As you can probably imagine, giving birth to a baby causes some physical aftermath. You will probably be sore after delivering and you may have healing stitches to contend with. You’ll probably experience some cramping as your organs contract and return to their original “homes.” The extra fluids your body has created to support your growing baby will now need to be eliminated. And the physical pressure of carrying a baby in your body may have caused some other issues, like hemorrhoids or varicose veins, which you’ll now be trying to relieve.

So don’t forget to head to the drugstore and stock up on supplies for yourself before the big event. Here are some of the things you’ll want to have on hand:

If you have your baby via cesarean section, your doctor will probably prescribe you stronger drugs to use in the first few days after giving birth. Most women who’ve had uncomplicated vaginal deliveries can get by with over-the-counter pain relief. Prescription pain meds may interfere with your ability to initiate breastfeeding and make some women feel loopy and out of it while they’re trying to get to know their new baby, so try to use the OTC drugs if you can. Maybe you’ll find that you have no need for medical pain relief at all, but it’s a good idea to have it on hand just in case.

The herbs Crampbark and/or Motherwort can help with the discomfort. Pick up a tincture (an extraction of an herb in liquid form) from a health food store. Five to twenty drops in a small amount of water every few hours will help ease cramping. You can also buy a prepared mixture called After-Ease that is a little harder to find but can be purchased online. And of course you can always take the wonderful homeopathic remedy arnica, which can help with bruising or tissue trauma you may experience when you give birth. Another great homeopathic remedy that promotes healing and, like arnica, comes in both tablets and a cream is Traumeel.

You may also wish to pick up a product called Rescue Remedy at the health food store. This is a flower essence that many swear by to help calm anxiety. Perfect for those moments of stress when you have a new baby in the house! (You can also safely put a few drops in your cat or dog’s water bowl to help them adjust to the commotion.)

Here’s a cool trick: Soak a couple of maxi pads in water, gently squeeze out the excess, and stick them in the freezer. You’ll have perfectly shaped ice packs for your tender parts in case you experience postpushing soreness or bruising. You can also fill rubber gloves with ice blended with a bit of water and tie the end to create a flexible, soft ice pack that will move with you.

I recommend creating several totes stocked with supplies and keeping them in the rooms you’ll be most likely to spend time in when you come home from the hospital. Simple plastic dish tubs will work fine, as will one of those famous grid totes that now populate your bathrooms and your kitchen . . . there’s no need to be fancy, as you won’t be using most of these supplies for long. Group these supplies by purpose and place of use. If you will be splitting your recovery time between the bedroom and the sofa, you might want to have a tote stocked with maxi pads, Tuck’s pads, and a peri-bottle in the master bathroom and one in the hall bathroom. In the living room and bedroom, you could have totes with nursing pads, nipple cream, reading material, a heating pad, and pain medication. Once you’ve sorted your supplies into their proper totes, there’s no reason to hang on to packaging. Get rid of it, and it will be one less piece of clutter to worry about when you come home with your baby.

This has been a short week. Shopping for all these supplies will take some time and I don’t want to overwhelm you with a long to-do list at this late state of your pregnancy. You have a lot to think about and dwell on right now. Once you’ve got your supplies, put your feet up and relax!