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October 2018 Moms
cdepperschmidt
member
Postpartum Prep Thread
cdepperschmidt
member
This thread is dedicated to all advice for healing and comfort post delivery. This includes advice for both vaginal and C sections. STM+ feel free to post products that were helpful, ways you made yourself comfortable and advice on healing post birth. FTM there is no such thing as a stupid question, so ask away. Also, if anyone wants to post advice or experiences that no one talks about, this is a good spot for that too.
Re: Postpartum Prep Thread
Dermoplast
Mesh panties
Squirt bottle (to dilute pee as you pee - less burning)
Giant pads (I plan on picking up some depends for after those are gone)
Tucks/witch hazel wipes
Make padsicles for at home
Take the stool softeners after birth
Be prepared to sweat like crazy at night
If breast feeding have easy to eat one handed meals/food
Have lots of snacks and water near where you are breastfeeding
I had my first Pp period around 8 weeks, but then went like 6 months before having another.
It’s one of those things where you should be prepared, but don’t stress if it doesn’t show up regularly for awhile.
One thing that I wish I did day 1 of being home: make sure there is a garbage bag or larger garbage can temporarily in the bathroom. With depends, larger pads, etc. our tiny little bathroom garbage can filled up fast. Something to consider!
So for some reason I was unaware that newborns need to eat every 2-3 hours. A nurse told me that at the hospital. And I never slept again...
I took what the hospital gave me. They told me to keep the peribottle, so I'm pretty sure that's yours regardless. If you have a vaginal birth you don't wipe for at least a week, dab only, which is why the bottle is so nice. Note: lukewarm water is your friend. Hot = holy fuckjng A. Cold = short scream. Think ahead.
Witch hazel pads are heaven, so is the spray of you have a vaginal birth. They told me to just put a witch hazel pad (thiers were little round pads) on the pad in the underwear and replace when you went to the bathroom.
I don't know if you need adult diapers, or a ton of pads. I think this varies by person. I only bled heavy for a day or so after I left the hospital (so 3 days total.) I bought a ton of pads that I didn't use. I had to go out to buy panty liners and light pads. I bled for maybe 2-3w with very little at the end.
Padsicles: my hospital provided them - they filled newborn diapers and froze them. They were lovely - for about 24 hours after birth. Then it was awful. So I didn't need any at home. Don't overestimate what you'll need. Plus if you end up a c-section, you won't need any.
New things: You must get an IV, at least at my hospital, jic and for fluids. They wouldn't remove it until I peed at least twice. The nurse also had to accompany me the first time (I think they meant to the 2nd too but I had to go, so I did) and showed me how to care for myself. It was actually really nice. My modesty was gone and she had seen me naked for the last hour shoving a baby out of me. The bathroom wasn't awkward at all - though outside of this situation I can understand how you'd think it would be.
With DS I got it around 3 months postpartum when I got Mirena put in.
I could never use adult diapers. They were much more uncomfortable than the mesh panties and giant pad combo. With DD I bled heavily for about 2 weeks, then it slowed down for another 3 weeks or so then stopped. With DS I bled somewhat heavily for about a week then pretty much spotted for a week or two after. The leukorrhea that you’ll have after has kind of a strong smell, so be prepared for that. Also Tucks pads were really nice and soothing. I didn’t make padsicles, just used the Tucks pads and Dermoplast.
If you’re BFing, be prepared for your uterus to contract every time you nurse for the first few days to a week. It was pretty uncomfortable for me but I’m sure that varies from person to person.
Oh, and BFing doesn’t necessarily make the weight fall off. It’s not true that it always does. I gained weight BFing both DD and DS.
shower chair - I got dizzy and really tired when I could shower so it made things easy if I could sit and not have to get all the way down to the tub
wicking cloth - helped soak up any leakage I had from my incision
peribottle - much easier to rinse myself off than try to bend over and reach
super loose pants or nightgowns - easy for going to the bathroom, plus no pressure on the incision
granny panties - again no pressure on the incision
giant overnight pads - not comfy, but better than blood everywhere
lots of pillows - it’s much easier to sleep sitting up, especially if you need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night
Hydration: When I was breastfeeding or pumping I would get incredibly thirsty. Like I was dying of dehydration, so have a large, filled water bottle with you at all times.
I would recommend having a boppy, my breast friend, etc around at all times. It was amazing especially after having a c-section.
+1 for taking anything you can from the hospital. They will just throw it away and you never know when that stuff is going to come in handy. My favorite hospital grabs were the peribottle, mesh panty things, extra pads, diapers and wipes.
Last time I bought these instead of making padcicles. I will do that again.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000K6TF1Y?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
Also, they will give you dermaplast, a peri bottle, which hazel pads at the hospital, but if you tear like I need you will end up buying more. H was able to find it all at Target.
I highly recommend a Sitz Bath for healing down there. Last time they gave me one at the hospital, but I had to ask for it. It’s just and easy way to soak everything down there.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000533E1/ref=mp_s_a_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1530668899&sr=8-4&keywords=sitz+bath+for+toilet&dpPl=1&dpID=31HKB6T3QCL&ref=plSrch
my pernium made moving hard. The toilet seat was just much easier, but I still had to use the wall and sink to get on and off the toilet.
I second the painful uterus contractions while breastfeeding. This went on for a couple weeks for me. They hurt, sometimes I was in tears.
I think the reason we are all mentioning stuff is that because everyone is so focused on the baby, the reality is that s/he will be fine, and it’s important not to forgot taking care of yourself because it’s easily overlooked.
I kept peanut butter sandwiches and bananas by my bed while nursing.
DH helped me with my first shower at home, the rest I was able to stand and do myself.
I found recovery wasn't that hard. I was walking around the maternity ward with DS twelve hours after the c-section.
I lived on the third floor of an apartment building and had no trouble going up and down the stairs.
Birth and post partum is so scary because there are a lot of unknowns, but most people are up and walking around while still in the hospital and when you get home there is so much to do for baby that your strength will come out and might surprise you.
If you end up with a c-section, make sure to ask for a binder. It basically helps hold your belly in so that it doesn’t jiggle while you’re moving around (it helps reduce pain since the incision won’t be moving around as much). I heard so many horror stories about the first pp poop that I never questioned taking the stool softener (and I didn’t have any issues - just let your body do the work instead of trying to push it out). Also, if you have a c section, a pillow on your abdomen is your best friend when you laugh, cough or sneeze.
I'll agree that recovery isn't necessarily awful. With DS, it was a little tougher because I had labored for 24 hours before the CS, and my body was a little more exhausted. With DD it was scheduled, and I knew what to expect (with recovery itself and also I had confidence that I could wing it with a baby, unlike DS) and it was a million times earlier. I was up and walking in the hospital both times as well.
I have mentioned it before but I will mention it as many times as I can because it made an enormous difference... but I had really bad hemorrhoids post-partum. The stool softeners didn't help much after a few days. It was probably the worst part of recovery, I cried in pain a few times. My doctor recommended Metamucil and I swear it made all of the difference.
They offered me a prescription for ibuprofen (I already had some at home) and for percocet, which I refused. I told my Dr. I would call her if I felt I needed it, but I never did. I think for me the most uncomfortable part was sitting down on anything that wasn't the oversized lounge chair we had. After a few days I was ok though.
and, just to add to the consensus, my period came back about a month after i weaned my son (so like 14 months pp) The first one was a doozy, but they evened out very quickly and were the same as before. PP bleeding was intense the first day or two, and then lasted maybe another two weeks, i just used regular heavy duty pads in my comfiest undies and no issues there. I also was able to manage c-section pain with ibuprofen once i was home (so like 48 hours after birth).
Be prepared to sweat buckets at night for like, weeks after. I had to put towels down over the sheets every night.
Don't be scared ladies!!
Lol, but no seriously, I am so scared, but like PP said, its the unknown.