With each birth, I’ve learned more about the postpartum season. It is just that- a season. It doesn’t last forever, but if you go into winter unprepared, you will suffer. It is the same way with postpartum. I did very little to prepare with my first two children. In fact, I followed the cultural standard of “be the supermom who jumps back into life full force just days after having baby.” Oh goodness, how little I knew! My postpartum with Ivy was better, but I still struggled a bit.
While I understand that we can’t just rest and cuddle a new born 24/7 for 6 weeks, I think we put too little emphasis on embracing this season. Hence, we see a rise in postpartum depression, intense mood swings, exhaustion, nursing difficulties, and more.
My postpartum with Willow has been completely different than my previous experiences! You can check out the No Higher Calling Podcast for episodes going more in depth into how I prepared for this postpartum season, but below, you will find a list of my postpartum essentials- products that are tried and true as I have used them to recover from birth.
For Down Below
Herbal Perineal Spray by Earth Mama– With clean ingredients and an inverted sprayer, this cooling spray feels great!
Soothing Herbal Bath– This is a gentle, natural way to soothing your skin that has stretched and torn while also reducing bleeding and swelling.
Thinx Postpartum Panties– This was my first postpartum using a reusable product for bleeding. I didn’t use the panties for the first few days when bleeding was at it’s max, but they were wonderful once it slowed down a big! We use cloth diapers at our house, so it was easy to add these to the wash. I’ve found that many disposable products tend to cause my skin to break out after extended use, and these alleviated that discomfort!
Frida Mom Washer– I don’t know who designed peri bottles, but they are definitely flawed. It’s so difficult to spray up when gravity pulls down. The Frida Mom Washer is designed for upside down use!
Frida Mom Cooling Pad Liners– I hadn’t used these before Ivy. I had always made my own “padsicles” in the past, but these are amazing! Instant cooling relief, and they help with itching.
Doctor Butler’s Hemorrhoid and Fissure Ointment– This is going to be TMI, but I can’t be the only one to struggle with this! I get hemorrhoids SO BAD after having a baby. Like I will battle them for 6-8 months. I’ll have extreme pain, itching, trouble sitting, anxiety over using the bathroom. Ugh! This is definitely my worst part of postpartum recovery. But, this ointment is incredible. Read the Amazon reviews, they’ll make you laugh! The reviews were so convincing, I thought I’d give it a try. This stuff works!! After just two weeks, my hemorrhoids were completely healed and gone!
Rael Organic Disposable Underwear– For the first few days of postpartum bleeding, I love using disposable incontence underwear. It is easy to have something I can throw away, and it tends to be more absorbing. (Added plus is that they fit that postpartum belly comfortably!) These are a great “clean” option!
For Pain and Hormonal Support
Postpartum Balance– Herbal tincture to help balance hormones, lessen bleeding, and replenish vitamins and minerals.
Ease the Ache– Herbal tincture to ease postpartum cramping, bloating, back pain, and and mood swings.
For Breastfeeding
Breast Balm Herbal Salve– This is an all-natural, herbal salve that helps soothe sore, cracked nipples.
Sunflower Lecithin – This is my first baby to take this with. Several months after having Knox, I got a terrible case of mastitis. Since then, I’ve had problems with milk ducts under my arm getting clogged. My midwife suggested taking this supplement to help with that. After just a few days of taking them, I had no more problems with clogged ducts!
For Overall Health
Progessence Plus Serum– Since my miscarriage, I have struggled with having low progesterone levels. I had to supplement with synthetic progesterone early in my pregnancy with Willow, and it had some unpleasant side affects. This serum comes highly recommended as a natural way to boost progesterone levels. Those levels dip significantly during the postpartum, so I’m hoping this will help bring that to a proper balance.
Care/of Vitamins– I have been taking these vitamins for about 3 years now, and I couldn’t be more pleased! The quality is wonderful, and they’re made with trustworthy ingredients. Care/of is a monthly vitamin subscription plan. They send a month’s worth of vitamins all packaged in a daily bag which makes them easy to travel with! You can cancel at any time and edit your vitamin choices. I have recently done this as I switched out several supplements from what I’d take during pregnancy to what I take postpartum. I did quite a bit of research to find quality supplements at an affordable cost, and I found Care/of to be quite a bit cheaper than most other options! You can click the link to take a quiz and find out what supplements are best for your needs. (Care/of is not just for pregnant and postpartum women. They had all sorts of supplement options!)
What are your postpartum essentials? I’d love to hear what has helped you!
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