The Real Life Post Partum
During my last trimester, I have been actively reading about what to expect during delivery as well as what happens next. And by actively reading, I meant day and night. I have been equipping myself on do's and don'ts and also have a bunch of checklists and birth plan.
And indeed upon delivery and while at the hospital, I got all that I needed. Not to mention the assistance and help I got from the hospital staff and my dear husband.
After spending 2 nights at the hospital, it was finally time to go home. The next 2 weeks were pretty much full of learnings and key take aways that I can surely make use on the next pregnancy. (Yes, next! haha!)
So here goes my list of what to make sure is considered next time, which, will probably be a year from now.
1. Business Down There. And it is a damn serious business!! To add to the discomfort of not being able to sit down anywhere without that donut cushion, you will spend more time than usual with your business down there.
What you will need, in order of usage:
Peri Bottle- that's the transparent plastic bottle where you will put water in it. Warm water please!! In my case, I got about 3 of these from the hospital, just right amount of water I need everytime.
Dermoplast - it's that spray. Again, ask for a lot of these from the hospital. I was lucky enough to have very helpful and accommodating nurses that they gave me extra to bring home.
Tucks (Hazel Witch Pads) - I used a lot of this! JR even bought extra at Walgreens. I thought the extra 2 packs that the hospital gave me would be enough.
Night time Sanitary napkin - Basically the long ones. You wouldn't want to stain your bed.
Gigantic Sanitary napkin - I think these are the adult diapers. I got these from the hospital.
Disposable/Mesh Underwear - Again, you wouldn't want to stain your nice undies. Ask for a lot from the hospital. These are pretty comfy too!
Sitz Bath *not in picture - I never got to use one because a friend told me (experienced mom) that I should consult first with my OBGYN. Few days after coming from the hospital, I felt like I had infections down there which was confirmed on my checkup. Doctor gave me antibiotics and suggested to do sitz bath. But before I purchased it, "down there" was feeling better, hence no need for this. Then again, that was my personal choice. Had I known this, I would've purchased it prior delivery.
2. Sitting down for a long time will not be comfortable, at all. This, is applicable if you had vaginal delivery. One of the hospital nurses gave me a plastic inflatable donut shaped cushion. It was heaven sent! No matter how soft and comfortable your couch or bed is, you will still need this! In my case, I had 4th grade laceration, so sitting down even for a short period wasn't easy. Eventually, the plastic donut cushion provided to me by the hospital deflated, so I needed to buy one at Amazon. I spent about $15 for a new and more durable one, it was my buddy, I literally use it anywhere: bed, couch, dining, computer chair and in the car.
Tip: If you don't want to spend on getting the donut cushion, ask from the hospital. You can always ask for more than one :) You won't be using it for over a month anyway.
3. Breastfeeding and the drama it brings. A lot of people have been encouraging me to exclusively breastfeed. Name it: family, my friends, friends of friends, nurses, doctors, and even some random stranger I spoke to at the doctor's clinic. What they didn't tell you is that it will not just be hard, but you might even end up getting frustrated and feeling bad.
My first 2 weeks of breastfeeding was the hardest (coz there were harder and hard stages, mehehehe). I struggled feeding my little one due to several factors: my body hasn't fully recovered, sleepless nights (and days) and I wasn't aware that it will be hard. The latter was where most my frustration came from. I was constantly researching and consulting experienced moms and my lactation consultants about what to do. For a time that my nipples started bleeding, I had to stop breastfeeding and opt for formula. This broke my heart as I promised myself that I'll exclusively breastfeed. But then again, I had to think of my baby girl.
So in my breastfeeding journey, here are the items that I have "collected" so far:
Nipple cream - I have started using this since day 1 of Justyne and it was only recently when I stopped using it. I guess my nipples have gotten used to feeding this lil monkey already hehe! I have used two brands: medela and Lasinoh. The medela ones are from the hospital while the Lasinoh brand was from my sis in law. hehe! I am not sure if it was just timing, but when I started using Lasinoh, my nipples became more comfortable. I felt like swelling was minimized.
Nipple Shields - Like I said earlier, I had a very bad start in breastfeeding. Day 3 was hell. My nipples were too sore and started bleeding. It was then that I decided I will have to formula feed for a while. Then a friend of mine told me about this and surely eased the pain on that initial latching of my little one.
Nipple cooling pads/gel - As suggested by my lactation consultant, I purchased these. It was something that I would put on my nipples after every feeding, after putting on the cream. It was very helpful and soothing.
Disposable Nursing Pads - For that leaks and added comfort. there were times that I'll just stick these to my shirt/tank top when I am bra-less at home
Breast shells - My nipples became very sensitive, even to the softest fabric I am wearing. Using these shells prevents my nipples from touching my clothing and also catches any leaks! The only con, I get itchy with the material!!
Mothers Milk Tea - *not in picture. Had my husband buy me these to help my milk supply. And yes, it did help!
Hot Compress - *not in picture. I use these when I am engorged yet no milk is coming out. I massage my beloved twins and put on a hot compress and voila, food for the baby comes out!
Breast Pump (and its accessories)- *not in picture. I have both the electric and manual one. When baby is with Grandma or when we're out, I would pump pump pump and store milk.
4. Bowel Movement will be (a real) B*tch - Quoting my OBGYN here. I was telling my friends I wanted to frame my poop for the hardest bowel movement I've had in my entire life. It took me 3 days after leaving the hospital to go number 2. I didn't have trouble at the hospital coz they gave me medications for blood clotting which the side effect was LBM, so I was pooping nonstop then, uncontrollably! So anyway, as I said earlier, I'd rather push a baby again (with epidural) than go number 2 post partum! I was in tears!!!
5. (Super) Sore Body. This is by far what I hated most. I mean I already went through delivery, getting those 4th grade laceration and stitches, going number 2 real bad and having sleepless days and nights, but really, sore body? And by body, I mean shoulder to foot. I felt like I did crossfit and lifted a huge cow. My feet and knees are in pain, not allowing me to walk and do stuff. My arms were sore, and add the carpal tunnel I have, hence, trouble carrying my baby when needed! This soreness happened on my 5th week I believe and is just starting to go away now. My OBGYN said it is friggin normal, so I just have to deal with it and take Ibuprofen or Tylenol.
6. Peeing Prior to Actual Peeing. Yep, you read that right. Uncontrollable peeing. I felt like when my body feels like I have reached the bathroom to go number 1, I just start to pee even if I haven't sat on the bowl yet! So my tip, pee even if you don't feel like you need to so you can avoid even peeing in your pants when your husband tells a really funny joke. (Yes, true story on that).
7. You will need your husband ALL THE TIME. I was fully dependent on my beloved and it's just lately when I can do most things on my own. This was the time that I appreciated my husband even more. He was there even if I don't need him. Every little action matters.
8. Take a day off. Yes, you can just can't resist that baby in your arms. And you are even scared to leave her and do stuff that you wish to do. But girl, you need it. I needed it. Although I missed my baby girl 99% of the time and was constantly asking Mom how she's doing, having a day off helped a lot.
9. Momma Buddy. Being a first time mom can be scary as you will be totally clueless about things. You will have questions like "did my baby poop like normal?", "are these rashes okay?", "She keeps feeding, doesn't she get tired of it?" and the list goes on and on and on. In my case, I had a friend who gave birth to her first child about 2 weeks after me. We're like classmates to Mommyhood 101 as we would exchange notes and share observations, rants, experiences and joy. It does help a lot to have someone or a lot of someones (in my case) to talk to about something you are going through :)
So there you go. Despite all of these, having a child is something I would not hesitate to do again. (Well, uh, probably 2 more times. hehe!) Why? Just look at the picture below.. hehe!
