If you're a mom, then you know what it's like to be postpartum. It's full of pain and frustration. For me labor was terrible. I'm talking 68 hours of labor, and 3 1/2 hours of pushing. But most of the time people don't tell you about what to expect the first couple of weeks postpartum.
It can be absolutely miserable.
There was one thing that I had prepared before I went into labor.
Padsicles. No, not popsicles. Padsicles. Have you heard of them? Either way, listen up. This could save you a lot of pain and cut down on your healing time.
Padsicles are a pad that has witch hazel, aloe vera gel, and an essential oil (if preferred) that you stick in the freezer, and then use it after you give birth to help with pain and healing.
Directions:
1. Open up the pad, leaving the wing protectors intact.
2. Using a spoon spread about 2 tablespoons of aloe vera all over the pad. Front, back, middle, everywhere. (you'll want it everywhere after you give birth).
3. Squirt 4 tablespoons of the witch hazel all over the pad.
4. If you're going to use an essential oil place a few drops on the pad. Personally, I used a lavender scent.
5. Make sure it's all mixed well on the pad.
6. Carefully wrap the pad back up. The mixture will get on the wrapper, but that's okay because you'll eventually take it off when you use it.
7. Place the wrapped pads into a zip lock bag (gallon is best), and place it in the freezer.
I made my pads about 2 weeks before I was due.
Below are the products that you can find on Amazon to make it easier on yourself. I had to go to a couple different stores to get everything, so this just makes it much easier for you.
Just simply click on the pictures to purchase them on Amazon.
Witch hazel is a topical astringent derived from the bark and leaves of Hamamelis virginiana, the common or North American witch-hazel shrub. Native Americans have long recognized the medicinal properties of witch hazel and used a decoction of the boiled plant parts to treat skin irritations and tumors. (www.naturallivingideas.com/witch-hazel-uses/)
It has an anti-inflammatory effect and an indirect antibacterial effect that makes it an ideal choice for postpartum healing. Trust me, after giving birth your vajayjay is inflamed to the max.
Aloe Vera Gel is from the aloe plant, which is known as a "wonder plant. It is mostly used for skin conditions, but is also used for treating inflammation. Yes, again with the inflammation.
Maxi Pads. You're going to want the maxi size pads. I'm going to be honest, I even used adult diaper pads because I was bleeding so much. These are the ones that I used and they worked great.
Gallon Ziplock. You probably already have these in your kitchen, but incase you don't just add it to your amazon bundle to make these a lot more simple for you.
Underwear Pads. One more thing that my mom picked up for me after once we came home from the hospital were these underwear. I had quite a bit of bleeding for the first couple of weeks after giving birth. While the padsicles helped, these were a real lifesaver. Sometimes I would place a smaller pad in the underwear so I could use them all day without having to worry about changing them multiple times a day.
After a couple of week when the inflammation had gone down, and the bleeding was minimal, there were a few other products that I used to help.
While I was in the hospital they provided these products, and before I went home I had my mom pick these up for me at the store. I knew they were products that I would use frequently between the padsicles and after I was finished using them.
Tucks. Yes, they are for hemorrhoids, but you can see that they help with relief from burning. A lot of women suffer from hemorrhoids during pregnancy and postpartum. I never had an issue with this, but I did like these for postpartum pain.
I bought a couple of these, and even put extras on my padsicles. They were amazing.
Dermoplast really helps with pain relief. I would use this each time after I would go to the bathroom. I used this for about the first six weeks postpartum. It really helped out.
Mamas, please remember that "this too shall pass." While you are going through the first few weeks postpartum it is hard to think that the pain will go away, and that you will feel normal again, but YOU WILL.
Postpartum Depression is real. A lot of women go through it. The pain you can face postpartum has a lot to do with it. For me personally, I felt like my body was letting me down. It was depressing. I could barely sit, and when I did sit it was excruciating to get back up, and it would literally take me at least a minute to stand up.
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is something that I was dealing with after I gave birth. Hello? 68 hours of labor and 3 1/2 of pushing?! Of course I had PTSD. I wasn't clinically diagnosed with it, I just felt more traumatized than depressed. I had mistaken it for postpartum depression, but I realized after about two weeks that it was probably more likely to be PTSD. It's real. It's traumatic. If I gave you details about my labor, you would be traumatized. So imagine me. Yikes!
What helped me get out of postpartum depression and/or PTSD was talking about it with another recent new mom. She had gone through similar things as I had a month before me. Once we started talking about it and sharing our stories, it was like the pain (mental) was released.
If you're struggling with either of these or both, please talk with someone. Either another mom or a professional. You are not alone in going through these things.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me. If you need someone to pray with/for you I'd be more than happy to do that as well.
You are going to be a great mom. When things get bad just look that precious little baby in the eyes and be still.
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