Hello, friends! It’s been ages (as always) since I’ve written, but it’s all been for a good reason! I had a baby!!! My husband and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl to the world in late October. We’ve been soaking it all up and have been enjoying this season of life immensely. And though I am not a seasoned mom by any stretch of the imagination… I wanted to provide some insight as to what may serve you or a loved one best in the postpartum journey! No matter how much you feel you’ve prepared for birth and to have a baby, there is no substitute for lived experience, I’m learning. So, without any more yammering, here are things that I found helpful in my postpartum recovery and what made life with a newborn a little bit smoother!
Frida Mom Boy Short: postpartum recovery is not the most glamorous process, but what matters at that point is doing all that you can to allow your body to heal, and making sure that you are comfortable in the process. These disposable underwear are such a lifesaver when you’re freshly postpartum and they’re far less bulky and uncomfortable as something like an adult diaper would be. I ordered off of Amazon, but I’m sure they could be found elsewhere!
Haakaa Manual Breast Pump: this is probably my favorite purchase of my entire postpartum journey. If you have an oversupply this pump is a game changer. Super easy to use and not painful whatsoever. I have bought two and absolutely LOVE them. I purchased my first one through Amazon and the second one at Walmart, so if you find you’re needing one ASAP, they do offer them in stores!
Pine Tar Bar Soap; this recommendation is a little bit more obscure and not one that everyone will need to utilize, however, I wanted to mention it! About a week after giving birth, I broke out in a full body rash, which according to my research, happens to about 20% of mothers postpartum. It was MISERABLE. On top of healing from birth, learning to take care of a newborn, and trying to get an adequate amount of sleep, I was having the scratchiest time of my life. Cut to me doing a deep dive as to what on Earth could possibly help me. I found Reddit forums where countless people were discussing how this soap saved them and I can confirm it worked WONDERS. After about two days, the rash was gone and I was feeling like a brand new woman.
Exercise Ball: I bought this near the end of my pregnancy (used it for when I was having contractions —amazing for that) and it gave way to new life postpartum. If baby is feeling fussy, holding them while bouncing is such a great way to calm them down, and may even put them to sleep! And bonus — you’re able to get a slight workout in! Win/win.
Baby Tracker App: the first week and a half of postpartum life, I was TERRIFIED that baby was not eating enough/sleeping enough/ going to the bathroom enough… this app was an absolute lifesaver!!! You’re able to make note of every minute detail of baby’s day which allows for you to feel much more at ease. I no longer feel the need to use this app, but it was so wonderful when we first got home from the hospital. I fully recommend for any other anxious parents!
White Noise on YouTube: I use the “Collicky Baby Sleeps to this Magic Sound”. It is ten hours long with no ads and it is absolute magic! It calms baby down and helps with sleep as well. I just plug my phone in to charge at night and let it play until morning. It is also the BIGGEST lifesaver in the car — within seconds baby will calm down.
And that’s all that I have for you today, folks! I’m hoping that since I’m staying home with baby, that I’ll have more time to write this year. It’s one of my intentions for the 2024 year!
I would love to hear of any obscure must-haves that anybody else has — please let me know!
XOXO,
Mattie Mae
Midwest Mattie 