What's your top post partum recovery tip?

[littleraysofsunshine]

?

[emsyj]

Do lots of pelvic floor exercises.

[bananananacoconuts]

Hold a cold flannel on your bits when you need a poo to stop the panic of splitting your stitches!

[MrChow]

Stay in your pjs, sleep when your baby sleeps, feed him/her on demand, limit visitors, eat nice food and generally have a lovely baby moon

[littlebluedog12]

Witch hazel on a maternity pad for stitches. Also a few drops in the bathwater too.

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

You look after the baby, your partner looks after you.

[TheUnstoppableWindmill]

Spend a lot of time lying down! (Sod those who tell you that getting up and about aids recovery).

And yes, cold flannel against bits, and if you have a graze/tear try sluicing with a water bottle when you wee to prevent stinging (took me a long time to get that right but such a help when I did) or wee in the shower.

[nilbyname]

Stay in bed, co sleep, accept offers of help, eat well and drink lots of water.

Be kind to yourself and accept that sometimes it will be hard.

Buy big grannie pants, open front night shirts for sleeping in.

[AndIFeedEmGunpowder]

Tea tree oil in the bath and (although lots of people don't agree) Arnica tablets.

[PoloMintCity]

Tea tree oil and lavender oil in a daily bath, drink lots if breast feeding, eat as well as you can, rest as much as you can, don't do too much too quickly, remember that you can't spoil a newborn with cuddles!

[emsyj]

Ooooh, I bought a truckload of Primark nightshirts - £4.50 each, buy a dozen so when you spray milk all over them you have lots of spares. Get the biggest size so you can tumble dry them (ignoring the care label). I am still wearing them even though DD2 is now a year old and I've stopped breastfeeding .

[MoreSkyThanWeNeed]

My knickers kept rubbing on my c section scar. After sticking my hand down my trousers ten times to unstick them from my scar (ick), my mum suggested putting a pad there. Duh. But I would never have thought of it.

Oh and your favourite food too, obvs.

[AndIFeedEmGunpowder]

Emsyj I am still wearing the giant GIANT m&s black knickers I bought for the post partum phase. DD is 16 months. I can't give them up.

[emsyj]

[NationMcKinley]

Arnica tablets, lavender oil in the bath with a tiny amount of tea tree oil. Eat and drink properly and be gentle with yourself

[vichill]

One of those isotonic drink bottles with the nozzle things full of cold waterndirected on your fadge as you wee. When wiping I got a wod of wet kitchen towel and just pressed clean.

[GingerMaman]

Stay in bed. Accept offers of help. Limit guests. And sleep when baby sleeps.

[failingmammalian]

Linseed .. Lots of it ,to make that first post partum poo effortless!

[PenguinsDontEatKale]

Stay in your pj's.

People don't expect someone in their pjs to make them a cup of tea or generally run around after them. Back in your own clothes = host.

[expatinscotland]

One of those towel-shaped ice packs. Cover with kitchen roll.

Also, Tena Lady pants instead of maternity towels.

[theborrower]

Get high waisted granny knickers (essential after a CS especially), stay in your pj's for at least a week, and ban visitors for at least a week, preferably 2. That's what I tell friends when they're pregnant, and what I'm reminding myself of ahead of DC2 arriving in the summer.

[BrennanHasAMangina]

Exercise during pregnancy. It helps SO much with everything.

[PlateSpinningAtAllTimes]

Yes to tena pants! Amazing things. Also lots of rest, eat what you fancy mm, cheese , let other people do stuff, sleep whenever you get the chance, plenty of painkillers to take the edge off, eat lots of dried fruit to avoid constipation.....whoops, that's more than 1 tip...

[Rosa]

When the baby sleeps you sleep - sod everything else.( that is unless you have other dc!)
Roll a large bath towel into a long sausage and make a ring to sit on if sore.