Essentials for Postpartum Recovery

Recovering from having a baby is not the most pleasant thing in the world. Things hurt. Things hurt real bad. 

Plus, bringing home a newborn baby - possibly your first - totally rocks your world upside down (in a good way) and on top of that, you get zero sleep...

All of this makes for a not-so-relaxing first couple of weeks. 

I made a list of everything that made my life easier in those first couple of weeks. It's not a crazy long list, but a few simple things to take away the pain while your body is healing from giving birth to your sweet little one. 

Less pain = more relaxing and bonding time with your baby. Yes please. 

This might get a little graphic, but here it is..

Oh, and gentlemen? You might want to tune out for this one. 

1. Mesh Undies (Disposable). The hospital supplies these and they make a serious fashion statement. I mean, seriously. Once your man sees you in these, he won't be able to keep his hands off of you! ...On the real tho, they are wonderful. The nurse sent an extra package home with me and I wanted to cry the day that I ran out of them and had to start wearing real underwear before I was completely healed.
2. Depend Briefs. Kelly, if you're reading this, you had no idea. But yes, your woman was rocking Depends. Ladies, these are even better than the mesh undies, just a little more expensive. I had two pair that were free samples from sweetfreestuff.com and they were seriously so comfy. I wore them on the days that we went out or had guests over so that my attractive mesh undies weren't hanging out the top of my pants. 
3. Maternity Pads. The hospital also sent me home with an extra package of these, but trust me, you will need more. These are specifically for postpartum recovery. They're less expensive than the name-brand pads that you find at your local store and also more comfortable.
4. Spray Bottle. Because you are definitely not scrubbing down there with toilet paper. This is actually called a 'perineal irrigation bottle', but I didn't have any clue what a perineum was until I read in a baby book that you are suppose to massage it to prevent tearing. Yea. Okay. Google 'perineum' and imagine massaging it. "Hey honey, what are you up to?" "Oh, not a lot, just massaging my perineum."...I don't think so. 
5. Tucks Witch Hazel Cooling Pads. While these are technically for hemorrhoids, they work just lovely for a torn china cabinet. Anti-itch and anti-inflammatory, they're thin, circular pads that have a cooling effect - I just layered on top of the maternity pads. Plus they're super cheap so one pack should last your entire postpartum recovery.  
6.  Dermoplast Pain Relieving Spray. You might not need this at first, but as soon as stuff starts to heal, it starts to itch. And I mean, itch. And it's an itch you ain't scratchin, sister. I had two stitches, plus a small tear that was small enough not to need a stitch. This spray worked great to numb and cool everything down. Just be sure you are getting the blue Dermoplast, not the red.
7. Stool Softener. I told you I was going to get graphic. The last thing you want to do is have to push anything else out from down there. Just make it a little easier on yourself, you'll be glad you did. 
8. Boppy Nursing Pillow. Really, any pillow will work, but lots of ladies receive these as gifts at their baby shower so they'll pull double-duty. Firstly, you most definitely want a pillow to sit on for the ride home. Then they're still nice at home, whether you're on your couch, a rocking chair or even a chair at the dining room table. For the first several days, you'll want one. 
9. Epsom Salt, Lavender Scented. I received this as a gift at one of my baby showers. I can't tell you how great it felt to finally soak in a hot bath while Kelly was taking care of Adalynn. I even fell asleep in it and I'm pretty sure it was the best 15 minutes of sleep that I got for the first two weeks after having her!

Besides these items, I'd recommend a robe, comfy tank tops and some loose fitting sweatpants. 

Relax, and do as much as you can to stay comfortable so that you can soak up and enjoy this precious time with your new baby!