I feel like every blog you visit about postpartum makes you think you need a million things in order to be comfortable after you have a baby. Most new moms are terrified of birth and how their bodies will feel in the aftermath, so it makes sense that we get get suckered into buying a bazillion things. The truth is, you don’t need much. Below are the 5 products you actually need for postpartum.
How does your body feel after birth?
Here are a few of the things I experienced right after giving birth vaginally
Sore vagina – obviously.. pushing out a baby stretches you a lot. I found walking and standing to be really uncomfortable immediately postpartum, but after about 7-10 days I started to feel better. By 2 weeks I was going for walks around the park by my house! In addition to the perineal balm listed below, I did take half a motrin for 3 days to help with the soreness. I don’t like taking medication so I stopped after that and just took baths to help with the soreness.
Stinging while peeing – I wasn’t prepared for this one!
Vaginal bleeding – You continue to bleed postpartum for up to a month!
Night sweats – No one really talks about these, but they are insane as your hormones start to adjust. It isn’t on my list of things because you likely already have them, but sleep with a towel underneath you, or snag an organic mattress protector
Fatigue – Don’t expect to do much other than lay around for a few days!
Sore nipples – This isn’t a result of birth, but rather a result of figuring out how to breast feed.
Okay, so all that being said, here are the things I was happiest to have postpartum.
1. Earth Mama Perineal balm
First up was the Earth Mama Perineal balm. I had no idea how much I was going to need and want this stuff. Your down there bits get really stretched out if you give birth vaginally and this was a perfect non-toxic way to soothe it. If I could do birth over again, I would absolutely have brought this with me to the hospital. We originally thought we would have a birth center birth and would be going home within 4 hours after delivering. Instead, we ended up in the hospital for two full days and I was forced to use their weird numbing spray. I was relieved when I got home because my girlfriend had given me this product at my baby shower and it honestly felt better than the conventional stuff they give you at the hospital! For around $12, there’s no reason not to have this on hand!
2. Frida Mom Peri Bottle
Prior to giving birth, I didn’t realize why people needed peri bottles. I quickly learned it’s because urine stings your traumatized vagina like a mother trucker. If you birth at a hostpital, they’ll give you a plastic bottle to fill with water and spray up there. When I got home, I started using the frida peri bottle and it was so much lighter and more refreshing for my lady bits. I wouldn’t say this is a MUST HAVE like the perineal balm, but if you aren’t giving birth at a hospital then get this thing. I also noticed that if I was adequately hydrated, I didn’t need to use the spray because my pee was already more diluted. So stay hydrated and spray your crotch, ladies!
3. Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter
I love that you can basically eat the ingredients in this product. It smells really good, soothes your sore nipples and doesn’t have any ingredients in it that shouldn’t be ingested by baby.
4. Seventh Generation Maxi Pads
Everybody bleeds postpartum but the amount really varies person to person. I had one friend tell me she bled really heavily for several weeks. I personally bled heavily the first three days, and then had a constant light flow for about 2 weeks, then spotting up to 4 weeks. The first few days I was really glad I had these maxi pads. I also purchased adult diapers but they were completely unnecessary for me and I personally found them very wasteful. Once things lightened up, I was able to use my period underwear.
5. Haaka Silicone Breast Pump
If you’re planning to breast feed at all, I highly recommend this thing! I had an oversupply issue right off the bat and while my son was nursing on one side, my other breast would squirt all over the place. The Haaka helped me save that precious milk and prevent a big mess. Plus, it was easy to pour into silicone ice cube trays, which I used for milk storage. A friend of mine did not have the same oversupply issues, but once her baby started sleeping longer hours she would use the haaka to help relieve some milk. Definitely get this one!
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