I had a lovely birth experience (despite my recovery being a bit rough due to bleeding complications) but I did end up with a few small tears and an arterial laceration!
Today I wanted to share with you my 5 favorite items for “down there” care and recovery.
- I ended up wearing women’s disposable underwear until I was no longer bleeding. I know this may sound wasteful; but they were so comfortable and I never worried about ruining my own. I typically wore one-two pairs a day and changed out various/large pads based upon the level of bleeding for the day. These were my favorite!
- I struggled with the cooling packs available and felt like they were just “too much” down there, but I did appreciate the cooling effects. I instead found this awesome cooling foam and used tucks pads that felt very effective without adding the extra bulk.
- With every bathroom break/change I made sure to clean myself with warm water (think a travelling bidet/sitz bath…and its WAY more comfortable than wiping)! I did have an “upside down” peri-bottle but actually felt like it was less effective than the standard I was given in the hospital. I LOVED my simple irrigation bottle and it worked just fine for me.
- HYDRATION! I know this isn’t necessarily an item, but if you are dehydrated your recovery will already be impeded (and it will affect your milk supply if breastfeeding is your goal). For “down there” care think…do I want concentrated urine that is going to burn and sting like a mother? No? Well then, HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE! I’m obsessed with water bottles, and personally love this brand. They have worked by far the best to keep my beverages cold ALL DAY!
- Post-partum poops…expect them to be a bit uncomfortable. But if you can, take a daily stool softener until you feel like you have completely recovered. Our hydration trick will also help with the expected constipation. This will help keep you from straining and causing a great deal of discomfort.
What are some other must-haves can we share with mommys to be?
