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Childbirth Recovery Kit

By metropolitanmama | January 17, 2007

I vividly remember how I felt after giving birth - relieved, dizzily happy, overwhelmed, proud, overjoyed - and like a train ran over me. It really was a marathon event. It was the hardest work-out I had ever done and my body knew it. My muscles ached, it hurt to sit, it hurt to stand, it hurt to walk, it hurt to go to the bathroom. Blood was gushing from inside of me and the gaping wound where the baby’s head had violently evacuated was painful, to say the least.

There were a few items that helped me immensely in the first week after childbirth. I recommend that you put together a little kit prior to L & D to aid in the recovery process:

IBUProfen - for aches and pains
Stool Softener - for that first time
Pre-moistened Witch Hazel pads - to put in your underwear to help alleviate discomfort
Ice packs - same as above (hopefully, the hospital will provide these - ask for extras to take home)
Underwear - one size too big or maternity
2 bags of super-absorbant maxi pads - for after the hospital pads run out
Baggy, comfortable clothes in stretchy, non-clingy materials - think robes, pj’s, stretchy tops, etc.
Healthy snacks and meals that you can eat and prepare with one hand in less than five minutes - berries, beef jerky, baby carrot sticks, frozen pizza/lasagna, crackers, cheese cubes, granola bars, bottled water, etc.