What to stock up for post partum recovery?

[charcb]

Posted this in the postnatal forum but didn't get many responses so trying here! Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone! I've been told that a peri bottle may come in handy in case you tear. Are there any other items that were good things to have to take to hospital / have at home to help you recover?

Loads of massive disposable pants!
Spritz for bits for a vaginal birth (wouldn't buy until after to be honest as it is expensive).
I packed an empty water bottle with a pop up instead of a peri bottle, as I'd read this was just as good and much cheaper! I didn't use in the end as I'd had an emcs.

Cheap black full briefs from the supermarket and thick maternity pads. Any bottle or little jug to dilute pee with water if you have stitches, only stings for a short while so no point spending loads.
If you have a cesarean get cotton wool and liquid antiseptic to dab your wound to help keep it clear of bacteria. Not greatvwhen it gets infected.
Lansinoh if breastfeeding.
Painkillers in case you need them.

Cheap massive black full briefs (I personally found these much better than the disposable underwear). Massive maternity pads-I like the boots ones. A supply of paracetamol and ibuprofen. Tea tree oil is great in the bath to keep any wounds clean. Lansinoh nipple cream if breast feeding and breast pads. I had a lot of cramping and found a microwaveable hottie really helped. Peppermint tea and some senna was also useful to have in for the wind and potential constipation!

8 drops each of Tea tree oil and lavender oil mixed with about 100 ml of milk for a lukewarm bath soak after birth (not too hot if you have stitches as they may prematurely dissolve.)

I used surgical knickers as I could just bin them.

A box of essentials next to my bed: phone, water bottle, labsinoh nipple cream, thermometer (room/ also my two weeks old currently caught a bug off his sister and I'm making sure he doesn't spike a fever), lip balm and hand lotion (can also use nipple cream on cracked hands as I've been washing my hands a million times a day and they're super dry).

Witch hazel on frozen maternity nappies has also been recommended to me in the past.

Arnica to help with bruising.

Snacks (breastfeeding makes me ravenous). Easy cook meals/ easy to grab meals like sandwiches... basically so eating doesn't take much prep.

Definitely bring your own drugs to hospital (paracetamol and ibuprofen). Took them three hours to give me the diclofenac I'd requested and was not given and ibuprofen or paracetamol despite a 2nd degree tear - they just don't have the time for regular doling out of pain meds after birth (this is part of the reason I've left ASAP both times!).

Pillow for sitting on in the car on the way home.

And of course, this is the stuff beside the hospital bag list stuff.

Glycerin suppositories to help with that first post birth poo...
Available from the chemist for around a couple of £. Found them a godsend!

I got a rubber ring to sit on as I had ridiculously large piles (sorry if tmi) They we're honestly more uncomfortable than the stitches I was advised against using tena type disposable knickers as they can be too absorbent and mask signs of infection but I found huge knickers with the bodyform maternity pads great, the pads are really thick and long and have 2 lots of wings to keep them in place. I was also advised against using anything like oils/creams/lotions on the pads, midwife said they can cause irritation and upset ph balance down there which could encourage an infection, I know plenty of people do choose to do this though so each to their own

Quite a few packs of maternity pads
Black pants
My cousin gave me sprizt for bits but I didn't need it. I think it's easy to just go crazy and buy loads of stuff but really you won't know until the time comes. Pads and pants are the essentials I'd say.

I have bought in readiness some ice pack pads from Amazon. Twist them and it turns them into an ice pack plus they are a big maternity pad. I think these will be a God send.
Also I’ve got in my hospital bag: a peri bottle, large disposable knickers, huge pads & nipple cream.

I second that large black supermarket pants were more comfortable than disposables.

I LOVED my peri bottle. It was a godsend after an episiotomy. I also agree that having some glycerin suppositories on hand is a good idea. I got terribly constipated (mainly because of codeine painkillers - avoid avoid!) and these were the only thing that sorted it.

I also got a cushion with a hole in which took pressure off the stitches. Took it to the hospital to have for the car ride home!

I didn’t get any relief from spritz for bits unfortunately, so don’t think it’s worth the price. However I know others swear by it, maybe better for more minor tears? Didn’t really touch the sides with my episiotomy

A 'peri bottle' or similar is a waste of money. A sports cap lucazade bottle does the exact same job but for a fraction of the price plus you get to drink the lucazade during labour for an energy boost.

Big comfortable knickers (search post c-section pants) and lots of large sanitary towels! X

I wish I’d seen this for my last two births as I had tears with both and the water bottle trick would have really helped me. I feel like I’ve endured so much pain when it could’ve been avoided 😞

Spritz for bits is amazing and boots maternity pads are the best by far. Really thick and cushioned

A phone charger with an extra long lead! Super useful if you need to stay in for a night or two and are finding it hard to move.

Also cleansing face wipes so you can give yourself a bit of a refresh when you feel up to it.

I bought the big pants from primark, they were great after a c section.

A water bottle with a sturdy flip cap that you can open with one hand - so it can roll around the bed and you can still use it when holding the baby in the other.

Congratulations!!

Some pillows for feeding - whether it's breast or bottle, you feed babies ALOT! Cheap dark bedsheets. Some fibrogel for that first poo. Flip flops for the shower. Extra long phone charger. Post natal vitamins.

Salt water baths are amazing during recovery (vaginal or c sec). Defo cheap big pants and maternity pads. Breast pads. Vitamins.

If you have time (and space in your freezer) try to batch cook some meals that you can thrown in the microwave (makes life loads easier and keeps your energy up... sadly wasn’t wise enough to do this until no.3 🤣).

What a fab list of ideas! Got to get going then and order all these! Xxx loved the lucozade bottle idea instead of the peri bottle!

So second everything suggested by everyone else... I am 27 weeks with DC3 and considering spritz for bits but on the fence (had one episiotomy and one tear but no stitches).

If you are planning to breastfeed then I thoroughly recommend the multimam compresses. You get them from Boots. They aren't cheap but you can cut them in half to make them last longer and I've only needed one pack per baby. Keep them in the fridge. They were pure relief when I had bleeding, cracked nipples. You feel like they could never heal but I promise they will (provided you've had the latch checked).

Definitely do some batch cooking to minimise number of frozen pizzas. And definitely a decent water bottle/flask!

Something to help you poo.
TMI but the constipation from all the iron tablets (due to blood loss) and pain killers meant I was straining which then made my episiotomy take a LOT longer to heal and also gave me piles. All is well now but I was in pain for about 5 months. Wish someone would have told me this.

When I was pregnant I prepared loads of maternity pads with aloe Vera gel and witch hazel and froze them. They were great, if you google 'padsicles' the instructions should come up.

The best piece of advice I got from my midwife post episiotomy was to run a shallow bath and mix two drops of lavender essential oil with two tablespoons of milk and mix it into the bath. Honestly it was the best pain reliever - just don't sit in the bath too long if you have any stitches.

Big cheap black pants
Maternity pads in the freezer ready (I forget the 'recipe' I found but Google has lots)
Freezer full of easy food including nibbles
Fridge with any nice food/drink you couldn't have while pregnant- it will taste a million times better than normal!
Donut cushion to sit on was a lifesaver for me after episiotomy
Plenty of your painkillers of choice
Weirdly, orange juice in case you have iron tablets (I also got addicted to it after a week in hospital with the icy cold disc containers of it that they dish out 😂)
I was glad of having a pill box as I had quite a few to take and my brain wasn't really with me to remember exactly what I'd had when.

Padsicles! That's the one, @miltonj they were really helpful.

Fridge with any nice food/drink you couldn't have while pregnant- it will taste a million times better than normal!

Yes!!!! I have a list of things that I expect to be fed when bubs arrives. Don't care if that sounds entitled. I've done this 3 times and I want a rare steak.

In terms of executing this... I would suggest creating a Tesco (or equivalent) online order for 2 weeks after your due date so you can add all the things you fancy (plus milk, bread, etc) into it. That way you can log on and change the day for delivery for after you get out of hospital and don't have to try and figure out a shop when you have your handsful of baby!

I’m probably echoing previous posters but I would recommend:
Lots of massive black pants (go at least a size bigger than you think- primark is great for these) - they’re comfier than disposable ones and black won’t show stains as much.

Lots of thick maternity pants (not just heavy duty sanitary pads - get proper maternity ones as the normal ones have a coating that can give you an infection)

Lots of easy freezer food (either batch cooked before hand or just frozen food/meals you know you like- including quick lunches)

Comfy loungewear clothes (hoodies, sweatshirts, leggings etc) that you feel ‘presentable’ enough in but are essentially pyjamas - you want to be comfy but don’t want to feel like you look like complete crap if someone visits.

A nappy caddy- this can stay right next to you and is so useful when your stuck under a feeding/sleeping baby and as well as having nappies/wipes/ change of baby clothes in it, you can also put a big bottle of water for you, some snacks you can eat with one hand, maybe a book/headphones etc.

Some nice shower gel that you love the smell of - when you grab a quick shower it’s nice to feel refreshed and a bit pampered. Sometimes it’s the really tiny things that help us feel more like our old selves.

Some nice scrunchies as I’ve always got my hair tied up out of the way in some sort of mum bun.

Adult diapers!
Got some for the bleeding but suffering from urine incontinence after vaginal birth so i really needed them 😅

An inflatable ring donut thingy to sit on for first 3 days as it's sore down there...

I see a lot of bath stuff recommended but for me i was told no bath for 6 weeks 🤨