Postpartum Recovery Essentials
Postpartum Recovery Essentials
A Doula’s Buying Guide
Often times we get so wrapped up in buying all the essential and fun items for our baby that we forget our body’s are going through a MAJOR trauma whether it’s a vaginal or a belly birth there is A LOT going on. Below are some essentials that you can pick up and do for your body to be more comfortable while you heal and recover from pregnancy and birth. There’s also a download printable version at the bottom! Hope this helps in your postpartum recovery!
Perineal items
If you had a vaginal birth, your perineum will be swollen and sore even if you didn't tear. Your provider will provide you with some basics, but you may want to purchase some of the upgraded items like a peri bottle with an angled neck for easier use or a sitz bath to sit in for healing. Whether you're using a sitz bath or peri bottle, using herbs to increase your healing is so helpful. You can use the herbs to make a "tea" for your peri bottle or in the sitz bath for instant soothing relief. For pain int he first few days, dermaplast is helpful as well. Ideally adding a perineal balm can also feel very soothing. Using ice in the first 24-48 hours on your perineal area can be so helpful. You can make or buy padsicles you freeze ahead of time or borrow a diaper from your newborn and freeze a few of those ahead of time. After the first 38 hours, use the warm sitz herbal packets from above to place on top of your pad for the herbs to help sooth and heal the area. The hospital will likely send you home with some heavy pads to get your through the heaviest days of bleeding and then you can stock up on lighter pads for the following weeks. Some people decided to get cheap or disposable underwear (these have absorbency for the lighter bleeding too!) You'll be instructed to not push your bowel movements after birth so typically your provider will provide or prescribe you some type of stool softener. Grab some Ibuprofen for pain and help with the swelling.
Breast/Chest Feeding Items
If you're choosing to breast/chest feed your baby, you will want to stock up on a variety of comfort items. First and foremost and large water bottle with a straw, ideally something that keeps your water cold/hot for many hours. Nothing worse than having to refill your water bottle multiple times a day because it is not the right temp! Nursing the beginning can be uncomfortable as everyone is learning to nurse/latch properly. Using coconut oil is the easiest multifunctional item. You can use as a nipple cream, moisturize your hands/face and on your baby. I like to put this on your baby's bottom before the first poop so the meconium doesn't as easily stick! Just make sure you don't have an allergy to tree nuts and you're good to go. Try to get organic, cold pressed coconut oil. When coconut oil alone isn't enough for soothing your sore nipples, an organic herbal nipple cream can be used instead. For the first week at least, the gel nipple pads right out of the fridge can be so soothing! Lastly don't forget to get some nipple pads whether they are disposable or washable, this will aid against leaking as your milk in coming in and regulating.
Other Comfort Items
Here are a few other comfort items to aid in your postpartum recovery. Some experience after birth cramps (worse with each subsequent baby) and a heating pad can be helpful in soothing those cramps whenever you nurse. Nipple stimulation triggers these pains in an effort to shrink the uterus back to the normal size over time.
Lastly, some mental health items like sweet treats you enjoy like small squares of chocolate and one handed snacks are so great in keeping your endorphins and energy high. Having a small notebook for daily thoughts, questions, lists of items to buy, etc can be so helpful in trying to stay organized while on bed rest.