Five Favorite Postpartum Wellness Items


I'm supposed to be working out homeschool plans for the fall that are rapidly becoming due but I am the worst decision maker on the face of the planet and I've missed this place.  So instead I'm avoiding and stalling and I'm going to tell you what have been my five favorite self-care items this postpartum time.  Bueno?

1.



This stuff is the aftercramping elixir of God.  We all know that the afterpains and contractions get worse with each baby and they can hurt.  And if you didn't know that, now you do.  About an hour after having Ben I took some AfterEase and continued every few hours for the first two days spacing it out longer and longer.  Seriously, this stuff is magic or something.  I had virtually no afterpains.  A few times I felt small cramping that was wince worthy but it was only after it had been a good 4-5 hours since taking the last dose.  In less than two days, I had nothing and my uterus was still going back down to non-pregnant size at a fast rate.  I never even took an ibuprofen and only went through less than half the bottle.

2.

I've talked about this before but the herbal bath tea really does help with healing tissue and soothing all the parts that are so achy after birth.  The water looks disgusting and you need to do a quick scrub after or it colors your tub (at least, I  have to because I'm a neat freak.) but so worth it.  About a cup of epsom salts added to a pot full of the tea (recipe here...this time I used calendula, lavender, comfrey, and a small bit of plantain) that's simmered on the stove for 20 minutes or so and soak as long as your husband and newborn baby will let you.  (Or bring baby in...that works, too.)

3.



In the past I've been pretty happy with the crocheted wool nursing pads I got from an Etsy seller years ago but they're small, I only had one pair, and sometimes I had to double up with something extra underneath so I decided to try these out.  They are GREAT.  They absorb a lot and (important) they don't show under clothes or make embarrassing crinkly noises like the disposable.  I haven't had them leak through yet.  The bamboo is super soft and they can be washed with a normal wash (I wash them with the diapers, actually).  You get three pairs and for the price, totally worth it.

4.


The Squeem

The modern day corset with an even more torturous sounding name.  I really wanted to take advantage of the postpartum healing mojo and work more on getting my diastasis recti back together this time around.  I ordered a medium and small Squeem to bind my belly and started about three days after he was born.  It was TIGHT and I could barely breathe but I got those clasps hooked without actually busting the thing open.  Within a week or so I moved down to the small.  This thing is serious.  It really holds you in and while I wouldn't say it's comfortable at all, I really liked feeling "bound" and felt like it helped things go back down quicker and get all my organs where they should be.  Abdominal bindng is a common practice in other cultures but we do a pretty bad job of postpartum care in that department in our culture resulting in more prolapse and abdominal weakness which leads to other issues (back problems, incontinence, etc.).  I think I've reached a stasis, though.  I still have a small split and I still have extra weight to lose but I do think the Squeem helped a bunch.  At the very least, it has helped me fit into clothes I otherwise couldn't ;)  Oh, and it comes in a much more usable nude color if the black little number isn't your postpartum thing ;)

The ever popular perineal care product.  A product no postpartum care list would be without.  Used in spray or on frozen pads or wipes.  Good for tears, soreness, hemorrhoids, and more.  Don't leave a vaginal birth without it.  (And don't buy that fancy stuff…the $1 bottle from the drug or dollar store will do.)


And an Honorable Mention must go to:
A Massive Full Freezer

Having a big upright freezer has been HUGE in the postpartum mental wellness department.  I froze a bunch of meals before his birth and that was supplemented a bunch more by family and the lovely women from my women's group.  It has been amazing.  While Brian was off he cooked a few meals and I've cooked a handful of meals but for the most part, those first few weeks we were so set on meals. It feels like absolute luxury to just pull a meal out of the freezer and I'm so so grateful for all the time and love that went into them.  We make it a point to pray for the giver of the meal before we eat.  (If you were one of the meal preppers, again thank you SO much!!)

Any particular products or things that helped you postpartum?  Share with the rest of us!


Linking up with Jenna for Five Favorites.  Go on and check the rest out.

{this post contains affiliate links…when you shop Amazon (anything!) through this blog I get a tiny cut to help run this place!  Thank you!}

10 comments

  1. That Sqeem looks positively scary...and I would use it in a heartbeat! Gonna keep that in mind for (God-willing) the next baby.

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    1. Ha! It IS a little bit scary while you're putting it on and it does get uncomfortable after a while...but yeah, it has helped so worth it, I guess!

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  2. fyi, i want to borrow those binders after this baby, mmm-kay? and can i place an advanced order for that herbal bath stuff. i know its ill-mannered to ask a postpartum lady to do something for you, but we do have 27 weeks before i need it ;)

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    1. Thy wish is my command :) They're pricey (though the price went up since I got them) so I hope they get more use!

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  3. Never heard of a sqeem, would it help the old stomach muscle to tighten 18 mths after the fact, and many babies later?

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    1. They say that it's never too late to fix a diastasis recti but I think it must get harder. Eighteen months is still pretty recent, though. Worth a shot especially if you combined it with certain exercises to help? At the very least, it makes it LOOK like it's tighter while it's on ;)

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  4. Thank you SO much for sharing about the Squeem - I can't wait to try it. My diastasis recti is BAD. And I'm bookmarking AfterEase in the event of any future pregnancies!

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    1. I can't guarantee anything but I hope it helps you!

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  5. Great question. My midwife recommends binders and is a pelvic floor expert. She advised that I make sure the uterus is properly centered and not tipped while putting it on. Then do a kegel while putting it on to engage the proper pelvic muscles and fasten from the bottom up so the binder is actually helping to hold the uterus in its proper place while things are healing. This is most important in the first few days when everything is kinda movable and the uterus is still larger. I had the opposite feeling when I used it - like it was helping put things in the right place. All that said, obviously listen to your intuition and body and if it feels like too much pressure then don't do it. I stopped using the Squeem a few weeks ago because it just got too hot and uncomfortable (and I got lazy ;) with the 80-90 degree temps. I did get back to my 1-finger diastasis which was about where I was before. I should keep using it to see if I can get it all the way back together. I hope some of that helps?

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  6. Thank you so much, Liz! That means a lot. God bless your new homeschooling year!!

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