Postpartum Essentials – All That You Have To Know About

You have waited a long time for this moment. To hold your precious little one in your arms. You must have read a lot of books on pregnancy, what to expect, what to eat, what kind of food to avoid, and what not.

But what about postpartum? Maybe not, and that is understandable because you were all excited about the whole new experience, about the little new member joining your family.

But postpartum care is equally important because there is no class that will teach you about postpartum care as they teach about the birthing process and how to take care of the little one once they arrive. So here we have come up with a list of postpartum essentials to make it a bit easy on you. But before we get to that, let’s check on a few more things before.

What to expect in postpartum?  

It does not matter whether you had a C-section or a vaginal delivery; you will require a recovery period to get back to yourself. The recovery period also depends on the overall health, age, and how long you were in labor or whether you had a difficult pregnancy. During the recovery period, you will experience a few things.

• You will experience vaginal bleeding. This is known as Iochia, and the majority of people experience vaginal bleeding for almost two weeks after delivery. This might reduce and continue as spotting for almost a month.
• If you had a C-section delivery, you would have stitches in your abdomen, and you might also have stitches if you had perineal tearing during vaginal delivery.
• You will be sore and uncomfortable down there for almost five to six weeks.
• If you have chosen to breastfeed your baby, you will have sore nipples and might even experience breast tenderness.
• It is absolutely normal to have a tsunami of hormones in the initial weeks of postpartum, and your mood might go up or down depending on it.

Postpartum essential checklist  

This is where things get real. You will require a lot of things after the arrival of your baby. The time that you did not prepare enough for, we got your back. Surf through the list so that you do not miss out on the postpartum must-haves.

Pads  

This is the part that we do not talk much about. Look for the best options; search for postpartum-specific pads or overnight pads. This is a time when you will not be able to go for tampons, so using a pad is your only option here. If you want, you can opt for some organic dye-free pads for yourself.

Witch hazel pads  

These pads help in reducing the pain or swelling that you have or if you have injured your vaginal area while delivering the baby. They also have the ability to fight bacteria, so they will prevent any kind of infection that you might get. You have to place them above your regular pads and replace them as and when needed. This is one of the postpartum essentials that will come to your aid and ease the discomfort.

Peri bottles  

The peri bottle is a perineal irrigation bottle which is, to be precise, a squirt bottle for the area in between your genitals and anus. It is important for your hygiene and self-care to use this after-delivery. It will help with the sting that you will get from using the washroom, and this will keep the area clean as well.

Sitz bath  

If you have bruised yourself while vaginal delivery or had an episiotomy, the entire pelvic area is going to be sore. Using a sitz bath will reduce the swelling, hemorrhoids, or pain and ease the discomfort as well.

Ice pads or heating pads  

It doesn’t matter whether you want to reduce pain in your breast or in the vaginal area; the ice pack or the heating pad is going to help you immensely. Both are going to help you with the pain, and this will be your resort for the time being and help you temporarily until you heal completely.

Soothing spray  

Being in discomfort and pain is something common among all moms, but the good thing is the pain is going to go away eventually. A relieving spray is going to ease your pain as it numbs the perineal area and gives you immediate relief from the itching or the pain.

Nursing pads  

Postpartum essentials are important to stock before the arrival of the baby. But breastfeeding is not an easy task for all. It might happen that you cannot do it. Some women cannot produce milk, and that is not anything unusual. But for those whose milk comes in, regardless of the fact that they are nursing or not, they will require a breast pad to keep their clothing from leaking.

Pumping bra  

There are not many options for the pumping bras. These are the hands-free ones, but there is no need to look for a pretty one as you will not be able to use them later, just for those pumping days when you will be required to use these bras while you can still pump milk.

Nursing bra  

Get a pair of nursing bras before the birth of your child, so it fits you well,while you are nursing your baby. This will allow you to feed your baby along with providing you with the comfort you deserve after the delivery. You will find numerous options to buy, choose the one that fits you well. You can go for an organic cotton one to get the ultimate comfort.

Nipple cream  

If you have chosen to breastfeed your baby, then this is something you will require. This is one of the most important postpartum essentials for moms. If you can, then get yourself two, to figure which one suits you better. This is something you will require in the initial breastfeeding days to heal those cracked nipples.

Lactation supplements  

You can get the lactation capsules, or even try the lactation tea, that will help you during the postpartum and would also help in boosting the production of milk. A delectable postpartum tea is something you will definitely love and that would also benefit you during this trying time. This is a postpartum essentials for c-section and for those who had a vaginal delivery.

Breast Pump  

This is an important postpartum essentials kit that you will definitely require. There are various models out there, a few come with the plug in options while some have the hands free options. Before choosing the one for you, do some research and find the best according to your needs.

Postpartum undies  

Well, this is something that you will love, because of the comfort that it will provide you with,the stretchy, giant mesh underwear they will get you at the hospital. Before your de dte get a few of these, so that you can get the ultimate comfort after your delivery when you get back home with your baby.

Bottles and formula  

You cannot be sure if breastfeeding would be the correct option for you, so it is better to have a back up at home, so get some formulas and bottles before your due date and stay prepared. If you have some specific brand in mind, then it is best you try and get those before, or it might turn out to be a long wait.

Diapers   

Well, starting from the basics is always the best. But do not get one size in abundance,because babies grow really fast and those will not fit them anymore. And if o are buying online, it might take a while to reach you, so just order in advance to get it before your due date and be prepared.

Baby wipes  

This is similar to getting diapers in advance. This is  something that everyone will have in their postpartum checklist. Get some from the nearby store or you can order it online if you want. Get want that will be gentle on the little ones skin and will not cause any irritation.

Diaper rash cream  

Get a diaper rash cream to ease their discomfort, there are various brands out there, so pick the one you like, and be prepared. You cannot go wrong with this one, choose something sensitive, something that was made keeping in mind the postpartum essentials for another.

Medicines   

Check the cabinet for all the necessary medicines, if there is anything missing, replace those or refill those from the drugstore and keep everything ready. Get some pain medicine, soe multivitamins, and get a stool softener to make it easy on your postpartum. These are the postpartum recovery essentials that you should keep prepared.

Shower chair  

You will need a shower chair if you have a C-section. These chairs are adjustable and this would make taking a shower a little less painful. Also look for sensitive toilet papers because of your sensitive vagina.

Snacks  

Ack a lot of snacks rich in fibres, proteins. Get some juice as well, because fluids are equally important during this time. If you are looking for something to eat with one hand then get some granola bars and get stocked. This will get you the required nutrients and meet your cravings as well.

Pillows   

Get a few nursing pillows and a wedge pillow for the mother as they will require the utmost care and comfort during this time.This pillow will support the mother while they are breastfeeding. This is an important supply that you should get checked from your checklist.

Feeding bottles  

This is something that you will require so get a few different kinds, because your baby might not like one and you would have to try feeding them with the other one. Babies are tricky to handle, so keep  few in hand to make sure you end up with one they like.

Pacifier   

There are many mothers who do not like pacifiers, if you are one of them, then get to the next pont and moms in favour of pacifiers get a few of those. It will help your little one soothe when they have their favourite binky with them.

Bouncer or baby seat  

Get a baby bouncer to get you baby comfortable while you take some time off for yourself. This would buy you some time in the initial days, when you have not yet settled in and have no clue how to manage your sleep, shower routine and everything, this will help the soothe and get you some time to relax as they sleep.

Baby medicines  

It is better if you pile some infant pain relief, some vitamin D drops and some saline drops as well. However every baby is different and their needs are also different from one another. You might not have to use the pain reliever as doctors often ask not to use those until they reach a certain age, it is necessary to keep things close for difficult times.

Wrapping up!  

The products that have been mentioned above are soe of the postpartum essentials that you ill need, but the most important thing that you will require is the support from your partner, your family and friends. You might even get a helping hand to look after your baby while you can also rest and recover yourself.

It would be helpful if you let someone else do the daily household work so you can rest for a while. It is also a very special time for you and your partner. Enjoy the time bonding with the new member, while you recover as well.

You might feel uncomfortable because your body has gone through a lot during labour and through the nine months of pregnancy. There are various resources available to keep you comfortable while you heal and adjust well to this new part of your life.

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