POSTPARTUM CARE KIT FOR MOMMIES
Between trying to remain fit and healthy, visits with your doctor and mid-wife, filling out the registry and setting-up the nursery, and let’s not forget nausea and hunger-pangs, nine months just fly-by. The last thing on our minds at this time is postpartum care, especially during the last few weeks when each day feels heavier than the day before and you can’t wait to have your little bundle of joy in your arms already.
There are tons of checklists out there stretching from practical to absurd about what a woman would need for her postpartum care. Here we have compiled a list of essentials all new moms should have at home (and some of these in their hospital bag) when they bring their little one home. Don’t wait to get things as you need them. Its best to have these things handy as soon as you need them. Remember, this is the time you should let your body recover, bond with your baby and adjust to your new routine of life. The last thing you want to do is go shopping.
Here is a simple and practical list of things you will need once you are back home with your little bundle of joy:
- EXTRA-ABSORBENT MAXI PADS
Most women bleed heavily after child-birth, for weeks. Make sure you have at least 6 to 10 packs of maxi pads at home. If you prepare well in advance you can take advantage of sales!
- SITZ BATHS
Women’s perineum (area between the vulva and the anus) can tear during vaginal birth, especially if it is their first baby. You can imagine the pain as it heals! It is very soothing for women to take sitz baths to relieve pain. Sitz bath is simply a bath in which a person sits in water up to the hips. You can get a sitz bath tub (or simple a plastic tub large enough for you to completely soak your bottom in) and sit in it once or twice a day for as long as you need. It will also provide relief from dreadful hemorrhoids which you may get from prolonged pushing.
- ICE PACK
Applying ice pack on and around the vagina can also help relieve pain of perineum tearing. - WITCH HAZEL PADS
Witch Hazel pads are very effective in soothing pain associated with tearing and hemorrhoids. - WASHCLOTHS
It is common for women to experience sore and cracked nipples after giving birth. They should be evaluated by a doctor as they can be indicative of bacterial or yeast infection. But common nipple discomfort can be reduced through the use of warm and cold compresses, for which you will need a nice amount of washcloths. I would advise staying away from all other creams and feel-better products.
- COMFORTABLE CLOTHES
You will probably feel more comfortable wearing your maternity clothes for the first few weeks. However, you want to have a nice amount of comfortable clothes that you can wear even if you have to go without doing laundry for up to a week.
- LOTS OF LOVE, REST AND SLEEP!
There you have it! These are the essentials almost all women would need. You can add onto this list according to your specific needs but don’t get carried away. You do not need to buy expensive products unnecessarily before you are even sure if you will need them. Stick to the basics and you will be surprised at how little you actually need to recover and be yourself.
Tags: Female, Postnatal, sexual