All Things First Time Mom Edition
a first-time mom sharing my favorite baby items, helpful tips, mom hacks, and honest recommendations to make your motherhood journey easier. I’m so glad you’re here! 🤍

Postpartum
Postpartum refers to the period after birth — the days, weeks, and months when your body is healing, your hormones are shifting, and your identity is reshaping. It’s often called the “fourth trimester,” and honestly… that name couldn’t be more accurate.
Your body just created, carried, and delivered a human.
Now it’s recovering while you simultaneously learn to care for a newborn. That is not a small thing. Your postpartum journey is just as important as your baby’s newborn journey.
Your body, mind, and heart are healing and adapting — and they need attention, gentleness, and care.
Taking care of yourself isn’t a luxury.
It’s a necessity.
And you deserve it — truly.
Disposable postpartum underwear https://amzn.to/4onYvtS is a must-have for those first days and weeks after birth. Postpartum bleeding (lochia) can be heavy, and the body is often tender, swollen, or recovering from stitches or a C-section incision. Disposable underwear provides full coverage, holds pads securely, and saves you from extra laundry when you’re already exhausted. They’re soft, stretchy, and designed for comfort—much easier than regular underwear during recovery. Perfect for staying clean, supported, and leak-free without any added stress.
Witch hazel pads https://amzn.to/4nZX18O are a soothing lifesaver during postpartum recovery. They help calm swelling, irritation, and soreness—especially after vaginal birth or if you’re dealing with hemorrhoids. Lining your pad or disposable underwear with a few witch hazel pads (or making “padcicles”) gives cooling relief that makes sitting, standing, and moving around much more comfortable.
Dermaplast spray https://amzn.to/3Xy7xt2 offers instant cooling relief for tender postpartum areas. It’s especially helpful if you’re sore, swollen, or healing from stitches. A quick spray helps numb discomfort, making bathroom trips, sitting, and moving around much easier.
Tucks pads https://amzn.to/3WVZHJA are cooling medicated pads that help soothe swelling, irritation, and hemorrhoids—common during postpartum. They’re gentle, easy to use, and provide instant relief. You can layer them on a pad or use them on their own to calm soreness and make everyday movement more comfortable.
Colace (stool softener) https://amzn.to/4oMXlJg can be helpful in the early postpartum days when bowel movements may feel uncomfortable due to soreness, stitches, or pressure. It helps keep things gentle and easier to pass, which can reduce stress as your body heals. Always check with your healthcare provider first to make sure it’s right for you.
Nipple butter https://amzn.to/3WWVTYD helps soothe and moisturize tender or cracked nipples, especially in the early days of breastfeeding or pumping. It provides gentle relief, supports skin healing, and can make feeding sessions much more comfortable. Many formulas are safe to use before and after nursing, making it an easy everyday essential.
Peri bottle https://amzn.to/4r3RbpF makes postpartum bathroom trips much more comfortable. Instead of wiping tender or sensitive areas, you can gently rinse with warm water to stay clean and reduce discomfort—especially helpful if you have stitches, swelling, or irritation. It’s a simple tool that makes hygiene easier while your body heals. I love the Frida Mom peri bottle because the angled spout makes it so much easier to use—especially when bending or reaching is uncomfortable after birth. The design lets you spray exactly where you need relief without awkward positioning, which makes every bathroom trip gentler and less stressful.
Pads https://amzn.to/4r8QQlM with disposable underwear is the perfect postpartum combo. The disposable underwear gives you full coverage and support, while the pad adds the absorbency you need for heavy lochia. Together, they keep you comfortable, secure, and leak-free without worrying about washing anything during those first recovery days.
The Best Bottles for Breastfed Babies: What Makes Each One Unique
Choosing a bottle for a breastfed baby can feel overwhelming — but the right bottle can help protect your breastfeeding journey, support a natural latch, and make switching between breast and bottle feel smooth and stress-free. Below is a simple, mom-friendly breakdown of some of the best bottles for breastfed babies and what makes each one special.
- Evenflo Balance + Wide Neck https://amzn.to/3Xb5fQC
- Designed with pediatric feeding specialists to support a “wide latch” so baby can latch similarly to the breast.
- The nipple is “naturally sloped,” giving a proper resting place for the lips and reducing mouth fatigue.
- Includes a slow-flow nipple to avoid “chugging” — helps the baby feed at a calm pace.
- One-piece integrated vent (Proflo Venting) helps reduce colic, gas, and fussiness, without a lot of extra parts to clean.
- Designed with pediatric feeding specialists to support a “wide latch” so baby can latch similarly to the breast.
- NUK Perfect Match Baby Bottle https://amzn.to/43G9tDw
- The nipple is super soft, skin-like silicone that adapts to the baby’s palate — intended to mimic a more natural, breast-like feel.
- Wide, gradual slope triggers “intuitive feeding reflexes” for easier switching between breast and bottle.
- Built-in anti-colic vent to reduce gas or discomfort.
- A “SafeTemp” indicator: color changes to show if milk is too hot.
- The nipple is super soft, skin-like silicone that adapts to the baby’s palate — intended to mimic a more natural, breast-like feel.
- Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle https://amzn.to/4od1B3H
- Uses the Natural Response nipple, which only flows when the baby actively sucks. This mimics breastfeeding rhythm — when baby stops sucking (to breathe/swallow), milk stops.
- The nipple has a wide, breast-shaped design, supporting a more natural latch-on.
- The nipple has “petals” (internal structures) that make it soft and flexible without collapsing.
- Twin anti-colic valve design: vents air into the bottle, not into the baby’s tummy.
- Wide neck bottle → easier to clean and fill.
- Uses the Natural Response nipple, which only flows when the baby actively sucks. This mimics breastfeeding rhythm — when baby stops sucking (to breathe/swallow), milk stops.
- Pigeon PP Wide‑Neck Baby Bottle https://amzn.to/4ietwP9
- Wide-neck design more closely resembles the shape and feel of a breast, making it easier for breastfed babies to transition.
- Soft “SofTouch” nipple with a peristaltic teat (i.e., flexible and mimics natural feeding movement) helps encourage natural suckling.
- Anti-colic system: advanced air vent system to minimize swallowed air.
- The PP (polypropylene) material is light, and the wide opening makes cleaning easier. Wide-neck bottles are often recommended for cleaning and for latch.
- Wide-neck design more closely resembles the shape and feel of a breast, making it easier for breastfed babies to transition.
- Lansinoh Anti‑Colic Baby Bottle https://amzn.to/3K7H96j
- Uses the NaturalWave nipple, which has a wide base and gradual slope, designed to “mold to your baby’s mouth.” According to Lansinoh, this helps mimic breastfeeding and supports a secure latch.
- The air-ventilation system (AVS) reduces how much air the baby swallows — helps lower gas, fussiness, and spit-up.
- Nipple is flexible yet strong, which supports baby-led feeding (i.e., baby controls the pace).
- Clinically “proven” (per their marketing) to help minimize nipple confusion.
- Dr. Brown’s Options+ Wide‑Neck Bottle https://amzn.to/4odIiqS
- Has an internal vent system that is clinically proven to reduce colic, spit-up, gas, and burping.
- The nipple is breast-like in shape, encouraging a more natural latch, which helps with back-and-forth feeding.
- The “Options+” version means the internal vent is removable, so as baby grows, you can simplify the bottle (less parts) without switching brands.
- The wide-neck version is explicitly designed for breastfed babies or for those who need a breast-like latch.
- Consistent flow: The nipple flow rate stays the same across the same “level” nipples (so switching won’t surprise baby).
- Has an internal vent system that is clinically proven to reduce colic, spit-up, gas, and burping.
The vent system also protects breast milk nutrients (they claim it “better preserves” vitamins) by reducing exposure to air.
Comparison & Analysis: Why These Bottles Are Good for Breastfed Babies
- Wide or Breast-Shaped Nipples
- Evenflo Balance +, Avent Natural, Pigeon, Lansinoh, and Dr. Brown’s all have wide or sloped nipples. Wide nipples help mimic the breast shape, supporting a deep, proper latch which is more similar to nursing.
- Soft or flexible nipples (NUK Perfect Match, Lansinoh, Avent) more closely resemble breast tissue, which helps maintain or encourage a natural latch.
- Evenflo Balance +, Avent Natural, Pigeon, Lansinoh, and Dr. Brown’s all have wide or sloped nipples. Wide nipples help mimic the breast shape, supporting a deep, proper latch which is more similar to nursing.
- Flow Control
- Avent’s Natural Response nipple only releases milk when baby actively sucks. This mimics breastfeeding “on-demand” rather than constant flow.
- Evenflo’s slow-flow nipple intentionally slows the milk to avoid chugging, which helps baby feed at their own pace.
- Dr. Brown’s consistent flow rate across same-level nipples helps predictability for baby — reducing frustration.
- Anti-Colic / Venting Systems
- Many of these bottles have vent systems to reduce swallowed air:
- Evenflo: one-piece internal vent
- NUK: anti-colic vent
- Pigeon: advanced air-vent system
- Lansinoh: NaturalWave AVS
- Dr. Brown’s: internal vent that is removable later
- Evenflo: one-piece internal vent
- These vents help with gas, spit-up, and make the feeding more comfortable for baby (and for parents).
- Many of these bottles have vent systems to reduce swallowed air:
- Ease of Cleaning
- Wide-neck bottles (like Avent, Pigeon, Evenflo) are easier to fill and clean because the opening is broader.
- Fewer parts matter: some vent systems are more complex, but others (like Evenflo’s) are integrated to reduce extra parts.
- Wide-neck bottles (like Avent, Pigeon, Evenflo) are easier to fill and clean because the opening is broader.
- Latch Preservation / Transition Ease
- The more a bottle’s nipple mimics a breast in shape, softness, and flow, the easier it is for a baby to switch between breast and bottle (or go back to breast) without “preferring” one over the other.
- The more a bottle’s nipple mimics a breast in shape, softness, and flow, the easier it is for a baby to switch between breast and bottle (or go back to breast) without “preferring” one over the other.
For families who want to combine breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, that is a big deal — these bottles help protect breastfeeding skills.


