What's your top post partum recovery tip?

[littleraysofsunshine]

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Oats are a great food for breast feeding, so a great excuse to eat lots of flapjack. I think just surviving at this stage is admirable and the best you can hope for until you're all in a bit more of a routine so that'll be around one year if ds is anything to go by

I'd get out when you can so toddler can run around; is there anyone who can help out during the day so you can get some rest?

Congratulations :)

Move as much as possible (brisk walk every day), but rest and eat as much as possible.

What a great tip! To put a pad on my pants where my c section wound is! I've been wearing hubs boxers and pulling them high but they look a shit with leggings ! Ha x

Doodle I see from another thread you've had a recent EMCS, hope you're recovering ok. My top tip is to get some comfy cotton high waisted knickers, not very attractive but super comfy! I was wearing mine for months they avoid showing builders bum too when you're bending down all the time too. I'll be stocking up in case I have another EMCS again this time round.

Thanks the borrower - I bought some knickers in a bigger size but expecting a regular delivery. Haven't been out yet as trying to rest lots and do what I'm told - will head to Tesco and purchase at earliest opportunity I think

Doodle can someone go for you? I sent my sister the day after I was out of hospital, she said she was embarrassed buying them in M&S in case anyone thought they were for her (ha ha ha)

Sod 'healthy snacks'. Especially if you're breastfeeding think calories. Lots and lots of calories.

Learn to feed lying down.

Get a back-lit e-reader and a smartphone if at all possible.

Most of all, have a babymoon where you stay in bed with baby, have lots of skin to skin and do nothing. Ban visitors.

Am quite envious now.

Lots of lying down or sitting with feet elevated for feeding. Wear leggings and tops, then you've got daywear you can comfortably go to bed in. Have little strolls with pram to keep things ticking over but nothing too strenuous as you'll feel tired and not quite yourself for a few weeks.

Lots of fluids for you, easy to forget, but I used to try and take a drink and have one with each feed, not always so easy when bf ing in a continuous loop! But bring a bottle of water, or whatever, to your fav feeding place.

Take the time for a shower each day, it will make you feel better.

I bought arnica tablets, not sure how effective they were, but why not?

Perfectly timed thread - DD born on Monday at 31wks by emcs. Any idea when i might be moving a bit easier? i am doing an old-lady shuffle at the mo, but vey painful (i think they're a bit stingy with painkillers around here too)

For a vag delivery, I would say get up and about as soon as you can (but don't do anything unimportant like cleaning if you can avoid it); visitors to minimum, unless they are useful, and tolerable; and just keep feeding if you're thinking "they can't be hungry again!", well yes they can, they've got some serious growing to do!

Loving this thread 37+1, hadn't even considered recovery, went and bought tea tree oil yesterday.

Looking for advice on the visitors front, when is customary/ polite for in-laws to visit? This is their first grandchild so I feel they'd want to come straight away but I'd really like some recovery time first, mind you saying that, I'd want my own family round instantly- but you can be a bit more open with own family...

It's hard with more than one. Really hard. I had much less help with the second one because dh's paternity leave was shorter, DM was minding my nephew as my sister had gone back to work, so she didn't visit as often, maybe once a week. Don't remember DMIL visiting to help at all , just to cost when the baby was first born. I think people just assume that because you're already a mum you don't need any help as you already know how to do everything. But I think you need MORE help after subsequent babie because you don't have any time to rest and you need to give the other kids your attention too.

So my biggest tip is: Ask for help!

Stay in bed for a week and on the sofa for another. Do nothing but rest feed baby and recover

Glycerin suppositories! I was told it was common not to poop for a few days post-birth and to eat lots of fibre and drink water etc, but what they don't say is that whatever is already there will harden over the next few days and no amount of fibre is going to help shift it, so you need to tackle it from the other end. A glycerin suppository makes it much easier to go as it softens things up and you don't feel like you're going to tear your stitches either. I imagine it helps protect against the dreaded piles too.