6 Things I Wish I Knew About Recovering After Giving Birth

Let's talk about all the stuff that has either failed to be brought up or too taboo to discuss so you can be better prepared for when baby comes.

I am on my 4th pregnancy, so I am well aware to expect at this point, but I didn't when I had my first. No one prepared me for the recovery and all the items I would need, just to go pee. And it was clear I wasn't alone when all my girlfriends without kids came over, saw the plethora of items around my toilet, and asked, "What's all that for?" There was so much I was unprepared for, so that's what I am here for! Now, let's get into it!

To shop, click the number correlating to the item you want. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

1) You Can't Wipe

After giving birth, everything is healing and not to be touch so, you can't wipe. Get one of these squirt bottles, fill it up with warm water, and use that to clean yourself after going to the bathroom.

2) You will want your maxi pads to feel like ice

Lots of healing will be going on down there, and there will be a lot of blood the first few days and even weeks. You will need to wear something that will absorb all the blood, and no, it cannot be a tampon.

Since everything in the area will be swollen and painful, you will need a special ice pack to place in your underwear. Personally, I use these since they are both a maxi pad and cold compress in one. Bend it half till it pops, spread the solution around, and it will be cold for about 30 minutes.

If these are too bulky for you, you can always take regular maxi pads, put some witch hazel on them, stick them in the freezer, then grab one out of the freezer every time you go to change your pad. I did this with my first but found it to be inconvenient. I now go with the combo one mentioned above since I can leave it right by my toilet, and it requires zero prep from me.

3) You will need to wear some version of an adult diaper

If you want to skip the maxi pad altogether and no longer need the cold packs, you can always go the adult diaper route! I did this with my third once I no longer needed the ice packs. When I was using the ice packs, I bought these underwear. They are the ones my hospital gives to me, and I find them extremely comfortable. Plus, they fit all the bulky pads and ice packs in there!

4) You will need something to relieve the itch and pain topically

This stuff is my BEST FRIEND after giving birth. It is no secret that you will be hurting down there. In addition, if you have to get stitches, it will itch too. This stuff takes care of the pain and itch! Just spray it on, and you will have some relief!

5) You will have Hemorrhoids

Ahh, Hemorrhoids. I don't care who you are; chances are you will get these from giving birth. These will help with that. I line them on my pad or underwear depending on where I am in the recovery process, and they do the trick!

6) You will be scared to poop

Chances are, after giving birth, your stool will be hard, and it will be scary trying to push it out. Under the advice of your doctor, take some stool softener to help ease it out!

Finally, you will need something to store all of this in to leave by your toilet. I like this bin because it is plastic, large, and easy to wipe down if need be.

Was this post helpful? If so, come follow me on Instagram & TikTok where I go over content like this and more!