Oh the mysterious fourth term of pregnancy... This should have been something that I researched and followed up on more than I did. I concentrated so much on labor and preparing for it that I didn't even think about what post labor would be like. Boy did it throw me for a loop! I was not prepared of what was going to transpire after giving birth to Mateo.
I write this post not to be negative but to hopefully share some insight with any expectant new moms reading this. There is a lot to unpack here so let's get started:
VAGINAL BIRTH
I can only speak on this because this is what I had. If you read my previous post then you know that I have no complaints about my delivery. This post describes the trauma when your epidural slowly wears off.. All of a sudden you begin to feel all the soreness and pain that your body went through to push out your beautiful baby.
I am going to be so honest and say it was a tough moment for me. Whether you have stitches or not, you are going to be sore down there and it really caught me off guard since I had such a good epidural experience.
I had both a second degree tear and hemrroids the size of golf balls. The first time I had to use the bathroom was the hardest and toughest thing after giving birth. The nurses had to help me. Those sweet girls did everything for me besides the actual pee part. In explicit content they sprayed the peri bottle down there, put on my hospital boy short underwear with a frozen diaper popsicle, flushed the toilet for me and tucked me into bed. It is such a vulnerable place to be in but I am so thankful that the nurses that helped me were so sweet and kind.
To make matters even more uncomfortable, I couldn't even sit on my bottom. I had to sit with my butt lifted off the bed because my hemorrhoids would hurt so bad. This was so difficult because I still have to nurse Mateo and finding a position to do this while avoiding sitting on your bottom was really challenging.
I just kept thinking why didn't anyone warn me about this??!!!! No one in the hospital even informed me what the next 48 hours were going to be like for me. There was no triage or discussion preparing me for what I was going to be experiencing for the first time. It is something I didn't expect. I kept thinking why doesn't anyone talk about this stuff!!!??
This is the REAL part of post pregnancy.
But there are some ways to make your life a little easier when you return home from the hospital. That is when the work begins because there will be no more nurses coming in and checking up on you and willing to assist with your every need. You have to manage the pain and find ways to make the next couple weeks of recovery comfortable as possible.
Here are some things that worked for me when I came home from the hospital:
RECOVERY
My good friend gifted me with a Frieda Mom Postpartrum recovery kit which was a life saver when I got home. It included cooling pads, disposable boy shorts, a peri bottle, hospital gown (that I used at home because of the easy access to nurse) and a vaginal foam. Although the hospital gives you a lot of stuff (take it all before you leave!) it was nice to have more back up items at your house. Everyone's recovery time is different. I am 4 weeks out and I am still wearing pads.
PAD-SICLES
Your best friend after labor are the frozen pad-sicles. I personally liked the way the hospital made a "pad-sicle." It is basically a frozen newborn sized diaper that has witch hazel on it and aloe vera (if you want). You are so sore down there that when that pad-sicle touches your vagina it is so reliving. It also is great for speeding up your recovery.
If you want to know more about the pad-sicles I suggest looking it up on Pinterest. I saw some great posts on how to create some pre delivery and stock up in your freezer.
STOOL SOFTENER
I was taking this like it was gum! I was terrified of what my first potty trip would be like after labor. Straining would be hard on your tears and stitches so I recommend that you continue to take stool softener after you leave the hospital. I highly suggest you have a bottle already at your house before you deliver. My hemorrhoids toke about 2-3 weeks to heal so keep taking your stool softener and avoid eating too many heavy carbs.
DEPENDS DIAPERS
These were life savers. After the hospital I quickly got annoyed with the giant pads and I picked up some Depends. They were more comfortable to wear and added bonus were kinda cute. LOL! It is a small and maybe silly thing but with everything going on and not feeling like myself these feminine designed depends made me feel a little bit girly again.
PERI BOTTLE
I had a love hate relationship with this bottle. A peri bottle is necessary to rinse and clean down there after peeing. Your too sore to wipe with tissue so the peri bottle (at times) provided relieve and avoided infection or further irritation. IN the beginning I found the peri bottle to irritate my stitches more and sting. So that is why I have a love/hate relationship with this bottle. But over the course of a few days it started to provide relief. The hospital lets you take a bottle home with you so no need to buy one.
DERMOPLAST
Make sure to grab the bottle with the blue cap and not the red one. I sprayed dermoplast directly onto my tear and sometimes onto the pad. It provides a soothing cooling pain relief and comfort. Tip: the hospital provided me with a bottle but I went through it fast. I had a hard time finding it in stores but it is available on Amazon. I suggest having one at home as part of your recovery kit.
REST
This is probably one of the most essential part of recovery. You need to rest and I didn't do much of this so I think thats why mine is taking longer. While baby is sleeping use that time to take naps. Forget about housework and errands. Your partner can help with that kind of stuff. You will be so busy with nursing or taking care of your baby that you won't even have time for that stuff the first couple of days at home. Make sure to eat and stay hydrated. If you are nursing make sure to drink lots of water. It will help with your milk supply.
I hope this post helps all my expectant moms out there! Remember that being prepared is good but you will never be completely prepared. Something un expectant will occur. Just take a deep breath and compartmentalize your tasks. You have so much going on mama and you need to take care of yourself because your baby is dependent on you!
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