"How To" on All Things Postpartum Care
First off, Postpartum means “after childbirth”. Which every woman who is reading this right now, has a mother and your mother can tell you what childbirth was like. That is if you have not experienced it yet yourself. This is why postpartum care and postpartum recovery need to be talked about more. Post partum can be a difficult time in many women’s lives, with the struggle of depression, pain, anxiety, and hemorrhoids. Yupp, that’s right I said it.. hemorrhoids.
Megan Santiago
I am a mother of two, a Holistic Health Coach, a Psychology Major, and an Author. I have ebooks that discuss topics such as stress, health and finding your purpose.
Books by Megan
So, let’s be honest. By this point we should all know where babies come from…. So I am going to just refer to this area as the “down there” to make it a little more pleasant of a conversation.
Childbirth is filled with emotions, pain, sweat, tears and sleep deprivation. All to bring every new life into the world. However, it does not have to be so scary. As I have a Holistic Momma Tribe of Women who have been through it and have each other’s backs!
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“When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for the joy that a human being has been born into the world.” John 16:21
What is Postpartum Care, and Why Does it Matter?
Postpartum Care is a combination of essential steps taken to decrease the mother’s recovery time after delivery.
Furthermore, Why does it matter? Well Ladies, Postpartum is not typically an easy time. During child birth, a vaginal delivery can cause tearing “down there”. Which can be as painful as it sounds.
Plus once the flood gates open with all of your bodily fluids that have been stored in your tummy this whole time are released.
You bleed for days, typically weeks or even months after bringing your new baby into the world. Your “down there” is torn and your hormones are plummeting. I mean, plummeting!
How to Prepare for Postpartum Recovery
Make sure you have all of the essentials before heading to the hospital. I give a list of items to use during pregnancy and post partum. Have a hospital bag packed with necessities such as:
postpartum underwear
perineal spray (MUST HAVE) If you don’t bring anything else, at least have a perineal spray to heal any tears and inflammation faster with all-natural herbs! Spray this on after labor or use a cotton swab to gently test out application.
make up
skin care
cotton swabs
heating pad (contractions cause back and abdominal pain)
ice pack pads (for cooling the inflamed “down there”)
over night maxi pads
a digital camera (or iphones work perfectly fine)
2-3 days worth of clothes
headphones (in case you want to listen to ebooks or podcasts for FREE)
toiletries such as tooth brush, natural deodorant, wipes, make up removing wipes, etc.
hair brush
hair ties
socks (in case you don’t like the hospital ones)
tweezers
floss
a book to read (baby sleep training books, I might suggest)
blankets for you and baby
baby’s first outfit (if you’re into that kind of thing)
clean baby bottles (if you don’t plan on breastfeeding)
baby formula or goat milk (easily digestible alternative)
Pack a Bag for Dad
Dad or whoever is staying overnight could use a neck pillow, blanket, change of clothes, headphones and a book too.
Post Partum Cleaning Sitz Bath
You may have heard of this thing called a “sitz bath”. It is an herbal bath that reduces swelling, itchiness, hemorrhoids (which are easier to get than you might think). In addition, it can minimize yeast infections and discomfort in post partum.
Step 1
Buy an herbal sitz bath mix.
Step 2
Get a toilet cover to put your hot water and herbal sitz bath mix into. This helps prevent irritation or infection as doctors typically advise post partum to avoid sitting in baths.
Step 3
Pour hot water either from a stove or the tub/ sink to fill up about 2/3 of the toilet cover. As you want the heat to create a little steam. Then pour in 1 cup of the sitz mix in to the water.
Step 4
Sit on the toilet cover for 20 minutes, or once the water is no longer hot.
Pro Tip: If you are past your doctor’s recommended time to not take a bath. You can just take a hot bath and pour the sitz mix in with some Epsom salt.
Witch Hazel Healing Pads
Use some cotton swabs to pour a little bit of organic witch hazel on and use for hemorrhoid relief. It is also a great astringent to remove oil from your face. In case you have not been able to wash your face as frequently as you would like. Totally, okay! It’s expected!
Don’t Forget to Use Ice Packs
The hospital should provide you with some ice packs to put in your underwear as a part of your postpartum care. However, when you go home you may want some more. So FridaBaby makes pads that are ice packs that help cool any stinging, heat or irritation “down there”.
Supplements For Postpartum Care
Many women ask what supplements they should be taking post partum. Well for one, our hormones drop so low after childbirth it can be beneficial to be prepared.
Magnesium- No More Hemorrhoids
I LOVE taking my Magnesium Calm. This is NOT, however, if you click the link and decide you would like to give it a try. I’ll get a few pennies for your purchase.
The Magnesium Calm, is a powder that you add to water and just throw it back. I take about 2 teaspoons worth in a few ounces of water. It is tart but I would rather make it strong than spend all day drinking it.
What this does is help minimize cramping, headaches, hemorrhoids, stress, anxiety, sleep and can even help with postpartum depression.
Vitamin D3
A study was done on Iranian women post partum and the study showed those deficient in vitamin d were at a higher risk for depression. (Abedi, Bovayri, Fakhri, & Jahanfar, 2018)
Vitamin D3 is the type that is easily absorbed and what will convert the best in the body to raise serum vitamin D levels.
Raspberry Tea
I am not a big tea drinker, however raspberry tea is supposed to help strengthen the uterus. Making the delivery process easier for mom and baby!
Enjoy Time With Baby
Clear your schedule, clear your mind and enjoy time holding and cuddling with your new baby. He or she will sleep better and enjoy time with mom. You should now be prepared to pack your hospital bag, clean your “down there” and heal it faster. Also, you have a few supplements to start taking now and during post partum.
Join my Holistic Momma Tribe for more healthy tips!
I promise you won’t regret this one!
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