Mums share: The best products to help after birth
The weeks after giving birth are a wonderful time where mums are getting to know their little babies – but it can also be messy and exhausting.
Our community of parents in our VIP Facebook Group shared the must-have products that worked for them postpartum, to help make life more comfortable for other new mums. (So thoughtful of them!)
Here’s what they said.
1. Disposable undies
This was a tip mentioned by many mums, even if it’s just for the first few days. (Read Depend Real-Fit reviews.)
Other tips included making sure your unmentionables are high waisted, cotton and comfortable.
For those who don’t want to throw away underwear, Modibodi’s Maternity Briefs are ultra-absorbent for whatever leaks come your way. As one mum said, “I wish I’d known about Modibodi then.” (Read Modibodi Maternity Brief reviews.)
2. Ice, ice baby
Use ice, and lots of it. A few mums were huge fans of frozen condoms to help with swelling. As one mum said, “Frozen condoms (filled with water) to reduce swelling of your lady biz!”
Don’t forget “the wraps that go around [the condoms], for putting in your undies,” another added.
3. Nipple balm
Not just for your nipples, mums said they also used nipple balm on their lips too. One Tell Me Baby mum recommended MooGoo Mudder Udder Balm to soothe sore nipples (read MooGoo Mudder Udder Balm reviews), while another mum said Gaia Nipple Balm was her go-to (read Gaia Nipple Balm reviews.)
Neither contains lanolin, so there’s no need to rinse from your nipples before feeding.
4. Reusable bamboo breast pads
Breast pads are worn inside your bra to absorb milk that may leak between feeds. As people become more eco-aware, many mums have turned to reusable bamboo breast pads, so there’s no surprises and no guilt about throwing them out. Just pop them in a wash bag so you don’t lose them, and wash with your regular washing. (Read breast pad reviews.)
5. Pear juice
Things can slow right down in the digestive department after birth, so many mums recommend stool softeners.
One mum had a really practical suggestion that helped keep her regular. “Pear juice (tinned – I froze it into quite delicious ice blocks),” she said. “It worked when none of the medical or other delights got things moving.”
6. Comfy clothes
In the weeks following the birth of your baby, being comfortable is essential, and many mums said they couldn’t live without their giant, comfy, black trackies. This only applies in the colder months (or in hospitals where the air con can be a bit chilly), so think about whatever works for you.
And as one mum said, make sure your comfy clothes are “super easy to get your boobs out of.”
7. The biggest water bottle you can find
Breastfeeding is thirsty work. The oxytocin that your body releases during breastfeeding triggers your thirst to make sure you’re hydrated enough to produce breastmilk.
One mum said to make sure you have the “biggest insulated water bottle you can find!” Just remember to fill it before you sit down to feed, or get your partner involved as the water-bringer.
8. Spray bottle to help with going to the loo
Having stitches can make going to the toilet painful. Here’s one mum’s hot tip.
“A peri bottle/spray bottle to spray water on your sore bits when you go to the loo is the best,” she said. “I had stitches and spraying the area with water when peeing made it a lot more comfortable. It can help even if you just get a graze but no tear/stitches on that sensitive area. One of the things people don’t talk about!”
9. Food glorious food
Food glorious food. Everyone recommends stocking up of frozen food and snacks to have on hand – not to mention some chocolate and your favourite tea or coffee.
Make sure you “have enough food to occupy your brain with a new life!” one mum shared.
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