By the third trimester, all of my focus shifted to what I needed for my recovery after the babe arrived. I feel like the fourth trimester is so overlooked and I wanted to be prepared for what was to come and make the recovery as comfortable as I possibly could. I truly couldn’t picture what recovery was going to look like because no one ever told me. I think it’s so interesting how in my experience women never shared these intimate details. And maybe because of just that, they are intimate details, but I am who I am and I love to over-share. So let’s dive in.

I researched a lot of different products and these are the items that I loved and used the most that helped me recover from vaginal birth. I didn’t buy a ton beforehand because I knew there would be a chance I could have had a cesarean, so keep that in mind if that feels right to you. I saved all of the links in my Amazon list so I could purchase what worked when I knew I would need it. No matter how you brought your baby into this world, remember: you are a badass! 

I prepared 2 little caddies stocked with these items in each bathroom of the house.

• Large (like, huge.), comfy underwear
• Overnight pads + adult diapers (sexy, I know.)
• Frida Mom – get the whole set! (They have C-section recovery kits, too.)
• Hemorrhoid cooling pads
• Herbal Perineal Spray – you can make this at home! I’ll do a post on this soon.
• Organic Nipple butter – I like this better than lidocaine because it has no pesticides!
• The best nursing bras – SO comfortable and affordable
• This tray so you can have somewhere to put your bone broth in bed
• A little basket by your bed with the things you are using the most – meds, chapstick, nipple butter, facial cleansing wipes, essential oil spray, rose water facial spray, etc. Ask yourself how you can make simple things more convienient

And if you are EXTRA like me:

• salt lamp
• flowers for your bedroom + living spaces
• eucalyptus bundle to hang from your shower – Denver, I linked a local shop!
• red night light – so good because the red light keeps you sleepy when you are up for a late-night feed or change.

Being prepared for recovery ahead of time saved me so much anxiety when I got home from the hospital and was … let’s be real … in a lot of pain. These items made things more comfortable for me and by week 3 I felt so much better. 

Everyone’s experience with birth and recovery is so different and unique to the individual. I encourage you to work closely with your health care providers and support team to make the right choices for you. I hope sharing my experience helps. As always, take what works for you and leave the rest.

What was your recovery like?? Tell me what helped you the most.

xx