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April 2019 Moms
lyse01
member
Product Spotlight: Post-partum Healing
lyse01
member
Vaginal or Caesarian, birth will do a number on your body. What products help it heal?
What have you used and what are you planning to use? Does it depend on what the hospital had? Does it depend on the type of birth and the procedures you underwent (eg, stitches needing care)? Give us the pros and cons of what you have, or ask about what you want. Is there other relevant info?
FTMs: when you look at post partum healing, what’s overwhelming or confusing? Ask away!
Want to discuss something else? Recommend it here, or second some recs by loving someone’s post (I’ll try to prioritize): https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12734953/product-spotlights-upcoming-or-requests
All product spotlights can be resurrected at any time for further discussion - type “Product Spotlight” into the search bar at the bottom of the page to find previous threads.
What have you used and what are you planning to use? Does it depend on what the hospital had? Does it depend on the type of birth and the procedures you underwent (eg, stitches needing care)? Give us the pros and cons of what you have, or ask about what you want. Is there other relevant info?
FTMs: when you look at post partum healing, what’s overwhelming or confusing? Ask away!
Want to discuss something else? Recommend it here, or second some recs by loving someone’s post (I’ll try to prioritize): https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12734953/product-spotlights-upcoming-or-requests
All product spotlights can be resurrected at any time for further discussion - type “Product Spotlight” into the search bar at the bottom of the page to find previous threads.
Re: Product Spotlight: Post-partum Healing
Multiple Boppys if you tear—I only had stitches tore with my firstborn because he came out with his fist/arm out alongside his head, so I tore a bit to the side where his arm was...for what it’s worth I was told that it’s almost impossible not to tear when they come out in a “fight the power” stance lol. With stitches it was really painful to sit unless I was sitting on a Boppy, so we I used two Boppys at once—one for sitting on and one for nursing positioning.
Witch hazel pads if you have hemmroids.
Cold compresses for engorgement when your milk comes in.
Underwear you don’t care about ruining.
Someone suggested puppy pee pads to sit on. I never did, but I did slightly stain one chair and was mortified, so I might do it this go around.
The hospital provided for me: witch hazel pads, large pads for the bleeding, mesh underwear (3 pairs), a peri bottle, and numbing spray. Oh, and a couple of ice packs to stick in the pads too.
So this time I plan to have: extra mesh underwear, extra witch hazel pads (my hemmoroids were crazy awful, in case anyone wanted to know. Lol), extra numbing spray. Maybe some more ice packs. But I liked just using numbing spray after the first couple of days rather than bulky ice packs.
I also considered just buying adult diapers. Anyone care to weigh in on adult diapers vs mesh underwear with pads?
The hospital sent home a peri bottle and I bought extras (again on Amazon).
Definetely some underwear wear you don’t mind ruining. And some heavy flow pads. The bleeding can start and stop, slow down and then pick back up. There are also usually clots.
Stool soteners cause the first couple of times times you poop can be like birth all over again. Witch hazel pads and Sitz baths if you end up with hemorrhoids.
I also know several people made padsicles on my last bmb. I didn’t but might this time. They are witch hazel and aloe and maybe something else mixed up and applied to the pad then frozen. If anyone has a recipe or first hand experience I’d love to hear it.
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
I brought home from the hospital: mesh undies, witch hazel pads and preparation h, mega flow pads, peri bottle, sitz bath, and maybe something more? They also gave me colace while there.
I used: the big hospital pads in mesh undies until they were gone then just switched to normal period pads. Nothing else. My lochia was short-lived, until BAM massive bleeding just after my six week follow up. I got an ER visit with an idiot doctor who didn’t look at the volume of blood on my shorts and the towels we had stuffed down them and instead told me my period had started again (ha, WRONG, filing a complaint about YOU, sir), an ultrasound for possible retained placenta (nope), and found one OB website that said sometimes the scab from where the placenta had attached sloughs off in a giant clot/gush of blood (<-self-diagnosis) that then slows down quite quickly (ie not an ongoing hemorrhage).
Dermoplast hasn't shown up on this list, and it was my BFfor a few days. Also yes to a peri bottle. I did buy a donut, but didn't wind up using it because it was too small and I kept falling off a little when I shifted DD around, which hurt even worse.
I was laboring for 40 hours and pushed for 4 hours before I got an infection, DD was just not coming vaginally and I told the doctor I wanted a c-section (which I was getting regardless but I was done). So even though I had her via c-section, I also damn near gave birth vaginally too.
*end TW*
What have you used and what are you planning to use? Since I will have a c-section this time, I will make sure to just have ointment (hospital provides) and pillows with me at all times. After a c-section, if you cough/laugh/move, you will need the pillow the first week or so until you can start using your abs again. Even if you have a c-section, you will still bleed. So, stock up on pads. I recommend a combination of regular, heavy and overnight. You just don't know. I had everything ready for a vaginal birth and was not prepared for a c-section. But you don't need much. You'll just need to clean it regularly.
- Peri bottle (yes there's lots of stuff going on down there even without a vaginal birth)
- belly binder of some kind (helps when you feel little control of your insides). Play around with the location so it doesn't rub against your scar.
- mesh or granny panties - though I HIGHLY recommend adult diapers. HIGHLY recommend.
- I experienced horrible edema in my feet and ankles post-op and recommended a foot bath with Epsom salts
- compression socks will also help with the above
- start taking stool softeners BEFORE your surgery if you can (I imagine this would help with a vaginal birth PP poop as well)
- take the iron supplements they give you post op. You may be tempted not to due to the constipation issue but you loose more blood with surgery and you need that iron for a number of reasons.
- I found the My Breast Friend to be easier to use as a nursing pillow than the boppy in first few months for a number of reasons, one of which being where it sat on my belly relative to my csection scar.
- not a product but even when your unable to take regular showers PP make sure you're still keeping your scar nice and clean so it can heal properly.
- STEAL EVERYTHING YOI CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON FROM THE HOSPITAL. bring an extra bag for pilfering.
Tucks witch hazel pads, Preparation H hemorrhoid cream, Colace stool softeners
The heaviest flow, longest pads you can find (I liked the U by Kotex - black box), baggy granny panties you don't mind ruining
Puppy pee pads are great for covering couch cushions. I used one to cover the recliner I nursed in. It probably absorbed more milk than blood, but it gave me peace of mind.
This isn't directly related to post-partum healing but immediately after birth my skin got really dry (crazy hormone swings). Combine that with increased hand washing when handling a newborn and I had super dry, cracked, and bleeding hands. I was so glad I had a bottle of Aquafor at home. I will also be grabbing a bottle of hand soap for sensitive skin this time around.
Giant pads obviously, crappy undies, a nice robe in a dark color to buy.
To steal from the hospital - dermaplast, mesh undies, peri bottles, giant water cup with a straw (because if you are nursing you need ALLLLL THE WATER), the big pads they lay under you to put on your bed/couch, and my personal fave - the massive elongated ice packs. I just found a few of those left from DS in my closet a few weeks ago. Like @berky84 said - take everything they have not strapped down basically. Including the wipes and diapers and baby shit. That's your stuff - if its an open pack of diapers they're not gonna pass those on to the next baby - take them home!
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
Promise you’ll get through it and we will be here if you need to virtually yell help.
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
What have you used and what are you planning to use?
i used witch hazel pads, highly recommended getting extras of the hospital ones, I couldn’t find ones like them elsewhere and they worked so much better.
Pads: last time I did lots of old undies and big pads, but turns out I’m sensitive to pads and I got terrible ingrown hairs and itchy infected bumps from them. This time I am switching to mama cloth after that first several days of the hospital supplies. I just need to buy some post partum pads, since we are doing cloth diapers it’s no big deal to wash them.
I learned I should have asked for more from the hospital as far as supplies because it would’ve been nice to start with more. We also live 35 min. from stores so a quick trip to town takes 1.5-2 hrs min. Not fun in stitches.
Does it depend on the type of birth and the procedures you underwent (eg, stitches needing care)?
i has stitches, I recommend checking those out before leaving hospital with a mirror or something so if something changes (i popped a stitch or two later on) you can compare them. I was too afraid to look last time. Ice and sitting strategically was important I liked the clay ice packs (Amazon) a lot. Soft and pliable when frozen but also hold the cold for a while. I sat on the waffle (blow up pillow) thing a lot. Especially in the car, but I switched to one of those neck things, for sleeping on an airplane, like a mini Boppy. Mine is that stretchy squishy kind with the tiny beads in it. Anyway, that was really helpful. I was also so anemic that I couldn’t hold baby up or open things or whatnot so I did a lot of propping up, sompillows under boppy and under my arms for breast feeding.
Give us the pros and cons of what you have, or ask about what you want. Is there other relevant info?
i didn’t like the mybreastfriend pillow because I’m a rounder shape (xl shirts) and I found it sat in a weird place. But I know a lot of folks that liked it more. I also couldn’t sit upright for 5 months and think it would have been better in a sitting instead of slouching position.
In healing my 6week check up was fine. But I still had pain, so a month or two later I went in again and asked about it and she found granulated tissue, which means my tear was healing wrong and wouldn’t stop healing... it’s not supposed to hurt but I guess in tender areas it can. Anyway, two treatements of silver nitrate stick (stings and burns) over the next two months and I was better.
I would def. Persue weird pain or not feeling better at that 6 week point faster this time
I also ate a lot of food and snacks. Have midnight-6am wake up snacks. Because you will be starving. I lost one lb a day for 30 days pp and couldn’t eat enough.
Granola bars and cheese sticks were my go to. This time I’m planning on making protein bites(like a cookie almost), prepared choc. Milk and cheese sticks...
I also think it’s good to have a conversation with your partner about some of the realities because I think most are very ignorant on exactly how bad a toll it takes on the body. The physical as well as the emotional. If need be recruit the nurses or docs before you are discharged to help.
I’m clearly a firm believer in forewarned is forearmed.
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
For the same reason it is really helpful to have everything you might need on hand. You will not want to run to the store post partum!
also a life saver if your kids asleep or you are an unwashed sleep deprived no bra on and wearing a 2+ day old shirt kind of hot mess.
It happens.
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
So this time around, I'm investing in high waisted cotton undies, just to be more comfortable.
I torn horribly with both vaginal births. With my first, she came with her arms out first, took me at least 12 weeks to completely heal. My second birth was not nearly as bad but I still tore and didn't heal until about 8 weeks PP.
I fully expect to tear again, also the hemorrhoids were unreal for me. My OB even gave me a prescription ointment.
I personally did not like the mesh undies, I preferred larger cotton full coverage underwear.
As previously said by other posters, I used the iced pads (better than any pain reliever pill IMO), witch hazel wipes, numbing spray and definitely sitz baths.
This time around I plan on using the bottom balm as well.
I definitely recommend keeping yourself clean, even if you don't feel like showering, SHOWER! Shower everyday. I know too many mothers who didn't bc they didn't have the energy and ended up with infections.
Did anyone use cloth pads? Any opinions or experience or particular suggestions?
Since we're planning to do cloth diapering anyway, I'm thinking that we'll already be doing laundry frequently enough and maybe it's time for me switch over as well.
The pain meds gave me aweful constipation and stool softners weren't enough so I'll also have miralax and prune juice on hand.
For undies, i bought hiphuggers in one size up so the band landed just above my stitches.
1 I love that they don’t stink like disposable pads
2 I love that they don’t give me terrible pimple things.
3 I love that they aren’t as wasteful and I can just wash them with baby diapers.
4 I love that they don’t stick to me or make noise.