I remember when asked in a childbirth class that was the thing I was most worried about in my pregnancy, I said “the whole labor and delivery” part. (BTW, Neal’s Birth Story here). But ask me now and I’ll say I’m more worried about what comes after- postpartum recovery. Honestly, other than a few bumps and the extreme pain at the end of my labor, I was fine with the labor and delivery. But the pain and inconvenience that came after, the inability to move or sit or walk or lie down normally really made me sad and uncomfortable.
The hospital really does take care of you in your postpartum and we had some amazing nurses who helped me in getting more comfortable and heal and recover. But, as you might know, I am someone who researches everything, a number of times. So, I had done a whole of research on postpartum recovery essentials. Now, I didn’t use everything that I bought but I want to share those items that I actually used and are definitely essentials in postpartum recovery.
- Tucks pads– these are seriously amazing. These are basically circular witch hazel pads that you can put on your underwear and it has cooling sensation which honestly feels so good!
- Peri Bottle– Your hospital should give you one of these but I really prefer this from Frida mom because it has an upside-down nozzle which makes it a little easier to sprinkle water.
- Dermoplast– This is a pain and itch relieving spray they give you at the hospital to lessen the pain down there since it dies get a little too much with all the stitches and pushing a baby out!
- Maternity underwear– I stocked up on these even before I had Neal. These are the most absorbing ones that you can find, in my opinion and helped me so much with the initial bleedings.
- Stool Softener– Don’t think I need to explain this 🙂
- Nursing bra– Definitely need these if you’re breastfeeding. I got these ones from amazon and they come in a number of colors. They are also very comfortable to wear with no underwire.
- Pumping bra– Another essential if you’re also pumping or only pumping. This has adjustable Velcro in the back so it adjusts with the changes in your breasts once the milk comes in.
- Breast pump– I mean, you can’t pump without a pump 🙂
- Belly band– I haven’t been consistent with using this lately but you still look very pregnant once you give birth. So, this was nice to use to get some compression around the belly.
- Breast ice pack– Let me tell you if no one has, once your milk comes in, it feels like your breasts are on fire, literally! The lactation consultant at our hospital told me to put some ice packs on the breasts to help with that and oh my god it felt awesome! Additionally, you can also heat these up in the microwave to help with the letdown.
There it is! Everything I use, EVERYDAY in my new life as a new mom 🙂
