Postpartum essentials

claireloSC · May 2021

What do you need to get through postpartum recovery? Do you make padsicles? Do you take a bunch of mesh undies from the hospital? Let us know what you're stocking up on!

claireloSC · May 2021

Last time I had a terrible recovery so I hopefully don't want to go by that. I needed lots of extra stuff like Floradix from blood loss.
I highly recommend the Always infinity pads with flexfoam. You have to wear pads for so long, everything else gets irritating after a while. So I stocked up on those. The peri bottle is necessary but the hospital will give you one. And I definitely used the extra mesh underwear from the hospital too. Honestly at some point it was easier to just put down chucks pads on the couch and go commando, so I did that too. Lanolin is an essential for me as well. Tucks or similar were good also. I also liked taking sitz baths with epsom salts, that helped a lot.

ashsowers2020 · May 2021

I never did the Sitz bath but I may give them a shot this go around! Do you think mesh/disposable underwear is a necessity? I had a few extra pairs I brought home with me with DD and then I used pads (many different sizes before I got it right) and ruined quite a bit of my underwear. Should I be stocking up on the disposable ones, or just go for a super heavy flow pad?

Kenneylynn3 · May 2021

@ashsowers2020 I went with long, thick pads. I didn't ruin any underwear after I ran out of the mesh the hospital gave me, but I also just had bigger cheap underwear for pregnancy that it didn't matter if they got ruined.

I will have to try a sitz bath this go around. I tore last time and the resident stitched me up weird, so everytime I peed out stung/burned so bad. That pain took a long time to go away. I got the dermoplast? which was nice. I believe it's the blue lid that doesn't sting. I did end up buying witch hazel wipes and lining my pad with them. Those were my favorite thing to have.

grogu · May 2021

@ashsowers2020 you can always go with depends! I have friends that swore by them for post pardum.

CapricaAndrea · May 2021

I just use Depends, at least for the first few weeks. I made padsicles the first time around but I personally never liked them so I don’t bother anymore.

In addition to what’s listed already, add in Colace or some kind of gentle laxative. But pack it in your hospital bag. Also something like preparation H medicated wipes.

And if you’re breastfeeding, lots and lots of snacks you can eat one-handed!

cyanope · May 2021

Ditto on the above recommendations.
A peri bottle.
Giant Always pads.
Tucks pads (a must).
Dermoplast (also a must).
Big underwear.
Nipple cream.
Nursing tanks.
I had the “stuff” for a sitz bath both times, but never used it. Maybe I will try is go-round!

loloyoyo26 · May 2021

I tore last time and it was the worst.

I used:
my peri bottle and dermoplast a ton

I second the Always infinity pads- they were amazing
Colace- I dreaded bowel movements for awhile after even when I wasn’t constipated but that did make it less torturous.

I usually buy as many nursing tanks and shirts as I can during pregnancy so I don’t have to buy 2 sets of clothing for one period of time, but they are a must have for nursing.
Maybe a nursing cover? Full disclosure though, after awhile I never bothered with it- DD would get hot, take breaks and end up nursing way more often. It wasn’t worth the effort for me. I just did a loose shirt over a nursing tank or a nursing specific shirt.

I’ll have to try tucks pads and sitz baths this time around. I am curious about the FridaMom post partum kits, and now depends too, not sure I’ll end up using all the parts of the kit though.

My postnatal training I took for recertification suggested starting kegels as soon as you feel comfortable enough, so I will probably attempt some version of that to avoid incontinence later. It said even as early as in the hospital is now deemed safe but I’m waiting to see what feels comfortable for me rather than giving a specific time to start.

fitmomma1989 · May 2021

Pinterest has some cool postpartum check lists!

I plan to buy:

-Frida mom upside down peri bottle (I’m way too excited about this 🤣 it’s ergonomic design will be much easier to use.

- Frida mom instant ice maxi pads

- Suekaphin 5-pk nursing bras on Amazon

- DAISITY 3-pk nursing tank on Amazon

- Earth Mama Orgnaic Nipple Butter

- Nipple Shield- just in case!

- Dermoplast

- Tucks

- Always pads

- I do always ask for extra disposable mesh undies when I leave the hospital. It’s nice to have some for home.

After my first (I tore) my mom went to medical supply and bought me one of those little inflatable cushions to sit on. THAT thing was a lifesaver! I didn’t need it with my son though, hoping I won’t this time either. But, if you tear & it hurts to sit, then those things make a huge difference.

pickle-chips · June 2021

I am the lone Always Infinity Pad hater. They gave me the worst diaper rash! I liked a combination of Natracare maternity pads and some other generic brand maxi pads without wings (Life Brand for my fellow Canadians).

With my first I tore and then developed perineal granulation (basically my tear overhealed itself and grew some nice new raw nerve tissue, RUDE!). It was painful, stinging, and bleeding for a full 6 weeks postpartum, but I thought it was normal to be in pain. It hurt to stand, sit, walk, everything. At my 6 week checkup my doctor was like “wow you must be so uncomfortable how come you didn’t call weeks ago?!” She cauterized the tissue with silver nitrate and pretty much the next day I was healed and felt like a whole new person. So I guess this postpartum essential is that if something doesn’t feel right, don’t try to power through or assume that you should be feeling lots of discomfort and pain?

Sitz baths were life. Like @claireloSC mentioned, I’d do a sitz bath (usually just warm water though because I’m lazy) and then sit commando on a towel on my bed for a good air dry.

I also soaked cotton pads (makeup remover sized cotton pads) with witch hazel and lined my pads with those.
@ashsowers2020 I feel like the mesh underwear is a preference thing, personally I love them and buy a pack or two for postpartum and 100% think they are worth it because they are so comfortable.
Nipple butter (it’s good for everything, I use it on my lips, nips, cuts and scrapes!).
Reusable nursing pads (I really like Bamboobies).

BourbonBiscuits · June 2021

It's all so individual, so my biggest suggestion is to not open everything you buy until after baby has come - that way you don't have your freezer stocked with 50 padsicles and realize you hate padsicles or you have a nice stack of depends on the back of your toilet and realize you prefer Hanes undies with a long pad. Hopefully that way you can return some stuff!

Also a big fan of the flexfoam always infinity pads, dermoplast (my fav), lanolin (which is already being used as chapstick - it's the BEST for dehydrated lips), one handed snacks (I've probably mentioned my crowning achievement which was the costco sized tub of trail mix in the hospital), underwear you don't care about (I got a pack of Hanes that were super soft 100% cotton and I didn't care about throwing them away - I found that much more comfortable than the disposable undies), peri bottle (I just used the one from the hospital), tucks (definitely spread your cheeks and get one up in there AND line your pad), and lots of tylenol. I never took the prescription pain killers after my other two were born, but I did take tylenol around the clock pretty religiously.

quitexcontrary · July 2021

Does anyone have any underwear recs? I tossed my pp undies after my last one, and can’t not ever which ones they were. I just remember that they were high waisted for my csection scar.

I totally agree about the super long liners, though! They are great for when you run out of your hospital stash!

Clobert · July 2021

wirarpa Women's High Waisted Cotton Underwear Ladies Soft Full Briefs Panties Multipack https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07C3D5W7F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_8JD1VTVDNFWHTGC8W6R6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I got these after my last birth and just bought another pack. They’re affordable and made me feel great after birth (after I was done with the big disposable ones).

Clobert · July 2021

@quitexcontrary I didn’t have a c section though, so maybe check the reviews if they are comfortable over the incision. I think they would be.

avidlyuks36 · July 2021

I took too many hospital undies home with my first -- it was nuts! I found silicone strips helpful with c-section recovery.

I also plan on buying this class -- 2 weeks before scheduled c-section--> https://shop.mother.ly/collections/digital-classes/products/postpartum-wellness-class

quitexcontrary · July 2021

@Clobert thanks!! I’ll have a look at the reviews and see what everyone says!

@avidlyuks36 that’s my plan this go around! Mesh undies ftw.

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