My Top 10 Necessities for Postpartum Recovery

Stool Softener + Tuck Wipes - A two for one on my list. Two essentials that will make your life a dream if you have them. A living nightmare if you don’t. For whatever reason, giving birth causes things to get a little backed up when comes to going numero dos in the bathroom. In addition to things being backed up, it can be extremely daunting and/or painful to have that initial numero dos if you had a delivery that required stitches. Take it from me, start using both of these items ASAP!

Sitz Bath - God’s gift to postpartum women! Easy to find at your local pharmacy or grocery store. Will help soothe any problems you may have related to what I was talking about above!

Dermoblast - You will most likely be introduced to this in the hospital and will probably be given a can to go home with. I also purchased a couple of my own to have as back up. It was amazing in relieving pain and itching that is associated with stitches and soreness. Get the blue can, NOT the red! The red is an anti-bacterial that I can imagine doesn’t feel all that great when sprayed on your delicates.

Perineal Irrigation Bottle - You probably have already figured out that going to the bathroom for the first couple of weeks is going be a big feat. But if you didn’t already realize it, it’s also going to be next to impossible to make use of toilet paper in the ways you usually would. This little plastic bottle will step in and be a life saver in the absence of TP. Just fill with warm water and have it ready to go for every bathroom trip. It will help clean and soothe.

Adult Diapers - Ok, it sounds weird calling them adult diapers, but that’s I lovingly referred to them as and it stuck! Some women may choose to wear pads, but I opted for a comfortable full-coverage option like these. This was one of those things that no one ever told me about having a baby. That for weeks and possibly even months following delivery, your body goes through a "shedding" process of bleeding to get rid itself of all the extra blood and tissue it needed to nourish your baby during pregnancy. You can't use tampons, so whatever you use, make sure it's comfortable and gives you great coverage.

Elastic Pants - Do I really need to give you a reason to wear comfy pants? You will want to wear pants that aren’t tight around your waist (especially if you are recovering from a C-section), but also ones that are easy to maneuver. You will be taking lots of trips to the potty and to change your sanitary pads/diapers.

Lightweight Pajamas - Due to all the hormones raging through your body that are trying to adjust and regulate back to normal levels, you may experience some excessive perspiration. I did! Especially when I slept. I thought I was pre-menopausal with all the crazy hot flashes and night sweats I was experiencing, but apparently this is extremely common among postpartum women. So, I adjusted my sleeping environment (turned down the AC, slept with a fan in the room) and traded out my flannel pajamas for lightweight cotton shorts and tank top. As precaution, I also slept with a towel under me for the first couple of weeks.

Lanolin - For your girls that may experience a little irritation and chapping from all the frequent feedings from your little babe, as well as pumping sessions. It is safe to use while breastfeeding and can be purchased at your local grocery store or online via Amazon Prime

Coffee - If you don’t already love it, you will. And you are going to need more of it than you think. I could not have imagined surviving the first two weeks home with a newborn without some sort of caffeine. 

A Good Sense of Humor - An absolute must! From the moment you step into the hospital, prepare to humble yourself. People you’ve never met are going to be seeing places of your body that maybe you’ve never even seen. You are going to do things you’d never thought you’d do, and nurses are going to assist you with tasks you never thought you might need help with. Your husband will also be of great help during your birth and postpartum recovery. Hopefully he too has a good sense of humor. He’s going to be your best friend that can make runs to the grocery store for more pads, stool softener, and sitz bath supplies. Postpartum recovery is A BEAST. Just go into it with a sense of humor and I promise you’ll be fine. 

Funny but USEFUL Gifts from my Hubby

*My Biggest NO-NO* — Although you may be curious to check on things, for the love of God, try to avoid taking a mirror anywhere near DOWN THERE. Especially if you had any sort of tears/lacerations during the birthing process. Just don’t do it! Let the body do it’s thing! Of course, if you’re stubborn like me and you look anyway despite all of the advice not to, just know that things DO go back to the way they were. The body has an amazing ability to heal itself. At this point, I’m almost 6-weeks postpartum and everything “down under” looks 100% back to normal. But those first couple of weeks, just a tad scary and I would caution you to avoid mirrors at all costs because of it. Just want to save you from any added anxiety you may or may not experience after seeing the battle wounds. Hehe!

Good Luck, Girlfriend! Postpartum is tough, but your little angel makes it 1000% worth it. Yeah, a thousand percent. I said it :)