Postpartum Recovery: Mama Essentials

Research and gift giving are two of my favorite things.  Gift giving based on research is even better.  That is why I decided to highlight the part of pregnancy that often gets overlooked and that no one wants to buy for: postpartum recovery. If you thought morning sickness was ugly you definitely need to be prepared for this phase.  Cue the Dun dun dunnnnn.

I've pulled together a "recovery kit" for two new mamas-to-be (you know who you are, so forget about this post and act surprised when you receive it), and decided to share it here so you can either pull one together for a good friend or pass this information along to them.  From experience, there is nothing worse than in your final weeks having to pull this stuff together, or even worse, sending your significant other out for them to then receive phone calls from the store asking what you needed again.  And my response would be: seriously?  I gave you a list.  Anyways, here is my rundown on what you need to stay as happy as can be during those *sometimes* dreadful first few weeks post-delivery:

Made this picture extra large so you can see the items a little better

So in typical Ali fashion, I am a bit scattered.  Some of the items in the picture could and should be in your hospital bag.  For example, I loved having my Medela Tender Nipple Care Cream at the hospital to help ease the pain associated with our latching learning curve.  Breastfeeding is tough on new moms as it is with little time for chapping and bleeding.  Something else I was thankful I packed was Cliff Bloks.  These came in handy about 16 hours into labor when I was starving and lacking energy.    Caution though, if you *might* need an emergency c-section avoid these at least two hours prior to surgery.

The other non-postpartum items I've included in the picture above are a range of baby pajama sizes.  We were expecting an 8-10 pound baby based on our 37 week ultrasound scan yet Hudson only weighed 7 lbs 1 oz.  He was swimming in all the clothing options we had brought so he spent most of his time in a snap front shirt and his diaper.  Obviously it worked fine and no one cared, but some fun functional options that fit would have been nice during those first few days.  I picked up a few Little Me princess pajama sets for Baby Olivia(s), (there are two coming! One in November and the other in December), since we are in the year of the Royal Baby. :)  One is a sleep dress, the other is a footie.  The third option is a sleep dress from Magnificent Baby's line which I'm obsessed with since the magnetic closure are a new parents dream.  Variety of sizes and styles helps, plus baby clothes are tiny and take up very little room in your bag!

Now onto the postpartum must haves, listed based on order in the picture (left to right):

• Gripe water: okay so it isn't technically for mom but baby might need it which in turn makes mom's life easier :)  While I love Colic Calm, it does leave a little bit of a stain on clothing so I purchased Little Remedies version for my girlfriends.
• Bath soak: this packet will provide lots of relief once you finally find time to take a bath.  Just make sure your doctor clears the bath part first (may have to wait a few weeks).  I picked up a bunch of Aura Cacia's Relaxing Lavender Milk + Oat Bath packets 
• MiraLAX neatpaks: one thing I wasn't aware of was the need for laxatives, which I'm sure doesn't need to be explained further.  These single serving packets make it easy to get a dose of fiber while staying hydrated.
• Tucks: if you're lucky the hospital will send you home with these.  I found though that even with a supply from the hospital I needed more.  Let's face it, if you're in pain you aren't going to ration your use of a product that helps reduce the pain.  
• Cottonelle Wipes: while I didn't actually use these, I saw way too many commercials advertising this product.  Go figure that I, an ex-ad agency girl, bought into a commercial's claims.
• Perineal Bottles: must have!  Order a few of these off Amazon since the only other place that sells them are medical supply stores.  I put one in our bedroom bathroom, one in the other bathroom I use frequently, and one in the diaper bag.  Don't forget the diaper bag.  You will need it if and when you finally enter back into the real world.
• Dermoplast: the hospital gave me a bottle of this and I fell in love.  Even though it isn't all natural like the New Mama products, it relieved the pain better.  I went through three bottles - one in the hospital and two at home.  Stock up.
• Perineal Cold packs: I read the recipes for making homemade versions of these but opted for the ones they give you in the hospital.  Why?  Convience.  If you get these you won't have to grab a homemade one before heading to the bathroom at 3 am.
• Pads and Panty Liners: wow did I go through a variety of different options postpartum.  I pulled together a collection ranging from extra long overnight to a light, everyday option.  Obviously the picture only shows one of each - you need a few handfuls of each.  Once you find one you like send your significant other out to get more.
• Depends: this is another product I didn't personally use or buy for my postpartum.  I don't know if it was the idea of them or the potential judgement looks from Target employees.  But when it comes to my pregnant girlfriends, I had no shame.  I picked up a pack of the Depends Silhouette ones, which a similar to the mesh underwear the hospital gives you except they have a built-in pad and you can comfortably wear these in public.

Even if you end up with a really nice nurse who is willing to give you more supplies, (mesh underwear, dermoplast, tucks, etc), it might be better to pull it all together for yourself.  I recently heard on the TODAY Show that hospitals charge for everything.  Remember the saying "nothings free"?  Totally applies.  

Good luck, and congratulations to all the new mama-to-be ladies out there.  The pain you feel postpartum will definitely pass, even if it feels like it will last forever.  Oh and if your doctor tells you to wait six weeks before working out again, listen.  At six weeks postpartum I still regret my three week run.  Fingers crossed week seven postpartum is my week to officially begin a workout routine again!

Do{ula} what? 'Due Date' Recommendations for Parents-to-Be

We always thought that the birth of our first child would be intimate.  Intimate meaning if our child could remember who was in the room in those first moments, it would likely just be us, the medical staff, and a relative or two.  That's why halfway through our pregnancy the suggestion of a Doula must have equated to desperation for support during labor through the eyes of my husband, which couldn't be further from the truth.

I will admit when we first found out we were pregnant flashes of my husband Adam on business calls during my labor were #1 in the nightmare column.  You see my husband loves his job.  And with that the following comes to mind: hard worker, impactful, perseverance, character, accomplished and most importantly, dedicated to building a meaningful legacy and life for our family.  That is why asking him to weigh in on having a person we barely knew by our side during such an intimate time was tough.  In the end though he was mature enough to realize child labor isn't his strong suit and quite frankly, researching it wouldn't be the best use of his time.  Would he be by my side to hold my hand and tell me he loved me?  Yes.  Would he know all the details and steps that take place pre-baby arrival?  No.  And that was how we wanted it.  Hiring our Doula, Vanessa Hamilton-Flood, was hands down the best decision we made regarding our birth plan and here's why:

Babies, like all humans, have a mind of their own.  The way and time they enter this world is partially up to you as the mother, but for the most part, their journey is just as great of a miracle as them.  Having Vanessa a phone call away during the weeks leading up to Hudson's arrival was comforting.  Having her by our side during 20+ hours of labor was a godsend (includes all the time spent walking the halls of the hospital to each push and everything in between).

Our Doula remained calm and upbeat the entire time and with each nurse/doctor labor checkup she was an incredible advocate.  Even if we didn't understand the conversation exchange, she quickly broke it down into laymen terms afterwards.  Her demeanor and knowledge were crucial to our success when the doctors believed we needed a C-Section.  Without her by my side I would have likely had a panic attack followed by a C-Section, which by the way, was not a part of the birth plan.  Thankfully she kept me calm and hopeful which worked to our advantage moments before the potential surgery when the nurse realized we made incredible progress and could have the baby naturally.

Taking a step back - most of our friends who knew we hired a Doula thought it was a bit of a hippie move on our part.  My response to that is mixed but overall think a better description of it is educated.  We wanted an informed birth experience. From here on out if we are blessed with more children we want Vanessa by our side for each of their arrivals.  The price we paid was the best money we've spent so far regarding 'baby products', even though it was more of an experience than product.  Think of it as the first investment in your child's life.  If its still too pricey what about having people chip in for the service as a baby shower gift?  I promise you won't regret it, especially if you live in Kansas City and can hire Vanessa. :)  You can check out her story on her story + website, Birthing Beyond.

Oh and for the record my mother and sister (Lindsey) were in the delivery room with us.  My stepdad Mark came by before driving my brother's college stuff to TX (a side story), and my brother Jake and mother-in-law spent some time in the room during labor.  Having our family there was also an amazing and partially spontaneous decision. While the family thing its not right for everyone, it was a perfect way to transition into parenthood and the greatest way to welcome our little miracle.

Other trivial recommendations for the looming Due Date/suggestions for your hospital bag include:

• Mama Stuff: a Pretty Pushers hospital gown which is a nice alternative to the oversized hospital gowns; a few nursing tanks - Bun and Cantloop are two favorites I found on Zulily; a comfy robe, yoga pants and quite possibly most important for breastfeeding mama's - some lanolin  nipple cream - I had Earth Mama and Medela handy.
• Baby Clothing: a few baby pj gown options - think sizes rather than style + gown for easy diaper changes (you never know how big, or tiny in our case, your baby will be)
• Essentials - shampoo, body wash, toothbrush, etc
• Hair stuff - hairbrush, no-dent hair ties and workout headband

The hospital will likely provide everything else.  I'll be posting a summary in the coming weeks of what I had handy post-delivery when we got home - all of which were key to a successful recovery AND helped Adam avoid some confusing/embarrassing drugstore purchases.

Also I must note the above post is obviously my opinion.  I know pregnancy and birth are touchy subjects and most people jump at the chance to let their opinion and ways known the moment a woman announces her pregnancy.  That is not my intention.  Additionally, for those of you wondering, I have been typing most of my post-pregnancy blog posts with baby Hudson laying on me.  Newborns sleep a lot and mine loves snoozing on me during the day.  I absolutely love our time together when he does but find I can't get much done besides stare at him (would do this all day if I could stay awake), read a book, watch TV, or write a blog post during these newborn naps.

Here is what we've looked like for the past twenty minutes. Our lovely post-morning walk with Mimi (my mom/Hudson's grandma) look.  Super model with a super tired baby, I know. Real beauty ignores the lack of make-up, desperate need for a shower, and bad habits like biting one's lip, right? :) I'm a real mom and am really proud of the learning experience/journey I am on.  Loving all the hiccups, smiles and cries along the way.

Almost forgot to show a few favorite photos of our first hours and days in the hospital.  After just a couple hours of sleep and a dentist appointment, my sister Lindsey was back at the hospital loving on Hudson and taking beautiful photos of him.  Thank you, Lindsey, we will cherish all the photos forever.  Oh and Hudson loves his Auntie Linds!