Postpartum Recovery Tips

Compared to some of the horror stories I have seen and heard, I feel like I had a great recovery experience. Most of it was probably just the grace of God but I did have a little bit of knowledge under my belt being a postpartum nurse that helped me. There were a few key things I did that I felt like made all of the difference. 

1. Get out of bed. 

This is especially true when recovering from a c-section. After surgery get out of bed as soon as they will let you, ideally within 12 hours of surgery. You have medicine still pumping through you for the first 24 hours of your recovery and that is the best time to get up and moving. So much of the pain is related to gas trapped in your abdomen and the movement helps get it out. I got up and walked as soon as they let me and did a few laps in the hall every day I was in the hospital and it helped so much!

2. Drink tons of water.

They gave me this huge water cup in the hospital and I probably drank 10 of them a day. I could not get enough and have continued to drink a ton of water since Jace has arrived. I think this helped a lot with my energy levels, healing, and milk supply. Not only does breastfeeding take a lot of liquid out of you but the first few weeks after having a baby your body is undergoing a major fluid shift to reestablish your normal blood volume. I would wake up in the middle of the night soaked in my own sweat so I had to replenish some of that water I was losing. 

3. Get comfort gels and nipple cream.

Medela and lanolin make these awesome comfort gels that are a cool hydrogel pad you can tuck into your bra. They seriously feel SO good. If you really want to be in heaven, put them in the freezer for a few minutes before using them. No matter what the experts tell you, you will most likely be at least a little sore. Especially with your first baby it is a learning curve for both of you and you aren't likely to get the "perfect latch" every single time. Buy a nipple cream that's safe for baby to ingest so you don't have to wipe your tender nipples and keep the comfort gels on. I found some that stuck onto my leak pads and wore them constantly for the first 2 weeks. They also keep your nipples from sticking to your bra which is great! 

4. Find a way to enjoy the night feedings.

Keep a yummy protein snack by your bed for the 3am feeding. Your milk supply is really high the first few hours of the morning and I eat the majority of my calories before lunch because I'm so hungry in the morning. Eating a little snack kept me from getting to the point of being famished. I've also started listening to audiobooks in the middle of the night. They keep me awake and I always look forward to picking up where I left off. It makes it so much more enjoyable to sit in a cozy chair, eat a yummy snack, and listen to my book while feeding my boy.

5. Buy some new jeans.

I referenced this in a previous post but I'll say it again, buy some new jeans. Even just one pair. I lost a good bit of weight really quickly but still can't shimmy into my old jeans. For a while I just wore maternity leggings every day and then finally I bought jeans and a few tops a few sizes bigger then normal. It felt so amazing to be in normal clothes again and way more flattering then pregnancy clothes. Also if you plan on having more kids those in between sizes will be great for the awkward early pregnant days where you just feel chubby and bloated. 

6. Call your pediatrician.

You will have questions about your baby and you will have concerns and I would highly advise you, skip google and pinterest and call the pediatrician! My head was literally spinning at one point of all the millions of things I should do differently and I made the mistake of going to everyone but my pediatrician. Once I went to the pediatrician, he cleared up all of my concerns in 5 minutes. I wish that I would have skipped every other way of getting advice and gone to him first. Every little problem feels like it's the end of the world when you have a new baby and your pediatrician will help you distinguish what's actually worth worrying about. Talking to every well-meaning person about your concerns will only magnify them and make them a bigger deal then they are. 

These are just a few of the things that really seemed to help me! Sleep when you can, get a good support system, and snuggle that sweet baby as much as possible. We are almost 7 weeks in and Jace changes every day. I seriously cannot get enough of him and remind myself constantly that everything is a phase. Even fussy periods are just a phase and next thing I know he will be 25 and I will give anything to have just one more moment cuddling with my little baby. The days may be long, but the years are short! You got this momma!