Namastè!
So...you have a brand new baby at home.
You're in the purest, most potent love you never imagined. You look at those little starfish fingers and those tiny little feet and your heart melts. Their breath, their weird little grunts--everything about newborns is delicious and brain-sapping. Don't even get me started on that snuggly thing they do when you pick them up and they nestle into your arms...
*happy sighs*
...but if you just delivered a baby, there's a lot of things that maybe aren't so lovely. Read: it ain't all roses.
Childbirth is some heavy work. We are built for it, but it definitely has its effects. Your body hurts. Your boobs are twice their size and tender as ever. You can't imagine sitting without a donut--pool floaties, where are you?! You are deliriously tired. (Some of those aforementioned sweet snuggles are happening at decidedly un-snuggly hours. Who knew the items sold in those 3 am infomercials were so damn dandy?!)
...I'm there with you, mama. I have a few hacks and tips that MIIIGHT just make you a little more comfortable as you heal from delivery and get to know this brand new person.
NOTE: This isn't a sponsored post, and I'm not being rewarded for talking about any of the products I mentioned.
Padsicles
With my son, I got a 3rd degree tear and fractured my pelvis. Breech. (While it ain't for the faint of heart, do not let anyone force you into a c-section unless it's medically necessary. Doctors shouldn't be doing major surgery for convenience, and that's what electives boil down to.) I felt like a warrior mama...and also like perhaps my womanly space got fed through a wood chipper. Every time I would stand or walk or think about doing either, it felt like a spike-studded watermelon was falling from my girl-parts. (and no--I am NOT uncomfortable saying vagina.)
Enter, padsicles.
I bought some incontinence pads. (I always make padsicles with Tena brand incontinence pads.) Incontinence pads are big, cover the whole perineal area, and also absorb a good bit of that lochia. (Postpartum bleeding.) I doused them in witch hazel and aloe vera gel, put them in a plastic shoe organizer, and froze them.
When my poor battered bum began to bother me, I just put on a padsicle. They're soothing. The witch hazel helps out with the ouchies. The coolness combats that ungodly swelling. The aloe soothes and keeps the area from drying out. (Trust me...you don't want your stitches to get dry. Imagine being popped with a rubber band down there.)
Rice Pack
Yes, rice. Not ice.
My abdomen was so sore after my last delivery (I had an ECV) that I needed a warm compress to be comfortable. But electric heating pads aren't safe to fall asleep with, and since I was guaranteed to fall asleep any time I got a little comfort, I needed something less likely to burn me.
The rice pad is simple to make. Simply take a clean towel (I used a hand towel), sew it up on three sides, fill it three-quarters fill with uncooked rice, and sew it shut. This flexible, comforting bean bag of relief can be microwaved whenever you need it. Just keep it dry.
I have three of these now. Because the rice holds heat, it stays warm for a nice while. Because it doesn't have a continual source of heat, it doesn't get any hotter. Perfect warm compress.
Note: Don't use the rice pack while holding a baby. Just putting that out there...
BIG Personal Water Bottle
My biggest postpartum fail is always hydration. I get so busy taking care of the baby and trying to reintegration back into the swing of things that I forget the most important thing: Drinking enough water.
To keep myself on track, I have a large Yeti cup. (I know, I know--until you own one, you'll say they are overrated ...but if you're judging me, it says way more about you than it does about me!) I keep my Rambler full of H2O, and I drink no less than four cups a day, along with whatever other juice or smoothies I tackle. The Rambler holds 30 ounces--and it keeps those 30 ounces cold all day long, I kid you not.
The water is important, mainly because after a major shakeup like childbirth, some women get constipated--and that constipation is even worse for fear of passing a hard stool. It's gonna hurt...but if you hydrate yourself properly and eat good fiber, you'll survive.
Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, and Air Fryer #FTW
I don't have a postpartum entourage. It's me, my hubby, and the kids. I went from hospital to back at the reigns. Because we need coins, he works several days a week. Rather than take off, he works abbreviated hours. As such, I still have to make food.
My Instant Pot is a postpartum hack worth knowing because I can cook an entire pot roast (and a bevy of other deliciousness) in minutes. Not hours. That makes all the difference when I am too sore to stand at the stove and don't want delivery. (In our neck of the woods, we can only get Pizza Hut anyway, and I personally won't eat pizza more than once or twice a month.
You can do all kinds of things with the Instant Pot, but I also love my slow cooker and air fryer. Quick meals, with #healthy food (prepared quickly) instead of microwaved stuff, is a definite win.
It all boils down to convenience.
Boppy for Baby...and Mom too!
If you've even breathed in the general direction of a baby, or the section of the store where their assorted paraphernalia is sold, you know about the Boppy.
You'll want it, trust me. I personally cannot nurse using any other pillow--the Boppy helps keep baby at a comfortable height for latching, and takes some of the pressure off those sore abdominals. In the event we're not holding the baby, the Boppy makes a nice place to prop her up so she can have a look around. Tummy time is made infinitely easier also.
NOTE: The Boppy is NOT for sleeping. Be safe and keep baby safe!
When our baby isn't using the Boppy, you can bet your last pack of Gushers I am. I like to have it around tummy, kind of like a support pillow. I'm weird, but it works for me.
Rose Water
Skin, hair, tea...rose water is good across the board. I keep a spray bottle of it with me at all times. I use it to pamper my skin and hair.
In the 4th trimester the last thing any of us really think about is hair or makeup. Personally I have dubbed the messy bun my official hairstyle, and I don't wear anything I can't toss in the laundry--no fancy this or designer that unless you count my Calvin Klein bathrobe. (It's is LIFE, you hear me?!)
Rose water is an all-natural astringent as well as toner AND moisturizer. It smells great, and it's full of vitamins to help get your new mommy glow going. I spray it on my face twice a day.
I also use it to freshen up my hair.
Just make sure you get the pure stuff.
FridaBaby Fridet perineal rinser bottle
A wiser Tayè would have had this on hand for pregnancy hemmorhoids. But I didn't miss a beat when I knew to grab this game changing wash bottle.
That spray bottle they give you in the hospital is cute...but it has nothing on the Fridet (free-DAY). It works from any angle to help sooth things down there, and we all know (or shall soon find out) how those first bathroom breaks can be. A warm stream of water (and a little witch hazel or betadine) can ease that soreness and discomfort. The Fridet makes having that, a cinch!
They're very easy to clean, and come with a waterproof storage bag.
UpSpring Baby Shrinkx tummy wrap
My postpartum tummy...ugh. I don't care about stretch marks (I have 3!) or the little jiggliness that remains because, while I lost all the weight, I'm not toned up, nor am I trying just yet.
What I do care about is that feeling of my internals being on the verge of falling out. I feel like everything in there is...unsettled? And my tummy itself is very tender, not exactly painful but still uncomfortable.
My solution?
My UpSpring Shrinkx postpartum belly band. I have the original one, which I'm currently using for the compression. It's amazing. When I'm ready to tone up, I'll use the charcoal version.
...I'm no expert at anything in particular, except maybe when it comes to maintaining my personal comfort. I'm a mega expert at that. I have to be at my best to handle everything I am entrusted with each day, so I worked out these little hacks, tips, and tricks to make it all a little easier.
The fourth trimester is really a period of rest and regeneration, and acclimation: Baby is getting acclimated to life outside the womb, and you are getting acclimated to this new person whom you may not figure out immediately. (I take an average of 7 weeks to completely register my kids' particular needs and fancies. It's stressing, but it's also the sweetest--in those first seven weeks or so postpartum, I am literally building a bond that will last and strengthen over time.)
Happy healing!
Namaste!
-- Taye K.
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