The Postpartum Tips You Need To Know Before You Give Birth
I remember while pregnant, I was reading up and googling every pregnancy milestone. For postpartum, I did NOTHING. Every advice I got was mostly baby related, nothing talking about my transition into motherhood. Plus, I was scheduled for a c section – still no word about what to expect. Thinking back now I did hear that it takes six to eight weeks to heal. If you’re an expecting mom or a soon to be mom, here’s my version of what you should know.
Here's what worked for me:
1. Make sure you have plenty of nourishing foods on hand. If you’re breastfeeding your body will demand more sustenance. I always felt like I was starving after breastfeeding.
2. Forget the nursery, your newborn will be rooming with you for the first 4 – 6 months. Purchase our CODDLE postpartum recovery box instead. Prepare for soreness, swelling, bruising and after labor pain. plenty of pads on hand.
3. If you’re having a vaginal birth, don’t forget the ‘peri’ bottle. Also known as ‘perineal irrigation’, use the ‘peri’ bottle along with our sitz bath to squirt warm healing herbs on your perineum. Don’t wipe when you use the bathroom.
4. Eat prunes or drink prune juice to soften your first bowel movement. Or grab some from the hospital before you head home.
5. If you’re scheduled for a cesarean section, take a look at our checklist on how to prepare here. Use our perineal balm, sitz bath and postpartum massage oil to relieve your incision soreness and swelling. Call your doctor and check in to make sure they are safe to use.
6. Have lots of water while breastfeeding. Have a bottle in every room wherever you’re sitting. Breast Milk is 88% water so get your water bottle ready. Breastfeeding also leaves you very dehydrated.
7. Air or sun dry your breasts; if your nipples are cracked, sore or tender, use our nipple balm to rub over the dark area of your nipples. Using our nipple balm makes you breastfeed longer.
8. Massage your breasts or place a hot/warm cloth on them to ease engorgement.
9. There’s lot of contradiction about sleeping with your newborn. If you’re too nervous about it, get a co-sleeper that easily fits on the bed. Otherwise let baby sleep beside you in bed. I found it easier for night time breastfeeding. Studies show better breastfeeding outcomes when moms co-sleep. If you’re still on the fence check out this LaLeche article that supports co-sleeping and how to make it safe.
10. Hire household help if you can afford it. My mom and MIL were lifesavers.
11. Accept offers or assign chores to friends and family. My mom and MIL came in handy here, too.
12. Accept help if it’s offered. Don’t believe the hype, independence is not synonyms with new motherhood. You have plenty of time to be an independent woman later.
13. Lastly, the first thing everyone says: ‘rest and heal’. I can’t tell you the countless stories I’ve heard of moms going to the mall or just doing too much moving which caused their incision to open back up. So, YES two words: REST AND HEAL!!!
We want you to survive and live through postpartum, shop our postpartum recovery box. Every single product soothes and relieves your postpartum soreness, bruising, tearing swelling and overall achiness. Along with our box, get our detail guide for recovery after your vaginal or c section birth.
