enthusiastic shopper, and devoted mom. She spent several years in broadcast journalism but found her true passion in writing about the best products for families, pregnant people, and kids of all ages. She’s researched thousands of baby products, toys, gifts, and more and personally tested many of them. In her spare time, you’ll likely find her in the beautiful outdoors of Oklahoma with her husband and three-year-old son. Some of Katrina's favorite items in her postpartum recovery kit were perineal cold packs, an upside-down peri bottle, and sweet and salty snacks (Reese's peanut butter cups and pretzels, to be exact).

Dorian Smith-Garcia is a commerce, health, and parenting writer at Parents, where she reviews and tests pregnancy and baby gear and wellness products, and provides insider tips on can't-miss deals. She also provides firsthand knowledge of conscious and present parenting as a Millennial mom. Dorian is a mom to one 6-year-old daughter that she delivered via C-section. Her favorite recovery products were disposable underwear, a comfy glider with an ottoman for those marathon nursing sessions, a heavy-duty charging bank for her phone, and nursing-friendly bras and tops.

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