Postpartum Aftercare Essentials
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Though postpartum will always be remembered as a beautiful time getting to know your new baby, anyone who has ever experienced it knows that it’s actually pretty rough. After the first day postpartum, it feels like you just finished a marathon that you may not have trained for. When I was postpartum, my body was tired and beat up to say the least. As much as moms love to put all their efforts towards taking care of their precious little ones, it should also be a time for healing. Delivering a baby is no easy feat and it requires quite a bit of recovery time afterwards. After going through postpartum twice, I’ve put together a list of my favorite postpartum aftercare essentials to help aid any mom during their postpartum recovery.
Ice Packs
During the first couple days postpartum, I really liked using the Frida Mom Ice Packs which doubled as an ice pack and an absorbent pad. During the first couple days, is when I felt the most swollen, so I liked alternating between using a regular extra large pad and an ice pack pad every couple hours for comfort and to keep the swelling down. Another reason why these ice pack pads were my preferred method of icing is that you don’t need to have special storage for them. They do not need to be kept cool since they are activated once you bend the pad until it pops, making storage and prep one less thing to worry about. I also enjoyed the fact that these ice packs did not melt inside my underwear like the ice packs provided to me at the hospital did.
Spray Bottle Washer
They always give you a spray bottle at the hospital to help with comfort when peeing postpartum and to help you keep wounds clean while you’re healing. Though the spray bottle they give you at the hospital does the job decently, I like the Frida Mom Washer a lot better because of the design of the spout. It feels like it holds more water than the generic bottle the hospital sends you home with and it just sprays the areas you need clean with more precision and just enough pressure.
Witch Hazel Pad Liners
The hospital that I delivered at sent a basic postpartum aftercare kit home with me that included a couple mesh underwear, extra large pads, and Tucks pads, which are essentially witch hazel pads. Witch hazel felt cool on my swollen areas and helped with itching and burning around my sutures after my delivery. The only downside is, they are shaped like small circles, so you would need several of them to have adequate coverage when lining your pad. And inevitably, when you are due to pee and change your pad, a couple little Tucks pads fall into the toilet. That bothered me so much since it became a gamble whether you would clog your toilet by flushing the little tucks pads. With my second postpartum experience, I opted to use the Frida Mom Witch Hazel Pad Liners since they were shaped like long rectangular sheets. They did the job, like Tucks pads, but you only needed to lay 1 rectangle down on your pad with each change and it was easy to keep track of and throw away instead of it accidentally falling into the toilet.
Disposable Underwear
Postpartum can get messy. In addition to the expected lochia, you’re left with a weak pelvic floor, which can lead to some pee accidents. To avoid having to change your clothes and needing to do more laundry than you already have piling up, I recommend wearing disposable underwear for the first couple weeks before switching to large pads. I used the Always brand, but you can also try Depends. Disposable underwear just provides more coverage than a large pad and it is a little less bulky under your clothes.
Large Water Bottles
While your body is healing, you’ll need to drink plenty of water, especially if you choose to breastfeed. I recommend having large water bottles available at all the areas that you spend the most time. I kept one on my night stand in my room and one in the living room, which is where I would spend most of my time during the day. I liked having the half gallon Hydroflask water bottle with a straw. This water bottle kept my water cold and buying a straw cap from Amazon reduced my chances of spilling all the cold water on myself. The large size seems like overkill, but with how much I was drinking, it helped reduce the amount of times I needed to refill my water bottle each day.
Postpartum Pants
The first time I experienced postpartum, I was definitely unprepared for the changes in my body. I felt hollow and so fragile. The second time around, I knew I needed some support for my mid section, just to give my back some extra support while I moved around. I tried both a belly band and postpartum pants, but if I had to pick one to buy, I would invest in some postpartum pants or postpartum leggings. Not only did they look flattering on my postpartum body, they helped comfortably keep everything held together. Postpartum pants also provided some support for my back and abdomen, so I could move around without feeling like I was just going to snap in half when holding my baby. My favorite pair of postpartum jeans and leggings were from Seraphine.
Breast Warm/Ice Pack
Engorgement was something that no one really warned me about during my first time being postpartum. Around day 3, my milk was in and boy, did it hurt! I’m sure there are others out there like me that did not adequately prepare for how to deal with this pain. Knowing what I know now, I always recommend having a breast warm/ice pack available in the early postpartum days, whether you plan to breastfeed or not. If your goal is to promote milk supply by hand expression, pumping or breastfeeding during engorgement, then applying a warm pack prior to expression will provide comfort as well as getting the milk flowing. On the other hand, if your goal is to wean your milk supply and formula feed, you can use your breast pad as an ice pack to provide comfort during engorgement. I used the reusable Breast Pad from Lansinoh because it fits perfectly in your bra, so that you can treat engorgement pain while still feeling supported.
Freezer Meals
The best way to prepare yourself for postpartum is to make as many freezer meals as you can before delivery. Or at least have a plan for what you and your family will be eating during this busy time. Other than trying your best to get decent sleep, eating and just filling your body with good food and nourishment can really help give your body what it needs to recover. Whether you stock your freezer with premade meals from Costco, homemade meals, or budget ahead of time for food delivery or take out, having a plan for what you and your family eats during the first couple weeks postpartum will save you!
Medicine for Comfort
Before you leave the hospital, your care team will most likely talk with you about your pain management plan and stool softening plan once you get home. In many cases, they may prescribe a large dose of over-the-counter pain medication and a specific stool softener to be taken regularly for a certain period of time. It is essential to pick these prescriptions up as soon as you leave the hospital and take them as directed. Postpartum is uncomfortable enough, so it will only help to stay on top of treating your pain, potential constipation, and swelling regularly for the first couple days.
I hope that with these postpartum care essentials, any new mom will feel prepared in this time of recovery. I know that each of the things that I mentioned helped me get through the first couple weeks postpartum smoothly and I hope they do the same for you or a friend that is about to be in their 4th trimester.
