The first week, or even two, after giving birth is a blur of crying (both of us), cuddles (the best part), and pain. So much pain. But it will subside, even if it is torture and feels like it will never end. When you wonder if it was worth it, but then you look at the beautiful face and wonder how you could even think such a thing..... and then more pain, and new pain, and wondering what will hurt next and when it will all stop pain. And everyone will tell you give it two weeks. That it will get better, That you, too, will forget this. That each day will get better. And it will be the longest two weeks of your life.
But, you look for advice. Help from people who remember how they made it through. Even if it is only one thing from each of them. Every one thing helps, or doesn't, so you try something else and that works. What worked for me may not be what works for you, but it is a place to start when you don't know where to turn. Some for you, some for your new little one (LO), but all made a world of difference for me.
1. Dermoplast. Why did I not know about this earlier? It is a spray that cools and numbs the whole area. Helps with pain and feels great when putting on. The down side? It is hard to find. It also does not kick in right away, but what does? There are a few different ones, so make sure you get the blue one, hospital strength pain relieving spray. It can be found in some pharmacies, but Amazon is the easiest. Order it before to prepare. Luckily I only needed one, but they are cheap so you can order more if you'd like.
2. Depends Silhouette. I bought them because I read online that a lot of people did not like what they got at the hospital to wear after birth for bleeding because they were uncomfortable. I wanted to be prepared, but the mesh hospital briefs were very soft and quite comfortable and very easy on my stomach (which was still large after birth so anything tight sucked), so I really enjoyed using them and trowing them out. The pads from the hospital were good too, and even though they did not stay well, I also wasn't moving much and they were free and I was in the hospital anyway, so it didn't make a big deal to me. I even took a bunch of both home and used them until I ran out. Regular underwear was annoying to put back on, but the purple overnight Always pads came in handy after I ran out. But, back to the Depends. One thing no one tells you is that after birth, you may have some problems holding in your.....bowels. Most of the time you will be able to make it, especially if you are close to the bathroom. But, sometimes and some days will be tougher. Having them handy, especially on the bad days, is a life saver. They are so uncomfortable and annoying (I felt like a newborn wearing a pull-up), but what you need when your stomach is trying to get back to normal and everything is shifting back into place (now that there is no one taking up most of the space).
3. Medela Pump. Whatever pump you get will be great. A lot of people love the Spectra and the Bellababy, or the Haakaa Manual Pump, but every person is different. I have very small nipples and need small flanges. This is a hard thing to find out before hand unless you know a lot of people with different pumps and sizes you can try. Or order a bunch and test them, but have to return them and pay for shipping. Most of you will not have a problem, but Medela was the only one that went down to 21mm. I also read a lot of reviews and posts in pumping groups on Facebook and learned that a lot of people love different pumps, but also love or use Medela parts (apparently they are better quality). I understand that the different settings and comfort of some pumps may be better, but I did not have the time or energy to figure out which parts to use with what pump, so I got the one that has the parts to begin with. I only use it at most once a day anyway. And I love that it came with a bag and a battery pack, which was also highly recommended to me. Next time, I may try a different one. Or, if you have to exclusively pump (EP), you may want to see what is better for long term (this one or something else), but I love mine and it is perfect for me. Below is a guide I found online that may help you find the best one for you.
4. Procare Wrap. Ok, so I got this for free from the hospital, but it is great. Adjustable and comfortable. While I do think it helped my stomach to shrink, it is good at helping everything get back into place (which will help you to feel better faster). It is also easy to put on, so if it starts to feel too tight, it does not take a lot to adjust it. I also like how you couldn't see it under mt clothing.
5. Motherlove Nipple Cream. If you are breastfeeding, you will quickly learn that it is easier said than done. And, it does become easier in time. But, in the beginning it is hell. Pure hell. And extremely painful. Especially your nipples. They will be dry, cracked and bleeding. And only time will heal them. But, you still have a baby to feed. That means you do not get the time needed to heal. Unless you supplement with formula (which I had to do for a few days), but getting them to latch again is very difficult and frustrating. Either way, you NEED to have nipple cream to put on after EVERY feed. I tried Geritrex Lan-O-Soothe, Lansinoh Lanolin and Motherlove and this one is by far my favorite. It is quickly absorbed and light, which makes it easy to put on. The others are thick, so I think a lot ended up on my clothes and pads. I felt I healed faster with the Motherlove and feel better quicker after feeding.
6. Mother's Milk Tea. I am not 100% sure if it works or not, because it is not something you can prove or see, but every little thing helps. Especially in the beginning. It is easier to become an over-supplier and pump and store than it is to try and increase your supply. Oatmeal is good too, as well as many other things, but the tea tastes good, has a lot of the same ingredients as Sleepytime tea (which is nice when you are on a messed up sleep schedule) and it is easy to order on Amazon (and cheaper), though also available at almost every supermarket.
7. Swaddle Me zipper swaddle. Swaddling is hard. Especially for first time parents. Honestly, we got it down pretty quickly. Still, easy swaddles are better and yes, easier. The Velcro ones are great, but a little big. And, with both regular swaddle blankets and Velcro swaddles made me nervous because they would cover her mouth in time. Now, newborns breathe through their nose, but I didn't like it and was scared it would cover her nose in time. Maybe I was over-thinking, or maybe she was just really small, but the zipper one fit her perfect (they go as small as newborn which a lot do not), and it was the easiest to do while her arms are moving. It is also stretchy, which allows her to move them still and not break free (which she is a master of). It will be a life saver. Trust me.
8. Burt's Bees Burp Cloths, All burp cloths are great. There are none that don't work. I love the ones that are shaped to fit perfectly on your shoulder. And the blankets from the hospital work great to have around for massive spit up that gets everywhere, or to cover yourself when burping (because stuff always comes up). But the Burt's Bees ones are soft and small and easy to keep anywhere. I can shove it in a back pocket, the side of the car seat when we take it out of the car and go into a store or somewhere quick. She even loves to hold it (kind of like a blanket) while feeding. I have also used it when she was in the carrier (the one that you wear) to cover my shirt in case she spits up while we are walking. The softness is a bonus and perfect for their gentile skin.
9. Aquaphor. For your everyday (or every hour) diaper change, we use Baby Vaseline. But, in the beginning, we had a bunch of free samples of diapers that we used to see which ones we liked the best. This did cause a little diaper rash. Luckily, we had Baby Aquaphor ready to go, knowing we would need it at some point or another. It cleared up in 2 days, and has yet to come back. We know which diapers we like and she has not irritation. But, it is handy and ready to go if we need it again. One should be enough to start. You can always get more if you need it. And there are always coupons.
10. Pampers and Honest Diapers. We tried many different types of diapers (as I said before). As first time parents, we were unsure which ones we would like, or which ones would work best for our little one. We did not have a big opinion about most (like Up and Up or Huggies), but there were some we really like and really hated. The worst were Seventh Generation and Parasol. We had awful leaks with both and they just never seemed to fit right. Our favorites were Pampers and Honest. They both fit great and never had a leak or blow out problem. The only thing we liked better about Pampers are the wet lines. There is one in the front for pee and one in the back for poop. Very helpful and prevents you from having to put your nose to their butt to find out if they pooped or farted. Keep in mind, each baby is different (and diapers will fit differently), but if you need a place to start (and you don't have a bunch of free samples), I would get a pack of each to try. Stocking up is great, but unless you know what you need, you can end up with a bunch of diapers you can't use. If this is something you need to do, SAVE RECEIPTS!!! We also used newborn diapers for a month, but some never use them at all, so it is hard to predict what you will need. Plus, there is Amazon. I love Amazon. Can you tell??
11. Mam. You haven't heard of Mam? It is not as popular as Dr. Browns and Avent, but that doesnt mean you should ignore it when looking at bottles. And pacifiers. Both of those are great. We even use the Avent ones sometimes, and may more later, but Mam has been the best. Early on, we had to supplement with formula, even though I didn't really want to. I was in so much pain, I could not handle feeding as often as she wanted to eat. At first, it was fine. But, then she got nipple confusion. It took work and 2 days to get her to re-latch. We were scared to introduce another bottle for fear that we would have to stop breastfeeding all together. Then, we gave in and tried a pacifier. Again, a re-latch problem. Not as bad, but we stopped that too. And she hated it. So we tried different pacifier nipples. The fourth one we tried was Mam. And no re-latch problem. Not after the first day, second, third....ever. We love it, and she was happy to have her paci back. So, we tried the bottle with some pumped milk. No re-latch problem. And we love that it can be sterilized by itself in the microwave. Easy cleaning for when we travel. Remember, each baby is different. And so is every boob. So, this may not work for you, but I have had a lot of other breastfeeding moms say the same thing. You cannot choose your child's bottle. They will choose it, so options are great. Two of a few different kinds is good until you know which one you need to have, but Mam should definitely be one of them.
12. Little Remedies Gas Drops. This product works fast and lasts. The only thing I wish is that I had known to buy this before she was born. We were told to get it from our Pediatrician when we asked about her poop. We went and got it right away. We probably didn't use it for at least a week, but one night, when the crying wouldn't stop, we gave it a try. She stopped crying within minutes and fell asleep a half hour later. Now, we have several of them. Always on hand and ready to go for when she needs it. Who knew gas could be such a problem until you hear the awful screams. This will be the best thing you ever buy!!!
