My go-to baby shower gift isn't for the baby — I put together a gift basket with these 8 postpartum recovery products instead

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• Postpartum recovery products are not what come to mind when most people think of baby shower gifts.
• As a new mom, I cherished the moments with my daughter, but I was also in pain.
• So when my best friend became pregnant 10 months after me, I knew the best baby shower gift I could give her was a basket of products to help her recover after childbirth.
• The items on this list are great for soothing engorged breasts and sore nipples and easing vaginal pain and tenderness.

When my mother was pregnant with me and getting ready to pack her hospital bags, her midwife asked her if "she had packed any pads."

My mom's response was "Oh! Will I have time in the hospital to write thank-you cards for baby gifts?" She was totally unaware of the realities of postpartum recovery.

When I was pregnant with my first baby, my mom broached this topic with me by telling me that story and following it up with: "You know you'll be bleeding for a while, right?"

And yes, I knew that, but quite frankly, I was surprised by the stinging, bruising, and soreness that I felt for weeks after delivering an 8-pound, 6-ounce baby two weeks before her due date.

While we've come a long way since my mother wasn't sure which pads she was supposed to pack, physical recovery after childbirth is still a taboo topic. We tend to focus on how good it feels to have a little tiny baby snuggled up on our chest during the first few weeks. That does feel amazing, and as a new mom, I cherished every moment of baby snuggles, coos, and stretches, but it hurt. Everything hurt.

So when my best friend got pregnant 10 months after I did, I decided to create a gift basket of postpartum recovery products for her baby shower.

A shower is a rite of passage for expecting parents, yet everyone gives adorable clothes and items for the new baby. What about the parent who brings a baby into the world though? They are a new human, too. One who needs their own set of products to make the transition post-pregnancy.