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Postpartum Must Haves to Help You Recover
Let’s face it. Labor in itself is T O U G H. But that postpartum period (also known as the fourth trimester) is a force to be reckoned with. Idk about you, but no one actually prepped me for the postpartum period and all of the things that I would have to go through as my body began to heal itself. Trust me, I went through a LOT…..from staying in the hospital 2 weeks after I delivered to encountering a third degree tear during delivery to trying to manage my preeclampsia after I had my son. If you haven’t checked out my birth story yet, I encourage you to read it here. At any rate, postpartum is NO joke, and it’s often not talked about enough. Many women truly don’t know what all they have to face in the 4th trimester. So I’m going to help you out because I wish someone had done the same for me. If you are looking for the absolute MUST HAVES during your postpartum period, then just keep reading. I’ve shared 11 Postpartum Must Haves to help you recover.
Disclaimer: The recommendations below are based on my own personal experience. If there is something listed here that you are unsure of, please consult with your doctor.
Postpartum Must Haves for the Vaginal Area
1. Peri Bottles
Okay girlfriend, this thing works WONDERS. After you deliver, you are going to be extremely sore and irritable down there. Possibly even swollen. Let me warn you now, AVOID USING TISSUE unless it’s the really soft kind. Otherwise, you can expect to have the tissue feel like it’s scraping your vajayay with sandpaper (and that’s not what you want). Take this Peri Bottle, and fill it with WARM water and use it once you have finished using the restroom. The warm water feels amazing!
2. Sitz bath
This is similar to #1, but you’re able to actually sit and soak. Some sitz bath kits come with a water bag that allows you to place Epsom salt in your bath. This will help your swelling and pain. I particularly used a kit that the hospital provided, but I also love this kit that is on Amazon.
3. Disposable Underwear
So they do give you those little white mesh underwear from the hospital. I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but I actually loved those mesh underwear. Very easy to put on, and if it got soaked, I could easily rip it off. However, a protip is to buy Depends from your local store. These are more durable and provide more protection against leaks.
4. Perineal Cold Packs
These things are GOLD, okay?!?! I was not supplied with enough of the Cold packs when I was discharged from the hospital, so I just had to buy more. I found a large pack on Amazon for a really good deal, and I snagged them up. You simply fold the pad in half to activate the cool setting, and place in your underwear. INSTANT relief!
5. Tuck’s Pads
These are essentially pads soaked in Witch Hazel, which simply helps with the healing process. I would place a few of these in my perineal cold pads like pepperoni on a sandwich. Sometimes, I would even take one of these pads and wipe myself with it for relief because I was not doing the tissue thing..haha.
6. Dermoplast Cold Spray
You have to have this on your list. I don’t think I would have known about it had I not had the tear, but it’s something every woman should have in the postpartum period. You literally just spray this on the area that hurts and/or burns, and the Dermoplast Spray will soothe, cool, and even moisturize the area.
7. Donut Cushion/Pillow
Thank you sweet Baby Jesus for this invention right here! Okay, remember how I said I suffered a 3rd degree tear during my delivery? Yeah, this pillow became a LIFESAVER for me. In case you don’t know, a third degree vaginal tear is a tear that extends into the muscle that surrounds the anus (anal sphincter) which can take longer than a few weeks to heal. Ouch I cringed even just typing that because I have serious PTSD. Sis, I could barely walk, let alone even sit down, because I was in so much pain. That’s why this Donut cushion came in handy. It supported me as I sat, and I promise I did not leave home without it.
Postpartum Must Haves for Breastfeeding
1.Nipple Cream
Breastfeeding is so beautiful, but boy can it hurt! Between the constant feeding (especially if your baby is cluster feeding) and/or pumping every 3 hours, your nipples can tend to be a bit raw. After each feeding, I would immediately place nipple cream on my nipples. I initially used Lanolin Nipple Cream.It’s pretty thick and greasy, but it got the job done. I had a friend buy me Earth Mama’s Nipple Butter, and that’s honestly been my favorite. It’s as smooth as butter and doesn’t leave the sticky residue feeling like the Lanolin does.
2. Hands free Pumping Bra
Hands-free is the way to be. Pumping can be such a daunting task. And I’m sure you don’t want to sit with your hands tied up for 30 minutes. I made that rookie mistake for several months, until I was introduced to the MomCozy Hands Free Pumping Bra. This made pumping (and my life in general) so much easier.
Miscellaneous Postpartum Must Haves to Help You Recover
1. Prenatal Vitamins
Listen to me carefully….DO NOT STOP TAKING THESE. Okay? Seriously, don’t. Keep taking them for at least 1 full year after you deliver and thank me later. Not only will it help continue to supply you with essential nutrients, but it will help keep your mood and energy boosted. You’re literally exhausted once you become a mom, so the vitamins really help. I also appreciated the fact that the vitamins helped my hair to grow back. There’s something called postpartum hair shedding that some of us will experience. I was one of the “lucky ones” that had my hair fall out (specifically around my edges). The prenatal vitamins helped my hair grow back after taking them consistently 6-8 months postpartum.
2. Stool Softener
The name tells it all. These pills help to keep the stool soft and prevents you from having hemorrhoids or popping your stitches out (if you had a bad tear). You don’t want to do any straining when using the bathroom. Also, if you’ve had a C-section and have been taking strong pain medicine, then that medication can cause constipation. You really can use any stool softener that you come across in the stores.
And there you have it. I just gave you 11 Postpartum Must Haves to help you recover. This list is not all-inclusive, but these are the only items I used in my postpartum stage. I’m hoping it helps. If you have already gone through the postpartum stage, then please comment and tell me if you’ve tried any of these items. If you’re currently going through the postpartum period, then comment and tell me what items you WILL be trying (You really should try them all). I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Take care, mama.
xoxo
Terrica