Follow my blog with Bloglovin Post partum survival guide

Little warning this post may be a little TMI for some people. Labour and birth are seriously tough going on our bodies, I had an assisted vaginal birth with an episiotomy and forceps. Recovery was a lot tougher than I imagined and these are a few things that I found really helped me.

First off buy maternity pads. Buy lots of maternity pads and buy both the really chunky maternity pads and the slim ones. The first couple of days after birth you are likely to bleed. A lot. I also found these really useful when my waters broke, even if they go in one massive gush like mine (gross sorry) they will continue to leak until you actually give birth so for the sake of your car seats massive maternity pads are good to have.
Also breast pads will be an essential, I am breastfeeding and by around day three after birth when your milk 'comes in' you will definitely need them.

I use the Boots ultra slim breastpads which I've found effective and discreet.

On the same train of thought as breast pads if you are planning on breastfeeding then I would strongly recommend Lansinoh nipple cream. It's a pure lanolin cream that is literally a life saver...or nipple saver! You do not need to remove it before you feed your baby and I apply it after each and every feed an so far I have only had minimal nipple soreness. Cheaper brands are avaliable but I would really suggest spending a bit more and getting this because it really does work and you can't put a price on being able to feed your baby without being driven to tears. 
 
Massive granny knickers. The bigger and uglier the better. You will want to feel comfortable after birth, it's unlikely a thong will offer this comfort and you won't be interested in looking sexy for a while!
I took Arnica tablets after birth to aid healing. I was informed that they are safe when breastfeeding but check with your own midwife before hand before taking them to be safe. I had no problems and feel like they speeded up my recovery.

Having an episiotomy and stitches was the thing I struggled with the most. It was so painful. I couldn't sit down without wincing for about a week. There's a few things that I found helped with comfort and healing. First purchase a travel neck pillow or rubber ring to sit on, it will take the pressure off of the area. Next when using the bathroom have a jug of water to pour over yourself and clean and soothe the area. I put a couple of drops of tea tree oil in this every time I did it which is natural and antibacterial therefore going to help prevent infection. The next thing I used was pure distilled witch hazel which I would soak my maternity pads in, this is super soothing. 

The last thing I used was more for vanity than recovery but I would recommend a belly binder or waist cincher belt. I didn't actually use mine until around a week after birth but I feel like that plus breastfeeding really helped my uterus contract and my stomach reduce in size. My waist is currently three inches away from it's pre-baby size. I didn't order an expensive belt just one off of Amazon which I think does the job just as well.
Most of all I would say the best way to recover from labour and childbirth is to rest, not easy but try and sleep when your baby sleeps...afternoon naps have become a frequent past time for me since becoming a new mum! Try and eat well and stay hydrated especially if you are breastfeeding and don't try and do everything just focus on looking after your baby, ask for help if you need it and most importantly enjoy this time!

Jx
  Follow Follow