Second time moms: post-partum must haves

[bethaboo]

I haven't made the jump to MMM so I'm trying my luck here. This week I am determined to have everything ready to go for baby girl's appearance so I can switch my mindset into the beginning of the school year.

I've read about a million lists about things to have at home to survive recovery (particularly after a vaginal birth), but I thought I'd see what moms from "real life" recommend. So what are things that saved you those first few weeks (Tucks, etc.)?

[zarapipe]

I got basically everything I needed from the hospital and as they ran out I got more.

Definitely fill the stool softener prescription if you get one. I think it was stronger than Colace.

[kams]

Rx stool softener, tucks pads, the warm water spray bottle (2 if you can in case one gets lost! They are essential! The hospital should give you at least one), lots of heavy duty pads with wings, lanolin and nursing pads if you are nursing (expressed breast milk is great, too), and dermoplast.

Other essential-to-me items: nursing tanks & PJ pants, plenty of water bottles and easy snacks for nursing, plenty to read, boppy/breast friend. I think with DD1 I nursed for 4 weeks straight .

[MamaMaui24]

Dermoplast spray (from hospital)
Colace (OTC)
Iron (I took pp while bleeding, OTC)
wet wipes for you (dry TP was just too much)
peri bottle (from hospital)
sitz bath "hat" (from hospital)

www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/postpartum-recovery/postpartum-bath-herbs-new.html

a big water jug

[ringstrue]

aw crap I forgot to pickup some colace.

PAIN MEDS. I made sure to have a fresh bottle of ibuprofen in the house since DH and I both take it.

Maybe there is a good app nowadays but I used my itzbeen for feeding/diaper tracking those first few weeks to keep me sane.

Thin overnight pads with wings.


In recovery room:

Paci - DD turned out to be a huge sucker and I was in horrible shape several hours after those first nursings. It was great to have a paci to give me even just 30 mins of relief since they can't self sooth.

Cardigan or hoodie in-case room is too cold.

Doritos and poptarts and sunnyD: DD was born at 3am and I hadn't eaten dinner the day before, so I was STARVING and breakfast wasn't until 9am. I had some granola bars but they really weren't enough. I really wanna make sure I'm not hungry inbetween meals since DH may be home sleeping and can't bring me more food.

[anna7602]

I've gone through almost as many maxi pads as diapers. I keep having to go to the drugstore to buy more pads.

Besides that, tons of reading material for all the hours spent nursing. I stocked up at the library. I also queued up my Amazon prime watchlist.

I've been using a heating pad for my neck & shoulders, due to baby-carrier and constant-nursing-related soreness in my upper back.

[Brie]

Take everything from the hospital. Ask for extra hospital pads (they were my favorite), mesh underwear, and whatever creams/sprays they give you (I think mine were Epifoam and some other cream I didn't like as much). Also, make sure you take peri bottles for every bathroom in your house--I kept having to tote mine up and down stairs which was annoying.

Other stuff:
-Motrin
-Tucks pads (I layered them on top of the hospital pads
-Lanolin or nipple cream
-Snacks--I ate a shitton of trail mix with one hand
-Water bottles
-A list of shows you want to watch/catch up on on the DVR/Netflix

[rbp]

Epifoam and gauze pads (get them from the hospital if you can, because they're really pricey at CVS!)

[thatgirl2478]

Food in the freezer that you can put in the oven without defrosting or combining ingredients.

Gift certificates for local take out places (or at least their menus).

Someone you trust with the baby - you know to not break it and will gladly change diapers - for a few hours without expecting to be entertained. Even if they just come to your house for a while and let you nap. Bonus points if they do dishes/laundry.

Depending on the layout of your house - an upstairs & downstairs changing/napping station for the baby. A side table for snacks & drinks that is easily reachable from a comfy spot on the bed/sofa. Unlimited Netflix.

Extra night wear... and maybe some towels that you sleep on. IMO the worst part of the first few post partum days were the night sweats.

[anaps28]

I bled a lot the first time around. I went to Target pre delivery and bought shitty granny panties that I tossed later.
Some people say Always Infinity pads worked for them but um yeah no that wasn't my case. I had to use Overnights the big mamma ones... I would just have some of those on hand in case for when you get home.

The hospital supplies are THE BEST. The tucks pads are not as big from CVS so just ask for extra the day you are discharged.

The night sweats are the fucking worst after delivery. Mine went on for like 2 or 3 weeks? I would wake up and change my clothes thats how annoying they were.

Snacks for your hospital bag are very helpful too.

[formerlyllizzyb]

I had a c-section.

Miralax and Colace
Steal the mesh undies
I only needed regular pads after the first couple of days
Quick and easy snacks
Fresh fruit
Water bottle in every room
Drinks other than water--juice, Gatorade
Snacks in the bedroom or nursery. I was always starving when I got up to nurse
Tucks wipes and peri squeeze bottle to feel clean

[rbp]

Oh yes--nursing snacks! I spend a lot of time in bed catching two to three hour increments of sleep, and I am always hungry around 3 am! I stash peanut butter crackers in my nightstand

[motzie]

My hospital sent me home with Dermoplast, stool softener, mesh undies, huge pads and a spray bottle. That was all I really needed. I wish I had stockpiled more undies so they would have lasted longer. And lots of Advil. This time I will bring a bottle to the hospital because they charged me $100 for a refill from the hospital pharmacy.

Nursing tanks and a robe or wrap to stay warm if you are breast feeding. I set up a wash station in my spare bathroom so I could wash pump parts. (I started pumping early on)

H was great about making dinner and getting me snacks. I really wasn't hungry for a few days but knew I should be eating so he made me lots of smoothies. Warm comfort food was good too. I will be making and freezing Mac and cheese and veggie lasagna beforehand this time.

[laurenh]

I had a c/s and breastfed: keep taking your stool softener, take as many mesh underwear, pads, peri bottles, etc. that you can, lots of one handed snacks (granola bars, fruit leather, trail mix, etc.), keep a couple water bottles around in the rooms you'll be nursing in so you aren't dying of thirst during a session where you forgot to grab one, several nursing tanks and nursing pads, nipple cream, comfortable PJ/yoga pants

[thatgirl2478]

Aug 18, 2014 11:43:51 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

I've gone through almost as many maxi pads as diapers. I keep having to go to the drugstore to buy more pads.

Besides that, tons of reading material for all the hours spent nursing. I stocked up at the library. I also queued up my Amazon prime watchlist.

I've been using a heating pad for my neck & shoulders, due to baby-carrier and constant-nursing-related soreness in my upper back.

A heating pad will also be WONDERFUL for uterine cramping AND for clogged milk ducts.

[llamamama]

I used the dermoplast numbing spray, the mesh underwear, the hospital pads, tucks pads, and I bought overnight pads of my own. I also used the peri bottle they gave me. I had to buy extra tucks pads and numbing spray so if you can get extras of those at the hospital, take them! The mesh underwear was kind of awesome:)

[nabum]

Breast soothies!! These were a must-have item for me.

[earlgreyhot]

Bring a swaddler to the hospital for the baby. I remember struggling with those damn hospital blankets for my first and so brought a couple swaddlers for #2 and she slept like a dream.

Buy some granny panties that are a size up so you'll be comfortable after you are done with the mesh undies phase.

[bethaboo]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! It's good to know that the hospital will have most of what I need. I will definitely set up a feeding station and put some snacks in my bedside table. Thanks again!

[anna7602]

FWIW, here are my go-to snacks these days:

- Trader Joe's trail mixes (I particularly like the ones with little peanut butter cups in them, but any brand trail mix will do)

- Hummus & baby carrots or pretzels or pita chips

- Rice cakes (although crumbly, beware of getting all over baby if you eat these while nursing)

- Fresh fruit

- Pirate Booty

- Popsicles (for my summer baby)

- Trader Joe's fruit bars, I like Apple-Mango and Apple-Coconut best

- Luna & Kind bars

- Trader Joe's Edamame chips

- Regular Edamame (I buy it frozen and boil it, then munch on it all afternoon)

- Drinkable yogurt and/or Keffir

- Cashews and other nuts

- Cheese sticks

[cb]

I always tell people to stock up on regular and light flow pads. You really only bleed like crazy for a couple days then it's a light/med flow that can last forever. You can get the heavy pads from the hospital. I remember having to send DH out for them with my first DD. I had only bought the huge overnight ones that they told us to in our birthing class.