postpartum is no joke...
After giving birth, you will experience discomfort that you never thought would be possible. Comfort will be your main priority, apart from your new bundle of joy of course. The key is to understand that you don’t have to suffer postpartum if you have the right tools. That is where this list comes into play. Please note that I have personally used all of the items listed below and highly recommend them.
after you use the restroom...
If you give birth vaginally, your main pain point for a few weeks will be your vagina. Going to the restroom will now be a production that will take at least 20 minutes to complete. The reason being, you have many things to consider now that you are in recovery.
- Spray yourself with warm water using the Peri Bottle (since you can’t wipe)
- If your vagina burns, spray it with the dermoblast spray
- Place your new pad in your cotton underwear
- Get 3 witch hazel wipes and place them on the pad
- slowly pull up your underwear and make sure everything is in a good place and comfortable
- Extra: Use the Padsicles if the burning is not subsiding.
After giving birth, you want to be comfortable. I ordered these because I knew during postpartum I would not want to wear my yoga pants or obvious pajama pants every day. after wearing them in the hospital, I bought 2 more! They are so cute, I wore them out of the house until I fit into my regular pants again. They have a silk-like texture, breathable, and stretch to fit your postpartum belly perfectly.
These underwear are great for supporting large pads because they stretch & have lots of coverage. The best part, you can throw them away if needed. These felt great, especially over my jelly belly after giving birth.
Thick Pads are more comfortable and safer than your normal overnight pads. You will have a period-like discharge that will last for a couple of days or even weeks. If you tore like me, you will experience some pain walking, coughing, sneezing, laughing, and peeing for at least 5 days. The good news is, it does not last forever
I don’t know if this is only for women who get stitches, but going to the restroom burns. This spray has a cooling effect that gives your private area instant relief after you pee. Just do a quick spray directly on yourself or spray the pad before putting it on. It’s great!
The nurses in the hospital gave me these tucks as part of my postpartum care. After you put your pad in your underwear, you place three of these witch hazel wipes in a row down your pad to help soothe your lady parts. They have an amazing cooling effect that lasts longer than the dermoblast spray.
These postpartum pads go in the fridge or freezer. Put one over your pad when you need relief. Add the witch hazel wipes on top of this pad so your vagina doesn’t get a direct hit from the cold. They come with covers you can wash in case you get any discharge on them.
A peri-bottle is used instead of wiping yourself after using the restroom. You fill the bottle with warm water and squirt this on your vagina after using the bathroom during postpartum. It has a “V” shape so you can put it below you while sitting on the toilet. You won’t have to maneuver when you squeeze the water so it can shoot upwards.
It is so scary to feel the need to push after having a baby. You won’t poop for a few days into postpartum recovery. Thankfully, with a stool softener like Colace, it is not as traumatic as you would think. It is recommended that you take at least 2 stool softeners a day to help with the pain of pushing. Just don’t forget to take it!
if you tore, or just sore, sitz baths help with postpartum recovery. The bath is easy to set up and effective. You can sit in the bath on your toilet for up to 20 minutes. Put hot/warm water and about 3/4 cup of sitz. Once you are done, tip the bath until the water starts running through the back holes into the toilet.
With the sitz toilet bath, you will need the sitz salt. A little goes a long way. Some people don’t like the tingly feeling, but it just means the salt is working! It is recommended to do this daily for 20 minutes during postpartum recovery. Maybe while dad is with the baby you can spare some time before taking a shower.