I know, I know, this isn’t your typical Weeknight Bite healthy recipe or nutrition post. Today we’re trading cauliflower rice for nipple cream, so read on with caution! 🤣I do think this is a topic that will be really beneficial for a lot of women because let me tell ya, behind every newborn cutie pie is a tired mama who is also wearing a diaper (for real, tho 😳).
I didn’t realize how tough the recovery would be, and when I mentioned that the other day on my insta stories, I received countless messages from women asking questions and wondering what they would need for their own recovery. So I figured I’d put it all together in a blog post! That way, you can stock up on everything early and avoid frantically texting your mama-friends at 3am when you’re back from the hospital and you realize you need way more comfortable pads, a better alternative to the hospital spray bottle, and something to heal your sore nipples (and fast!). I placed a lot of middle of the night Amazon orders those first few days at home, so I’m hoping this list will get you all prepped so you can just focus on healing and on your baby, rather than “adding-to-cart” all night long!
Labor is called labor for a reason – it’s hard work on your body! Everyone’s labor is different, and I assume some have a harder recovery than others, but either way, you can never be too prepared! Personally, I was much more sore and swollen than expected and I had a hard time walking and sitting for about a week afterwards. It took 8 or 9 days for me to be able to sit on a chair or a couch without a pillow under me. Ouch! You also bleed for several weeks, and treating it like a period just doesn’t cut it. To quote the slogan of my favorite brand of pads… “it’s not your period, it’s postpartum.” and you need to take care of yourself differently! Since the supplies they give you in the hospital are a little harsh, here are the products that are much more gentle and so helpful in recovering.
For down there: Pads
After delivering Noah, I was in hospital mesh undies with an adult diaper inside and a pad inside of that. Not comfortable! Switch the hospital pads for these:
- Mama Strut pads – these are a must for the first couple weeks of your recovery. They’re super soft, organic, full coverage, and absorbent without feeling too bulky, and free of chemicals, sulfates, parabens, etc. Ideal for sensitive skin, and let me tell you, it’s definitely sensitive down there!
- Rael pads – when you’re ready for something a little lighter than the Mama Strut pads, you can transition into these. They’re also organic, soft, absorbent, and chlorine free.
For down there: Spray Bottle, Witch Hazel Pad Liners, & Foam
Nothing makes you appreciate the simple things such as being able to wipe after you pee like trying to do it after birth and realizing it ain’t so fun! Here are a few things to make it more comfortable:
- Upside Down Peri Spray Bottle: As the package says, it’s a “bidet for your vajay”, and it’s so much better than the squirt bottle the hospital gives you because you can spray it upside down from front to back. Warm water is key! Don’t forget this in your hospital bag!
- Witch Hazel Pad Liners: The hospital witch hazel pads are small circular pads (as are the Tuck’s pads everyone recommends), and when you use those, you need to line up 3 or 4 of them to cover the length of your pad, then you have to slowly maneuver your mesh undies up so that the pads stay in place. Skip the extra step and awkward maneuvering and use these instead – it’s one long strip that fits perfectly over your pad for instant cooling relief.
- Perineal Witch Hazel Healing Foam – add a few pumps of this foam on top of the witch hazel pad liners for double duty cooling and comfort. I did this for the first week post-birth and it was lovely!
For down there: Ice Packs & Undies
- The hospital ice packs are really thick and hard to sit on. Order some of these instead. You can put them straight into your mesh undies and then top it with the witch hazel pad liners for instant relief. These ice packs saved me, especially the first few days!
- Don’t forget to stock up on comfy full-butt undies for when you’re ready to transition out of the hospital mesh undies (which are actually so comfortable – make sure you take as many of those from the hospital as possible!). I like these from Nordstrom Rack! I’d suggest getting two sizes – I did medium & large so that I could fit the Mama Strut pads in the large undies and transition to mediums when I changed to lighter pads.
For the boobies:
- Comfortable sleeping / nursing bras – I’ve tried a bunch of different nursing bras for night time and these are definitely the most comfortable!
- Nursing tanks – I’ve been living in these tanks during the day. They’re super convenient for nursing without needing to take off your whole shirt. Pea in the Pod has sales all the time, so wait to snag a whole bunch of them in different colors when they’re on mega sale!
- Motherlove Nipple Cream – a must! This one is organic and natural, doesn’t need to be removed before nursing, and is super soothing!
- Nursing pads for leaking – I started with these disposable ones but after going through them pretty quickly, I ordered these washable reusable ones.
Alright, that about covers it! Did I scare ya? Hopefully not! The pain, swelling, and exhaustion is well worth the newborn cuddles and the insane amount of love that comes pouring out of you the second you meet your baby. Promise!
