Postpartum self care

FTM here, I feel like I'm being so organised for baby and completely forgot about myself and not sure of everything I'll need.
What are things I'll need/be super helpful....literally everything from underwear to healing sprays/gels, pads etc.
Hoping for a water birth and to breastfeed....so anything essential for breastfeeding too.
Recommendations extremely welcome 😅

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i’d defo recommend cooling pads & a peri bottle if you’re going for a vaginal birth! So helpful when you’re sore and don’t want to wipe or touch down below x

Peri bottle and cooling pads were game changers!!
- cooling / ice breast packs for when milk comes in
- disposable underwear
- breast pads (loads of!!)
- nipple balm (I bought as more of a “just in case” - works well as lip balm if not needed on nipples)
- good nursing bras once milk has come in so you know your size
- nursing bras for nighttime as well
- silicone breast pump (I have the Tommee Tippee Made for Me Silicone Breast Pump to catch any let down or express if boobs get sore)

There will likely be other things you realise you need once you’re in the depths of it ☺️☺️

Definitely recommend a portable fan

Adding just what’s not mentioned
- silver nipple shields (saved my life a few times, I swear by them)
- electric pump (I thought I won’t need that initially and I was wrong, got too much milk and took forever to try to manually express plus painful also)
- big water bottle with a straw like Stanley to drink one handed without moving (you will be thirsty)
- healthy snacks to easily eat one handed (you will be HUNGRY 😅)

A fan for breastfeeding night sweats, a pedi bottle GODDDD send, witchhazel wipes (or a bottle and cotton pads) I preferred them over any sort of ice situation, silver nipple cups, a massive water bottle and more snacks than you think you’ll ever need because breastfeeding hunger hits hard! Disposable underwear, a haaka for milk let down.. Weird one but puppy pads (good for changing baby/putting on car seats for poo explosions but also.. I put one on the bed and lay on it post partum to let everything breathe 😂 sorry, TMI!

Just anything to stop your nipples from falling off basically...silver shields were great and get a nice balm!

in our community

So f*cking stressed

This week has just been an absolute shitshow. I had a doctors appointment because I’m worried about my health (headaches daily, migraines weekly, unexplained muscle strains and pains and I’m bruising extremely frequently without any injury) and the doctor giggled throughout my whole appointment and said she doesn’t think anything is wrong but they’ll test my bloods in a months time!! I was literally in tears when she poked at my ribs to assess the pain I have in them, I told her it’s interfering in my daily life, I don’t have the energy to workout anymore which I used to do daily, I’m wearing sunglasses inside for the headaches… how the hell can they just brush this off. And if all that isn’t bad enough UC closed my claim and haven’t paid me this month because I couldn’t get on my account to accept commitments from last month even though I called them in MARCH and explained that I wasn’t receiving their log in codes on my phone number so I can’t access my account. My partner had surgery on his leg in April and had to have a month off which has resulted in our pay being significantly cut so we were relying on this UC money. I asked them to refute the closure of the claim and I was basically told it was my fault because the commitments had been there for a month and it doesn’t matter that I told someone I couldn’t access my account.

It feels like everyone I speak to for help screws me over or just treats me like a joke and I’m so fed up of it. Doctors, GP receptionist, DWP employees, all of them I’ve ever spoke to have been nothing but rude. It took a lot for me to get the courage to go to the doctor after which a bad experience when I was pregnant with my boys and to just be giggled at the whole time and told nothings wrong when I know myself this is not how I should feel has just blown my top.

Just needed a big fat rant, fed up of some of this adulting crap 😂

Bleeding

How long do we bleed for after a c section? This is my second elective one and I’m bleeding heavy, period pains etc, I’m only day 4 but I don’t remember bleeding this long with my first, only a day.

Would you go?

This weekend is a friend’s kid’s birthday party. We have planned to go, but I’m iffy. This friend is a woman I’ve only hung out with twice, once in a group setting and once alone. When alone, she talked a lot, which I didn’t mind, but she acted uninterested when I tried to talk. That last time was in March. It’s now mid-June and we have barely talked since our last hang out. My kids have never met her kid, but they’re excited for the party and that’s the only reason I’ve decided to go. However, I texted her earlier this week to catch up and she read it with no response. I’m a little irritated, tbh. You invite us to your kid’s party, but make no effort to establish a friendship in between getting together. Would you still go to the party?

Due in 3 weeks, which name?!

Her middle name will be Alison. We had made our decision on Lily, but now we’re second thinking! 🤦🏼‍♀️ which one do you prefer?

Pregnancy symptom names

I’m 35 weeks and I feel like my water is boutta break when I pee from the weird pain in my pelvis when I pee. I look it up to make sure it’s normal and Google tells me I have lightening crotch… bitch… ik damn well yall didn’t name ts lightening crotch… I didn’t have this my last pregnancy as my daughter was smaller because I couldn’t keep food down for most of pregnancy. So I look it up and that’s what Google has to say? It couldn’t be something a lil more flattering?! Pelvic pressure pain (ppp)? Pelvic dysfunction? Anything. Like don’t do me like that. Now I’m tryna explain to my fiancé that it’s not my puss being on fire or dangerous it’s just the pressure difference from releasing pee…

Heartbeat scan

I have a 7 week scan on Friday to check for a heartbeat and I am absolutely terrified. I’m 6 weeks and 1 day and have had no nausea at all. I had a stomach virus last week which is something I haven’t had since I was a child, but that’s all and I think that’s due to a weakened immune system rather than pregnancy nausea. Anyone else struggled with this anxiety and what did you do to ease your mind?! 😖