Post Partum Check Off

When I had my first baby 13 1/2 years ago I had no idea how painful It would be after giving birth. No one bothered to mention it. I didn't know I would bleed for so long. I didn't know how painful stitches were & how painful it would be to just sit down & hold my baby. I admit that I was pretty clueless when it came to babies. I was never one of those girls who babysat when I was younger or who asked to hold family members babies when I was older. I was in my early 20's when I had my first baby& wasn't even close to being ready to start a family. My marriage was rocky & you couldn't really have a big (or little) bump in my profession. Needless to say when my little Kaleb came out to meet us- I was in LOVE & life as I knew it would never be the same.  

Since I just had my 4th baby I thought I would put together a list of necessities for making your life after labor a little easier for all you new mommies out there. So here it is- my post partum check off list.

Maxi pads- You'll probably bleed for 1- 2 weeks {maybe more} If you think you could manage reusable pads these Lunapads are great to try. .

Nursing pads- if you're breastfeeding- nursing pads are essential. Leaking milk will definitely play into your day. I've tried a lot of brands & my favorite nursing pads are from Johnson & Johnson They are super absorbent  & they are shaped like your breast. My second favorite is Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads. Unfortunately my left breast {I call it my porn boob} has way more milk than my right & leaks like crazy so the Johnson & Johnson just work better for me. {FYI- the J & J nursing pads are kind of thick- so you may feel like you're back in middle school padding your first training bra}

Nursing Bra- This is the first time I've had a nursing bra {& I'm on my 4th kid!} & I love it- but I'm not entirely convinced you need one. I only have one- so I still just lift my other ones up to nurse. This is the one I bought because it was on super sale. I would suggest going into the store & trying one on though.

Topical Cream for your Nipples- one of my favorite words... Trust me you'll want to have some on hand or you'll probably give up breastfeeding all together cause it really does hurt for those first few weeks. {don't give up- you'll barely feel your baby on there after a while} I use Lansinoh. I only seem to need it for a few weeks so I just grab the sample they give you at the hospital. 

Tucks Medicated Pads- oooh gross! Well whether you have hemorrhoids are not- tucks medicated pads have witch hazel in them which helps soothes your sutured area as well as those pesky hemorrhoids. {it's really nothing to be embarrassed about- but I usually tuck mine away in a drawer- no pun intended} 

Compression Band- if you're anything like me & basically walk into the hospital looking 11 months pregnant & walk out looking 9 than you may want to have a compression band on hand. Wearing a compression band around your waist will help your tummy go down faster. Even after a week I felt like there was hope in getting my waist back again. Try the Belly bandit it works really well- & if you want a sexy version haha try this one. I also have heard good things about the Bellfit.

Towels-  It's very common to have night sweats after giving birth. Having a large towel to lay on & a smaller towel to put on your pillow really helps keep your sheets dry & cleaner longer. Cause really who has time to wash!

** All of the items above can be bought pretty much anywhere-  I like buying my diapers in bulk from Diapers.com so I just end up adding all the other goods to my order- then I don't have to attempt an outing with 3 under 3...