Hellobee

During pregnancy, we spend so much time preparing for our baby that we can forget about ourselves. The month following birth requires a lot of healing and patience and can be really hard to adjust if you don’t know what to expect. I was thankful that my sister had given birth approximately six months before me; I saw the entire experience first-hand. I was really shocked at what a woman’s body goes through to give birth, and the healing that must take place afterwards. I am lucky that I was educated going into birth, but many women don’t have that opportunity.

The postpartum period was really hard for me. I cried more because I was in so much pain and uncomfortable than I did because of new mom nerves. It was a very emotional time for me, and I hope that with the proper education and preparation, it won’t be for other first time moms. Here is my list of postpartum essentials that got me through that rough first month. I will warn you that this is me being completely open and honest about my postpartum experience!

Following birth, I was taking two ibuprofen daily to help with the swelling “down there” as well as the pain in general. It was so helpful. It may seem like a mild pain-killer but it was my dear friend. I was allowed to have two pills a day and I promise I never skipped doses! Be sure to check with your doctor or midwife before taking any pain medication though.

2. Herbal Sitz Bath

My midwife gave me a wonderful pack of herbs containing things like witch hazel, comfrey, lavender and more, that truly helped speed along my recovery. My husband steeped them for me in boiling water, and added them to my bath. I wish I had known about the healing power of these soothing herbs before birth, because I would have stocked up. I found this amazing mix of herbs from Etsy seller Timedesigns. I am bookmarking them for the future! I soaked in the herbs my midwife gave me once a day for the first two weeks and I truly believe that it helped me heal faster than I would have on my own. You can also use these herbs in a peri-bottle, or on the rags you freeze. Speaking of the peri-bottle: be sure your hospital or midwife gives you one to take home! This is an absolute necessity!

3. Copco Cup

As far as thirst, I kept mostly water on hand, as well as lemons. My Copco cup was very appreciated – I really liked the fact that it had a straw as it made it easier to drink while holding or nursing my baby.

4. New Mama Bottom Spray

My next favorite product that I couldn’t have done without is the Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Spray. It’s designed specifically for postpartum mothers. I sprayed it every time I used the bathroom. It was soothing and a naturally wonderful blend of organic ingredients. It also helps on postpartum hemorrhoids. I ran out pretty quickly, so next time I’ll be sure to have two bottles of it.

5. Ice-packs

I fell in love with the ice-paks that are offered in the hospital. I really wish I had asked to take some home with me. As an alternative, you can cut up some rags (I used hand-me-down flannel receiving blankets) into long rectangles, soak them in witch hazel and freeze them. The initial shock of the cold is… shocking, but it becomes soothing very, very quickly. It is easy to either wash to reuse them, or just throw them out. It wasn’t until recently though that I found these ice packs I linked to – they are reusable (just be sure to wash them really well) and designed for postpartum mamas!

6. Underpads

And as if we’re not being candid enough here: I never thought I would say this but adult diapers became my best friend. I had serious issues with incontinence following birth (perhaps due to my needing a catheter, though either way the bladder is significantly weakened following birth). It was embarrassing for sure. My husband really had two babies to care for during his week off. The diapers saved us from many messes and excess laundry. I wore them about two weeks before I felt like I could feel my muscles well enough in order to use them effectively. Of course they also help with the insane amount of bleeding that occurs in the weeks following birth. I linked to underpads because I didn’t really want diapers pictured in the guide! haha! Although these underpads were awesome as well – again they were something that my hospital let me take home (along with the awesome mesh undies!) and I slept on them for about a week until my bleeding was under control.

7. Latch Assist

This is an amazing product for those who are planning to breastfeed. I had flat nipples and this latch assist helps to extend the nipple enough to allow baby to have an effective latch. There were many moments of frustration with breastfeeding if J couldn’t latch on, which happened a lot due to initial oversupply.

8. Healthy Snacks

I found that I was extremely hungry and thirsty while my body was recovering, as well as trying to produce food for another little human. I ate as often as my newborn! Having healthy snacks on hand was very helpful; nuts, dried fruit, protein and snack bars, and granola were a few I particularly loved. I recently found this subscription box and it looks amazing!

9.  Hyland’s Calms Forte Sleep Aid

The adrenaline from labor and birth kept me reeling and unable to sleep for days. I found an amazing natural remedy that didn’t leave me feeling groggy when I had to wake up 2-3 hours later, but gave me restful sleep. Hylands Calms Forte also works to relieve the stress that can come with new-parent anxiety. As with any type of “medication,” whether natural or not, be sure to run it by your doctor/midwife. I was able to take these in the hospital to help me calm down and take a nap, but I did need approval from my OB.

10. Organic reusable breast pads

I went through about four pairs of these a day – I was so leaky for months! I usually doubled up, especially at night. I also made sure to pack extra (and an extra shirt) in the diaper bag whenever I left the house. Buying the reusable breast pads is a lot more cost effective than the disposable ones. However,  I did like the disposable ones a little bit more just because they are also lined with waterproof plastic so that generally they don’t leave wet spots on your clothes that are visible for all to see.

Did you have anything that helped you get through that initial rough postpartum period?