no for my second pregnancy 😩
this is based solely on my experience!!
1. lactation bakes
i was SOLD at a baby fair while i was pregnant, and got a $400 package where they would send bakes + cookies to my home weekly for a month. in the end, it was difficult for me to keep up with the recommended serving (or 8-10 cookies a day) because of how many other things you have to eat during confinement. anyway, not much research on them + i do not have any experience before to compare to. but without eating them regularly and by the recommended amount, i already am an oversupplier -- it really is just supply and demand more than anything i guess!! so pumping/nursing more = more.
2. tcm consult
i got a tcm consultation session at my hospital and had medication prescribed with it for my recovery. however, with tcm medication, they require me to not breastfeed for the next hour 😩 it became super difficult to keep to it because i got stressed about timing it right with my baby!! especially being the first few weeks when youre trying to establish bf & do not want to introduce a bottle!! still struggling to finish my tcm medication because i didnt dare to risk that hour after 😂
3. pnsg premium massage
OK THIS IS SUPER SPECIFIC but i got a package with pnsg for postnatal massage and i got the premium one which was 11 sessions (with 3 slimming sessions). i think the 3 sessions were (1) a scrub (2) a slimming cream (3) mud scrub and honestly, i did not enjoy them or felt they were as useful as the rest of the sessions!! i would just get their signature package, without these 3 sessions, and just enjoy the massages + the binding!! i really think those are very enjoyable and beneficial already!!
4. a cleaner DURING confinement
we didnt have a confinement nanny or any help during the first month. it was just my husband and i, and we did schedule a cleaner to come in the middle of it. it was helpful but the mess just kept piling up so quickly that i feel like it would just have been better to get a cleaner to come after the first month when we were more sane 😂 also couldnt nap when the cleaner was around so if our opportunity to sleep was during that time, it was a struggle 😂
overall, these are some of the bigger purchase regrets!! i do have some smaller ones (things in my hospital bag etc.) that i might talk about in the future!!
what other postpartum purchase regrets did you have?
From my experience, one of the key takeaways about postpartum purchases is that not everything marketed as essential or premium actually fits your personal needs or lifestyle. For example, the lactation bakes sounded promising since they are designed to boost milk supply with recommended servings of 8-10 cookies a day. However, juggling other confinement foods and the sheer volume required to see effects can be overwhelming and impractical. Timing and restrictions related to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) consultations and medications can also add stress, especially if you are focused on establishing exclusive breastfeeding. The mandatory hour gap after taking TCM meds before feeding made me anxious about bottle introductions. For some moms, this may not be an issue, but it does highlight the importance of planning for compatibility with your breastfeeding goals. Regarding postnatal massages, packages with additional slimming treatments may seem attractive but aren't always necessary or enjoyable. The core massage sessions that include binding were the most beneficial and relaxing for me. This reinforces the idea that simpler, well-chosen recovery activities might bring more genuine comfort than extensive add-ons. Hiring a cleaner during the confinement period helped when it came to keeping the home in order, but in practice, the constant mess and difficulty timing naps around the cleaner made me question if it was best to wait until after that first intense month. Support systems during confinement can vary greatly, so assessing what truly helps versus what adds pressure is crucial. In general, take time to research and reflect on your postpartum needs based on your lifestyle, support network, and feeding plans. It’s also helpful to connect with other mothers’ real experiences to gain insight before making significant postpartum purchases. Sometimes, the simplest choices provide the best recovery outcomes.
