I am 27wk 3d, with my first baby, and with only 12 more weeks to go give er take. With the reading i've done here and in the book they gave me at the doctor I understand that after birth comes pain & discomfort as well as bleeding, possible stitches, painful urination, etc.
I know they have creams and highly recommend baths after urination and bowel movements.
My question is what pads mom's have used for the bleeding. I've used tampons since I've been able too and was never a fan of the pads and the fear of smelling bad. And after birth even though I am in the comfort of my own home I still do not want to feel like I have this odor or icky feeling. Or fear of leaking I know it can happen but if there are pads that truly work it'd be awesome because after the first week my hubby will be back at work so it will be my little man and I for the majority part of the day so soaking every time I use the bathroom probably will not be an option especially because I urinate a lot with kidney and bladder issues non-related to pregnancy.
Also is doughnut worth purchasing or any other things you felt were a must have after giving birth.
Thank you in advance.
Re: after birth
In memory of Corbin Scott 10/28/11-12/3/11. Heaven got another angel the night you left this world behind Heaven got a little better the day it took you away from me Missing you tonight, see you again sometime For now I'll close my eyes and dream of heaven tonight I'll love you forever I'll like you for always Now and Forever My baby you'll be
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The hospital will give you giant pads that you will NEED for the first few days and then the bleeding turns into light/medium flow for a couple weeks. I would say to buy over night pads and regular pads. Overnight pads, just in case your bleeding is really heavy for a while. I also bled more when I breastfed in the beginning b/c of uterine contractions.
Do not take a bath after you pee!! You are not supposed to get in water for at least 4 weeks, but most doctors say 6 weeks. Your all still open and it can cause an infection. The hospital will give you a peri bottle to rinse yourself off with after you pee.
These are things you should talk to your doctor about at your next appt.
After birth is the placenta. Then yes you'll bleed, It will be ok, I never noticed a smell after ds was born, just make sure you change your pad. Most hospitals will give you a squirt bottle to help with cleaning your lady bits.
You'll be fine
First of all, the hospital will give you lots of stuff. Take all of it home with you. The bleeding varies for everyone. I had to use pretty thick pads for weeks after my first. The hospital should give you stuff you can spray on the stitches to help ease the pain. The nurses will tell you everything you need to know. I wouldn't go out and buy anything until after the baby.
To be hoenst I odn't remember the pain being soooooooooooooo horrible. I mean it hurt, but I don't think a donut was necessary. I tore pretty badly too. I think I had a 2nd degree tear, but everyone is different.
I had stitches and my vulva was sore/swollen. So my vote is the ultra thins.
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
My Dr had me take a bath about 2 hours after having ds, Why would someone not be able to take a bath/ get in water for 4 weeks? The only thing I was told not to do was have sex for 4-6 weeks after having ds.
This is what I was told, too. My doctor told me not to take a bath until after my 6 week check-up
I second these pads.
I don't remember the pain being that bad after I was home. Just had to be mindful of sitting down and standing up, otherwise it wasn't very noticeable for me.
THIS.
I was lucky & only had a couple 1st degree tears (one the delivery Dr didn't even see, but my OB saw when I asked about the discomfort when sitting down). Neither required any stitches for me. You may or may not tear or require a episiotomy. For me there was discomfort afterwards, but I wasn't in agony. That was only my experience though. Other people DO have experiences on the opposite side of the spectrum. I wouldn't go out buying any special pillows you may not even need.
My 2 December boys
I liked Always Infinity overnights. My doctor said use the peri bottle for two weeks then I could do sitz baths, but no real baths for 6 weeks.
You are not supposed to take full baths, even with "plain water" because of the possibility of infection. Your cervix is still open, and if you have any stitches or tears in that area you want to avoid sitting in water for extended periods of time because it increases the chance of infection. Just how taking baths increases the risk of UTI and bladder infections even outside of pregnancy. I'm a nurse, so I think I know what I'm talking about. The PPs are correct when they say you should not take baths. The doctors that have given them this information are also correct. No offense, but you do not know more than a doctor.
ETA: OP, the hospital will give you everything that you need. Also, the Always with wings work well. You might want to get them on the thinner side, but longer, as PPs have mentioned if you plan on using the cooling/ice packs you will receive.
Target had a bunch of large boxes of the thin Always overnight pads on clearance for $2 so I just bought a couple boxes of those. With ds1, I refused to use the pads with funky net underwear and I just wore depends because they were more comfortable and I was a heavy bleeder. DS2, I just used the thin overnight pads and they worked really well.
The hospital gave me a peri bottle both times to clean with after I used the bathroom- I had a 4th degree tear with DS1 so I needed to do a couple sitz baths each day and they helped, as well as dermaplast spray and tucks pads. A nurse actually brought in a baby diaper packed with ice to help the swelling on my lady bits with DS2 and it helped quite a bit.