You've just experienced one of the most difficult but beautiful moments of your life, the birth of your child! What happens next may leave you in pain and grossed out, but I'm here to share my experience and must-haves to hopefully shed some light.
While I was pregnant, I read many articles on birth and after birth, and it's the reason I felt a little more prepared for the aftermath. Some of the items on my list I had bought in preparation on the word of someone else's blog and found them super helpful. I wish I could give credit where credit is due, but when I said I read many articles, I meant A LOT.
I also need to state that my must haves are based on the fact I gave birth vaginally, if you have a cesarian this list may not apply to you. A lot of my must-haves helped me heal and ease pain in my nether regions;)
My Top Ten Postpartum Must-Haves
1. Depends Silouette- When I was reading articles written by new mothers, a lot of them mentioned how much they loved the mesh underwear the hospital gives out. I hated them! You're suppose to wear them with this gigantic pad and I found it uncomfortable and unstable. When I got home I had a package of these depends made for women and meant to feel like underwear. For me, it was night and day, I felt so much more comfortable. They tear off for easy clean up, and do a pretty good job when you can't make it to the bathroom. Trust me you don't want to wear normal underwear AT ALL.
2. Irrigation Bottle-This is something the hospital will give you because you're not suppose to wipe with toilet paper after birth. You use this to rinse and dab, when I got home I found dabbing with a soft wash cloth was better than toilet paper. I just put a small pail near the toilet for used washcloths and put clean ones on the back of the toilet. Fill up your irrigation bottle with my next must have.
3. Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera, and Lavender oil- this mixture is amazing. I put a diluted version of this mixture into my irrigation bottle for a cleansing rinse. I got the idea from the popular padscicles. I loved wearing a padscicle but I quickly became raw because of the moisture. I found using it as a rinse worked much better for me.
4. Dermoplast- I was given the miracle spray at the hospital as well. After rinsing and dabbing, use a quick spray of this and the pain is numbed for a while. I had to use very little pain medication, only tylenol and ibuprofen. I believe that I was able to deal with a lot of the pain because of this stuff.
5. Postpartum girdle-This is an expensive must-have, but I had my baby right before my birthday so mine was a gift. I loved my Mamastrut girdle for several reasons! Firstly, it has compression for your vagina. A lot of my pain had to do with the feeling that there was a lot pressure going down down down. It also was the reason I felt I couldn't make it to the bathroom. The compression from the three straps between your legs makes getting up and down a breeze and making it to the bathroom easier. Another thing I loved was the insert for an ice pack!
6. Ice packs/heating pad-After I left the hospital, the nurse told me to lay off the ice and start using heat. That was hard for me because the ice felt so good, but I basically sat on ice or heat for several days after I left the hospital. I definitely felt alternating heat and cold helped my healing process and my pain tolerance.
7. Errand People-I had friends and family help me out so much when I got home from the hospital, but don't be afraid to ask for help. For me, I could always ask my mom for anything. She brought us groceries and necessities everyday, and I never needed to get out for those errands. Find that person for you and take advantage, trust me getting out is a huge deal and painful.
8. Casseroles-Accept casseroles with appreciation because I was extremely hungry from being up all hours and breastfeeding. It's so easy to pop a square of casserole in the microwave on a paper plate for an easy meal when you're alone. I was eating casserole at 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning! If your still prepping and nesting, I suggest making a few now and putting them in the freezer.
9. Coconut oil-Your best friend! Trust me so many uses, this stuff is amazing. For postpartum mommy, I never had chapped nipples. I thought it was easier than using lanolin because it melts and spreads easily. I just kept a jar near at all times and every time I fed I put a little on. Since it was so handy I also used it for dry hands. For baby, wiping is so much easier with a little oil and keeps baby soft skin super soft. Check out my newborn must haves for more info!
10. Disposable Breast Pads-I had reusable cloth pads but they would leak and get stuck to my nipple! I much preferred the disposable and trust me you'll need something. In those early days, your milk supply is increasing and decreasing rapidly to try and find the balance for your baby's needs. I always leaked a little but I especially leaked if my baby fell asleep on my chest or I got too hot. The warmth I think was the main issue.
I hope you found this list helpful in making you more comfortable to enjoy that beautiful baby of yours!
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