Postpartum Healing Supplies (Holistic Remedies For A Vaginal Birth Recovery)
Having just given birth to our second baby, postpartum healing supplies are fresh on my mind :) I’ve been very lucky to have had two low risk pregnancies and have had two relatively complication free labors and unmedicated vaginal deliveries. But, I have experienced second and third degree tearing during both births so I’m very familiar with the added recovery needed postpartum from those types of birth injuries.
While I’m not afraid of a little ibuprofen here and there when it comes to postpartum healing, I’d personally prefer to take as natural & holistic of an approach as possible. Focusing on nontoxic (or at least low tox!) products and nourishment.
So here’s a little peek at what I personally have used for postpartum recovery and recommend after having two vaginal births:
Grabbed a cute basket from Goodwill (sprayed it down with my thieves cleaner and let it air out for a few days to get rid of that…goodwill artificial fragrance blend ;) to put all my postpartum bathroom essentials in. Helped keep things in one spot and looks more aesthetically pleasing than just having all the packages sit on the floor.
FOR DOWN UNDER:
Claraderm spray - I got this when I was pregnant with Ruth, used it postpartum with her, have been using it daily postpartum with Arne, and still have plenty left! Somehow it lasts forever. Anyways, it gives a little cooling…slightly numbing? feeling when sprayed on your peri and let me tell you, it feels soooooo good after a vaginal delivery. It’s completely nontoxic and full of essential oils that are calming to the skin and aid in the healing process.
Earth Mama peri spray- Another perineal spray that I really love! It doesn’t have quite the same cooling effect as the claraderm spay but it does feel nice and is full healing herbs! I typically alternate between the two sprays each time I go to the bathroom.
Organic pads- I liked these for daytime use and these for overnight. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. There is NO need for dyes, fragrances, bleaches, plastics, etc to be involved in feminine hygiene products. The whole vaginal region is so sensitive and has it’s whole own microbiome and the LAST thing it needs is to sit and absorb a bunch of toxins all day long. No thank you. The good news is organic, non toxic pads are so accessible and affordable these days.
Organic diapers/depends (for mom!) - these were sooooo nice in the early days when bleeding is at its heaviest! Pads are great and all but trust me those first few days it’s so nice to have all over coverage and just be able to toss them when done. I’d add an overnight pad in them too at bedtime for extra absorbancy or a “padsicle” for some instant relief!)
Disposable undies - by far the best disposable underwear if you’re looking for some. stretchy, comfortable material. no digging or rolling up or mesh. I’m also a big fan of the boyshort shape.
Upside down peri bottle - the home birth kit I got when I was pregnant with Ruth came with your standard peri spray bottle and I’m fairly certain they give you one at the hospital too? But I muuuuch prefer this upside down peri bottle. Less mess and better aim ;) My midwives make up an herbal tea if you will to go in my peri bottle (they make enough to fill it probably..10 times?) which again, helps with calming and healing- anti-infective herbs and anti-inflammatory herbs) cold water or cold “tea” feels so good.
DIY padsicles or frida ice pads - Another sweet thing my midwives do for me is make me DIY padsicles (if you’re unfamiliar with the term I’m basically referring to a feminine pad that had liquid on it (herbal remedy/essential oils/witch hazel/aloe/etc) and is then frozen.) i LOVE padsicles those first few days postpartum when pain is at it’s highest and bringing down the inflammation is a good idea. Seriously, ice on the vag/peri after having a vaginal delivery is where it’s at lol. This time around my sister in law gave me some pre-made ice pads which I also really enjoyed! The pre-made ones don’t feature any healing oils/herbs/etc but they do have better absorbency…because the DIY ones tend to just thaw and are already saturated with whatever liquid was frozen into them. So I alternated between the two.
how to make your own padsicles:
organic pads / highly recommend the long ones so you get maximum cooling ;)
unscented / alcohol free witch hazel
aloe vera (100% aloe, no other ingredients)
in a small spray bottle, add 7-10 drops of each essential oil to it, then fill with witch hazel
open a pad and lather on aloe vera
spray the pad every half inch or so with the which hazel oil blend (be generous!)
fold the pad back up or stack flat and place in a plastic gallon-size bag
put in the freezer for future use ;)
FOR THE BOOBIES
Silverettes - I did not have these postpartum with Ruth and sooo wish I had! A friend (who’s daughter is a day older than Ruth and who’s son is 6 months older than Arne and who had the same midwife as us :) gave me her silverettes (lol not the type of second hand gift you can give just anyone) after she was finished with them and I’ve used them daily since Arne was born. We’re trying to get to the bottom of why nursing is so painful (again) for me right now but until then wearing the silverettes over my nips has really helped soothe them in their cracked and raw state. I wish I better understood how they work but all I know is that silver is healing and calming to the skin and…they work!
nipple creams - again, trying to see if there’s a deeper root cause to the pain I’m having or if it’s just…my nipples need a couple weeks to adjust (because to be honest nursing shouldn’t be painful!!) but doing what I can to make myself comfortable in the mean time. I tried a few different natural nipple creams after I had Ruth and while I certainly don’t love putting lanolin on my nips/using lanolin for anything really, I will admit that it does seem to work the best. So if your nipples need a little TLC, I would highly recommend this cream!
This time around I’m also using a medicated nipple cream known as APNO- All Purpose Nipple Ointment. This needs to be prescribed by your healthcare provider. Even though it’s medicated it’s still safe for baby and doesn’t need to be wiped off before nursing. My midwife and a few other moms I’ve talked to all spoke very highly of this ointment and when my nipple pain wasn’t going away after a couple days and the cracks were setting in, I decided it was worth a try!
boobie tubes - these are genius! they’re the perfect shape to go around your boob (there’s a hole in the middle for your nips to come out) you can heat them or put them in the freezer. for engorgement and/or mastitis put them in the freezer!! (do not use heat for either of these conditions - that used to be the recommendation but new evidence is showing that cold is much more effective in reducing the inflammation associated with engorgement and mastitis.) and the cold feels so darn good!
comfortable bras! I’m going to level with you both times after giving birth when my milk is first coming in there are a few days where my boobs get too big to fit into any bras that i own lol. but, after the engorgement goes down some I fit back in my bras.
this bra was my ride or die when nursing with ruth (for real- wore this baby multiple times a week for two years lol)
I’m also a fan of these gap bralettes (not technically nursing- no clips, so make sure you pull up or down enough to not put pressure/strain on your boob that could lead to clogged ducts/mastitis) otherwise they’re super comfy and almost always on sale.
I just picked up this nursing bra and it’s so comfortable!! decent support yet no wire and it’s not constrictive in any way.
this one is also not technically a nursing bra but does the job and is comfy! I take the cups out sometimes for when I just want a little support (as opposed to full on no bra) and put them back in when I want my boobs to have a little shape to them ;)
MISC:
Chiropractic care- Okay I’m two weeks postpartum as I write this and haven’t gone into see my chiropractor yet but I plan to sometime in the next couple weeks! It’s especially helpful if you can find a chiropractor who specializes in infant/pregnancy/postpartum care (which mine does!) After having all your organs shifted around and a very different weight distribution for nine months, it can be helpful to see a chiro to get everything back in line (and…help with poor posture that could be from pregnancy or from breastfeeding!)
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy- again, two weeks PP and haven’t gone in yet but it’s on my list! I’ll probably wait closer to six weeks postpartum to go see my pelvic floor PT. I’ve seen her during both pregnancies and postpartum with Ruth. A healthy and healed pelvic flood can make such a difference in overall health and wellbeing so for me it’s important to take the time to do PT after having babies. Your pelvic floor undergoes so much during pregnancy and birth and in my case, has sustained injuries. If any other muscle in my body sustained a major injury I would seek medical help and PT, so I think it’s only fair to my pelvic floor (and birthing people in general) to take time to heal this vital muscle.
Supplements- of course talk with your health care provider about specific supplements you should be taking. The last few weeks of pregnancy my midwife instructed me to stop taking any supplements that have anti-inflammatory properties which for me included: vitamin d, probiotics, magnesium, and omegas. Labor and birth is an inflammatory process, so taking anti-inflammatory supplements at the end of pregnancy might actually delay the start of labor. That being said postpartum I’m currently taking:
this postnatal multi support pack - comes with a multi, omegas, a “beauty blend,” and a stress support blend! I personally think the stress support blend is SUCH a good idea! After labor and birth and starting breastfeeding your body is stressed out (even if we don’t feel it, cortisol levels are up) and of course having a new baby can be stressful.
vitamin d - currently taking 6000 IU total at the recommendation of my midwife to get enough for baby and me!
magnesium - great for sleep support, eases cramping, and is a great natural stool softener because again, no one wants to be constipated after birth!
probiotics - I really like these because they come refrigerated for maximum potency.
iron - I lost nearly a liter of blood during birth (which is a lot) so my midwife recommended an iron supplement for the first few weeks postpartum. I like this food based option that is easily absorbed and doesn’t cause constipation (bc let’s be real, the last thing you need after a vaginal delivery is an increased risk of constipation!)
choline- my multi has some but not enough needed for optimal infant brain development. I also took this postpartum with Ruth to help prevent clogged ducts and nipple blebs. for some, sunflower lecithin helps with this but it didn’t for me and choline worked much better.
I took Perelel prenatal supplements during pregnancy and have since graduated to their postpartum pack! For pregnancy they have different supplement packs for each trimester. BONUS: you can mail in the little packets/baggies after you’re done and they can recycle them for you!
Rest - it can’t be stressed enough how important rest is both in the postpartum healing process and also in bonding with your new baby! With Ruth I think I mostly stayed in bed for twoish weeks or so. With Arne it was only about a week and then the second week I was a little more mobile but still tried to get in bed as much as possible when I have help or Edgar is home from work. This is not the time to try to tackle a new project or try to lose baby weight right away or anything. Give yourself permission to just stay in bed with your baby (ideally skin to skin for extra bonding!!)
Because I also have a toddler and my husband had a VERY short paternity leave this time I wasn’t able to give myself the full two weeks in bed but we did come up with some ways to allow me to stay in bed even when I was home alone with two kids
we made a little activity basket for Ruth of things she could do in my bed with me: crayons/paper (we also kept a little step stool next to my bed and used it as a little table for her on my bed), mess free painting, stickers, books, etc)
we also have let her watch about 20-30 minutes of tv on some of the days that I’ve been home solo with both kids. There is a time and a place for tv and while this won’t be our norm for much longer, I have zero guilt about a little tv during this very very early postpartum season.
and finally, community. if you don’t have an established support system yet, work on creating one during pregnancy. This is something I definitely missed out on with Ruth. She was born in the fall of 2020 when covid was still new and everyone was scared (including us to a certain extent! the last thing I wanted to do was get my newborn sick!) so we didn’t have much help. I also didn’t have many “mom friends” at the time and most of my friends worked full time so I didn’t have many people to reach out to during the work week. My dad had just had a hip replacement the week before Ruth was born so my parents weren’t able to help much. I did have a mom zoom group (all mamas who shared the same midwife :) that met weekly which was so beneficial to my mental health. Thankfully Edgar was able to take seven weeks of paternity leave to support me 24/7 in those early weeks. (Word to the wise, if you / your partner is able to take a leave from work, take it!!! As much as you can.) Anyways, this time around I have such a thriving support system! I’ve made more mom friends in the past 2.5 years to talk to, have over to visit, help with Ruth, bring food or groceries. Family is more accessible this time around. We’re able to call / text our midwife 24/7 for the first 6 weeks! We have supports in the form of our chiropractor, IBCLC, and physical therapist. How does community and support fall into postpartum healing?? It’s MUCH easier to heal and rest and recover when you have people on your side. It’s also really nice to have trusted friends, family, & medical professionals to go to when you have a question vs googling anything (another word to the wise, stay off google, find people / accounts /etc that you trust and seek support there instead of googling anything about babies / parenting!)
one last one! prepare nourishing freezer meals, smoothie bags, and snacks before hand! It’s easier to heal when 1) you don’t have to stress about what to eat or stand in the kitchen making food when you should be resting & bonding with baby and 2) you have nourishing foods!! what you eat makes a huge difference in your body’s ability to heal and recover (and make milk in some cases!) having food ready to go will keep you from grabbing unhealthy packaged foods.
