Perfect Gift for Postpartum Recovery

At 9 months pregnant, I thought… yes, almost done!!  When the baby is here it will be smooth sailing and all this discomfort, aching and lack of sleep will go away.  C’mon baby, get out of there!!

When my daughter was born, the first day was amazing.  Just staring at her little face, I was in new mom bliss. Sure, I was uncomfortable, but I thought for sure it would go away.  Then the second day hit and I found myself silently pleading, “Can this baby go back in?”  

Simply said, the postpartum time is rough.  I learned a lot after the birth for my son but every mom can use a little boost.  I received the Hello Flo New Mom Survival Kit to review.  When I opened it I thought, this is genius, because not only are some necessary items in here, but some yummy stuff is too. 

If you have never had a baby before, the postpartum period may still be a little mysterious.  Let me walk through what’s in the postpartum kit and what it’s used for.

The Essentials

Maxi Pads – After childbirth, you basically have some form of menstrual flow for six weeks.  I say “some form” because immediately after delivery (and a few days after) the flow is incredibly heavy.  The hospital sends you home with adult diaper sized maxi pads.  After those first few days, it reduces to a much more manageable flow.  These maxi pads are perfect for that time. 

Nursing Pads – If you decide to nurse, your milk isn’t immediately available until a few days after delivery.  When it comes in, oh man, you know.  You feel engorged and you leak.  A lot.  Nursing pads are an absolute must to stay comfortable.  I used a mix of disposable and washable nursing pads.  But no worries, you will stop leaking after about 3 months of breastfeeding.

Nipple Balm – If you haven’t had a kid yet, now is the time you go, “JoAnn, what the hell?” So here’s the thing.  Babies don’t come out of the womb knowing how to nurse nor do you as a mom naturally know how to breastfeed.  There is a learning curve until you know how to get baby to latch the right way every time.  This is where nipple balm comes in handy as everything is a little sore at first. 

Sitz Bath Spray – I never used Sitz spray during my postpartum because both of my babies were cesarean sections. However, if you have a vaginal birth, you might be quite uncomfortable for a few days.  Sitz spray helps cool and calm.

The Treats

Luna Bar, hard candy, chap stick and makeup wipes are great comfort items!  I always appreciated extra food while breastfeeding. Chap stick helped me feel more human and I would have appreciated something else for my own face other than baby wipes.

Hello Flo’s kit would be an amazing gift to a new mom or to yourself if you are expecting.  With so many things to think about after a birth, its nice to know that mom will have access to a little bit of the essentials right away.  Postpartum is a rough adjustment and recovery time… but it is totally worth it in the end.

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