We know many pregnant women who are perfectly prepared. Hospital bags are packed, birth plans are written, basic equipment for the baby is bought, apartments are cleaned and mountains of laundry are washed. But why are there no standard lists for basic equipment for the postpartum period? Of course there are, namely this one, which the weeks has developed together with midwives.
POSTPARTUM ESSENTIALS FOR YOU
1| Postpartum pads: Did you know that the wrong postpartum pads can slow down your recovery? Contaminated cotton and plastic coatings in conventional pads interfere with the healing of your birth injuries because they are not breathable and your wounds come into contact with pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. To ensure that the perineum and vulva heal well, midwives recommend breathable postpartum pads made of organic cotton. For example , the weeks organic postpartum pads .
2| Cotton underpants: In the hospital you will be given mesh panties or fixation pants that hold the postpartum pads in place. However, we find that these are quite uncomfortable (especially for those with figures that are outside of supposedly standard measurements). We therefore recommend having a good supply of breathable cotton briefs. They also hold the postpartum pads in place and are comfortable too.
3| Thinner pads: After the first heavy days of lochia and when your wounds have healed a little, you can also use normal absorbent pads. They should just be as breathable as possible, like the organic postpartum pads from the weeks .
4| Intimate douche : If your acidic urine comes into contact with your open birth wounds , it can burn unpleasantly at first. An intimate douche can help here: rinse the water over your vulva when you pee, this will dilute the urine and it will no longer burn.
5| Wound spray: Birth injuries need air and rest above all. And a little care, which supports healing. Because applying cream to the perineum and vulva is often neither pleasant nor works very well, we have developed the Recovery Spray . With calendula, witch hazel, aloe vera and lavender, it cools pleasantly and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
6| Washcloth: If your wounds are still fresh, even the softest toilet paper can be too rough. In this case, a washcloth can help, which you can use to pat yourself dry after peeing and to clean yourself after a bowel movement. If you have perineal stitches, it can also feel better to support the perineum with a warm washcloth during a bowel movement.
7| Painkillers: The wounds on your vulva and vagina, a possible perineal or cesarean section suture and the nipples (if you are breastfeeding) can be quite painful after giving birth. In addition to all the tinctures and creams listed below, simple painkillers can also help. It is best to discuss with your gynecologist or postnatal midwife beforehand which painkillers are suitable for you and have a pack of them at home.
8| Ice bandages: Ice bandages are good for cooling the vulva and can also be prepared in advance. Simply place a postpartum pad moistened with water or recovery spray in the freezer. After a few hours you can take it out again, wrap it in a cloth and place it on your vulva.
9| Sufficient change of clothes: Because you may sweat a lot in the first few days after giving birth, you need enough comfortable clothes that you can wear during the postpartum period and change into when wet.
DO I NEED SPECIAL FOOD AFTER BIRTH?
No, of course not. It can be helpful to eat as much fiber as possible to stimulate your bowel function and soften your stool.
Some women lose a lot of blood during childbirth and suffer from iron deficiency afterwards. This can cause tiredness, headaches and circulatory problems in the postpartum period. It helps to drink a lot, eat iron-rich foods such as oat and millet flakes, pumpkin or pine nuts, zucchini, broccoli or fennel, drink red juices (with berries and beetroot) and, if you have a greater need for iron, take Kräuterblut® or a similar product.
It is also advisable to have a large supply of snacks in the house: these can be all kinds of nuts, chocolate, biscuits, bread for sandwiches, raw vegetables, gummy bears and chips. The main thing is that you don't get in a bad mood because of an acute lack of food - and that can happen really quickly after such a strenuous and energy-sapping activity as giving birth (and even more so if you are breastfeeding).
And if you want to eat something warm but didn't manage to fill your freezer before the birth (don't worry, neither did we), we can recommend a postpartum meal delivery service for the first few weeks. For example, Mama Muun . They cook fresh food every Wednesday and deliver it to the whole of Germany via overnight express!
AND IF YOU ARE BREASTFEEDING, YOU NEED A LITTLE MORE:
We don't want to focus too much on breastfeeding because we think that every woman should decide for herself how her child is fed. And whether it's breastfeeding, bottle feeding, breast milk, formula or all of the above: we think whatever decision you make is absolutely fine.
Because a few more things may be needed when breastfeeding, we've written you a short breastfeeding preparation list here so that it goes as smoothly as possible. Because breastfeeding is something that both parents have to learn and can be really hard, especially at the beginning. If it doesn't work at all or you're in too much pain, you can get help from a breastfeeding consultant. Or switch to bottles with pumping or powdered milk. Everything is OK.
1| Nightgown/pajamas with buttons (or nursing clothes) so that you don't have to undress completely to feed your child. In the beginning, you might breastfeed every one and a half or two hours and constantly undressing and dressing would be a bit annoying, at least for our taste.
2| Nursing pads (made of cotton or wool/silk) : Disposable nursing pads made of cotton are particularly useful for later, when you have a lot of milk and it tends to leak. The wool/silk version can also help soothe your possibly sore nipples right from the start.
3| Wound ointment : Fatty cream (lanolin) and conventional wound ointment can support your nipples in the beginning.
Of course, there are 1000 other things you can buy: white cabbage and quark for sore breasts when your milk comes in, tea, essences such as calendula that promote wound healing, oils, mesh panties, ...
But we are fans of less rather than more. And because almost all of these things can be bought ad hoc in every supermarket, pharmacy and/or drugstore, you can also get (or have someone get) the things that are perhaps important to you when you really need them.
