Hospital, Newborn & Postpartum Essentials
I know there are 5,000,000 blogs out there about what to pack in your hospital bag, what you need for a newborn, and what you need for postpartum care, however, I feel that I still should share my thoughts. These are the things that worked for me, things I wish I would have done different and I guess some other random thoughts.
* Make sure to make an Amazon baby registry so that you can be eligible for the two 15% off coupons! You also get an awesome welcome box with lots of baby goodies. I did my registry on babylist, a universal registry, but still made both an Amazon and Target registry so that I would able to get the 15% off coupons on both of them.
(I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. There are affiliate links used in this post.)
Hospital Essentials
I read a lot of blogs from women about how they brought too much to the hospital and how next time they weren't going to bring as much, but honestly, it's not that difficult to bring more stuff and then if you need it, you have it. Who cares if you look like you're moving in, you are going to be there for a few days. Plus, if you're like us we had help bringing stuff up and back down after from our family, so really not a big deal. Here are my top picks of must have's though for when you go.
1. My Breast Friend
This was and continues to be, truly, my breasts (and arms) best friend! I brought mine to the hospital and I'm so glad I did. During pushing they had me pull against these hand rails to have better pushes, but in doing so it really worked out my biceps. I felt like I had done a super intense bicep workout and holding her up was really hard! I was so glad I had My Breast Friend to make breastfeeding easier. It's challenging anyways to start breastfeeding and this just gives you one less thing to worry and fuss about. It buckles around you so that you can get it up pretty high so when they lay on it their heads are at the perfect height.
You can buy it from Amazon here.
2. Nipple Cream
I ordered 2 nipple creams and I will tell you my thoughts on both. On Amazon they both have great reviews and I read a blog that said you should get both, although now I'm unsure why.
The first one I used was Motherlove Nipple Cream. It's ingredients are: extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, shea butter, marshmallow root, and calendula flower. Now since this is in a jar you have to scoop it out, and it's pretty thick. I thought it was good at first until the nurse asked about my nipples, how they were feeling and if I was putting anything on them. She recommended using lanolin and brought me a small tube made by Medella and so I started to use that. I did feel that the lanolin was much better, easier to apply, and I felt did more for my sore nipples than Motherlove did.
Although if you want this one you can find it on Amazon here.
*Like I said it has 2,000+ reviews and average of 4.5 stars, so obviously some people like it, it just wasn't for me.
**I also didn't wear a bra with my pj's when I was applying it and it did stain it from the oils, so if you're using any of the nipple creams and you don't want nipple oil marks, maybe wear a bra. They did come out with some soaking but it took several soaks to get it clean. It also looked a little awkward when people were coming to visit.
When I got home I got this one out, which I had also bought, and decided to use it rather than the Medella brand that they had given me in the hospital. Hands down Lansinoh is 100x better than Medella, so even if they give you some in the hospital, bring this one and use it. It was soothing and I felt actually stayed on my nipples for a while. The Medella was very thin, almost watery consistency, while this one is much thicker and gives a good coat over your overworked, tired and sore nipples. I am 2 weeks in and have almost used 1 tube. They aren't that big so maybe just buy a few and keep them stalked up.
* Pro Breastfeeding Tips: Now while we're on the topic of breastfeeding I wanted to share some thoughts and encouragement with you. First, I'll start by saying I am not a pro. Even while I learned about the mechanics of breastfeeding in school it still took Annalise and I a while to get the whole thing figured out. Even now she still struggles to get latched on sometimes. On occasion it's a 3-5 minute ordeal of her latching on and unlatching, which can be frustrating and painful. My biggest worry going into all of this was that my nipples would crack and bleed. I have heard some of the saddest and worst stories through my work and school and I just dreaded that. Praise the Lord they were just sore and sensitive, but the worry plagued me and I questioned at each feeding if I was doing it right because it hurt. The initial latch is pretty painful, and at first (alright, like basically until just the past few days) the entire feed can feel unpleasant, although after the initial latch it should be less unpleasant. If it remains very painful then check your latch. Below is a diagram of a correct latch.
Two things I struggled with was the idea of getting the entire areola in her mouth and getting her to actually suck. Ok, maybe TMI but I have the largest areolas and so getting the entire thing in her mouth was not going to happen, but then it was hard for me to tell if she was getting enough of it into her mouth. So sure, try to get as much as you can it, but don't worry about that quite as much. Basically just make sure baby gets a nice big mouthful of it, you'll feel the difference between nipple only and nipple + breast. Then the second thing, actually getting her to suck. Once I would get a good mouthful of breast into her mouth and felt I was in good position she'd just sit there with it in her mouth and not do anything, which was terribly frustrating. My night nurse helped me out with this one. The key is getting the nipple to touch the roof of their mouth, that is what stimulates the sucking reflex. This is very clearly demonstrated in the diagram above. So there you have it, some helpful tips from a novice breastfeeder. It can be frustrating, and painful. Your nipples are definitely in a look don't touch state for a while (sorry hubby)...I'm still in it to be honest, but it's so sweet and I love having the opportunity to breastfeed her. And my last caveat is a fed baby is the best baby. Yes, you'll hear the slogan all the time "breast is best" but some women can't, and some babies can't, so if you fall into that category don't berate yourself for being a bad mom. Breastfeeding isn't the important part, having a healthy, thriving baby is.
3. Boppy Pillow
I didn't bring my boppy pillow to the hospital with me, and I really wish I had, but not for the reason you think. I had some pretty bad tears and so sitting was pretty rough. I was working on the breastfeeding laying down thing (which you really should do, because it makes middle of the night feeds so much more pleasant), but it was hard at first and so really I could only breastfeed sitting up. And of course to eat I had to sit up. I didn't think of sitting on my boppy pillow until a few days after coming home, but once I discovered it, it made all the difference. I'm still sitting on it, in fact, as we speak right now! So do yourself a favor, buy a boppy and have it with you at the hospital in the event you tear and need some pressure relief off those sensitive parts.
My sister made made me a beautiful cover for one and so I didn't purchase one, but you can get one on Amazon here.
*It also makes for a great newborn photo prop under a pillow (look it up on Pinterest if you're curious) or to set your wiggly noodle newborn baby in for a few seconds while you're trying to get ready to feed her.
4. Flip Flops
I read one blog that recommended buying some flip flops for hospital showering. I headed down to my local Old Navy and got a pair when they had their $1 sale. I didn't get any for my husband though because he hates flip flops and I didn't think he'd like them. However, when he was helping me to get in the shower I got my flip flops out and he said, "Man! That's a good idea, the floor feels so gross." Woops. My bad. Should have gotten him a pair too, I mean for $1, I just should have. You live and you learn. Hey, and I'm happy because now I have a new pair of flip flops for the summer!
5. Towels
Another blog tip here. Go to your local Walmart and buy some of the big bath towels. They were like $5 each I think. The blogger I read recommended getting a dark color so you can't see if you accidentally get blood on it or something. I enjoyed this, and I think Bryce did too because new towels are just so soft, and they were big unlike the tiny, little, white, scratchy, sterile, bleached towels provided (see didn't I make that sound so appealing, now you really want to go get your own, hu?).
6. Robe/PJ's
I love these PJ's. I didn't actually bring these ones to the hospital with me, but really love wearing them around the house. They are absolutely the softest thing ever! And even though this girl is pregnant in the picture, I tried wearing it when I was 38+ weeks pregnant and it looked ridiculous, so I would say it's much more a postpartum/nursing PJ's than maternity. Since it's summer I got the short's one but they have long pants one too, and I think I might buy them when winter comes because I have never felt fabric so soft.
You can buy it on Amazon here.
I did bring this one with me to the hospital which I really liked wearing. I felt comfortable and modest for all my guests that were coming in to visit. The buttons stay buttoned up pretty well, but conveniently come unbuttoned really easy. Think super man ripping his shirt open, which is convenient when your newborn is screaming for her feeding. I ordered the lavender color pictured above and I love it, I think it's such a pretty color! I definitely recommend this one. It's not quite as soft as the other ones, but it is still very soft.
You can buy it on Amazon here.
I had bought this robe and matching swaddle blanket mainly for the intent of doing newborn pictures, which turned out fantastic, but really I didn't like wearing it at the hospital. The fabric is very soft and silky, which makes it difficult to keep your breasts covered (or maybe that is just my problem since I have such gigantic breasts). It also is pretty short so I didn't feel very modest and comfortable in it when people were visiting. I think I'll use it around the house though when I go to do her night feedings once we move her into the nursery. I'm still glad I have it, but overall wasn't my favorite for the hospital. BUT, if you want gorgeous matching mom and baby photos, by all means get them, and again they are both so incredibly soft!
You can buy it from Posh Peanut here.
7. Woombie
This is one of my favorite newborn products and I debated between adding it here or the newborn section, but we brought it to the hospital and I'm so glad we did. First off, I purchased mine at Kidz Again in Meridian and they are so adorable, they are the pink one above with little ruffles on them, I'll link that at the bottom if you're having a girl and plain one if you're having a boy or don't like ruffles (but who doesn't like ruffles). Secondly, I also purchased the SwaddleMe Pods brand zipper ones but I do not like them nearly as much. The zipper goes all the way to the top and doesn't have a protector to cover it so the zipper frequently gets indented into her neck, which makes me sad. So stick to the Woombie. And the reason I like the Woombie zipper swaddles better than the velcro is that it's very difficult (impossible?) for them to get their arms out. I have cared for several infants who are little Houdinis and get their arms out and the velcro undone, but we haven't had this problem, and their are very suitable for them to have their arms up near their faces like they like (as you can see in the photo above). Lastly, your husband will thank you for these. Yes, there are wonderful and cute little swaddles that you can wrap them up like burritos in, but I swear no matter how good I did it (or the nurse in the hospital) she would wiggle once and it would all come undone. Plus, as I said, my husband really couldn't figure it out and really appreciated it when I pulled out the Woombie. Men can handle zippers. And no, I'm not hating on men, they just haven't had all the practice we women have and a newborn requires lots of new skills to learn how to care for them, so make it easier on them.
You can order the basic one from Amazon here.
You can order the ruffle one from Amazon here.
8. Glow app
I'm sure there are plenty of other great newborn/breastfeeding apps, but I read about this one on a blog and I really do like it. Pro tip: download now so it's ready and on your phone in the hospital. The first day I forgot about the app and I kept trying to remember what time I last fed her, but my postpartum, sleep deprived self really struggled to remember. Plus, the nurses want to know how long they fed on each side and I had a hard time keeping track of that too. This app lets you start a timer for each side and then when you reopen the app it tells you what side you fed on last, which is helpful since you're supposed to alternate sides you're starting on. It just helps eliminate things to try to remember. It also has a log that you can log what medications you are taking and what time. At the beginning I was taking Hydrocode and Ibuprofen and I would add it so I could remember when I took it and when I could take it again. It does say "Annalise took hydrocode" though, but it does the job. You can also track wet and poopy diapers and sleep, which we haven't done, but it's there if you want to utilize it! Lastly, you can use it track bottle feeding, pumping and solids when they get older.
9. Bra's
I wasn't sure if I should add this here or in the postpartum section, as some of this you don't need to bring to the hospital with you, but I decided to just add it all here in one place.
Bravado! Designs Women's Maternity Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra
First, for reference, prior to pregnancy I was a Victoria Secret 34DD (Yikes!), but after the first few months of pregnancy I quickly outgrew that. I had a friend recommend Bravado and I really do like them. I decided to go ahead and buy a nursing bra in pregnancy hoping beyond all hopes that my boobs wouldn't grow so much that I couldn't wear it any longer once my milk came in. I ordered a L and XL originally from Amazon and felt that the L fit just about perfectly at that point, maybe a little on the small side, so opted for the XL which was a tiny bit on the big side but there was a good amount of stretch I felt hopeful it would still fit when I started breastfeeding. Praise God from whom all blessing flows my milk came in and it still fits! I ordered one more postpartum so I now have 2, which I'm very glad for. Particularly, I have had a few hormonal hot sweats of sorts and my bra has gotten soaked, so I was so glad I could have a fresh clean bra the next day.
You can order from Amazon here.
Bravado Designs Womens' Clip and Pump Hands-free Nursing Bra Accessory
Another reason I really liked the Bravado nursing bra was that it had the clip and pump accessory. I have tried this out (the day I was in labor to try to stimulate contractions) and I really like how it works. It's discreet in how you put it on so you don't have to flash everyone in the process of putting it on. I got an XL in this as well and it works great. It's also a very soft material, which is a bonus!
You can order it from Amazon here.
Kindred Bravely French Terry Racerback Nursing Sleep Bra for Maternity/Breastfeeding
I discovered this company through an ad on Facebook and as a woman with...a blessed boosem, this is a dream come true. The reason is that you can order their bras in each size in either regular or busty. In pregnancy I ordered a L-Busty and this was perfect since I had outgrown all my sports bra's but with the tender breasts I really needed to sleep with a bra. They are a very soft fabric and come in a lot of different colors. I ordered both the XL-Busty and XXL-Busty before baby was born because I wasn't sure what size I would be when my milk came in. I ended up deciding on the XXL-Busty and I really like these. Very comfortable and easy to pull to the side to breastfeed.
UPDATE: Post engorgement I have realized the XXL is way too big. I tried on my L-Busty from pregnancy and it is actually a good fit. Kindred Bravely has a good size chart, so check that out!
You can order it from Amazon here.
Kindred Bravely 2PACK French Terry Racerback Nursing Sleep Bra for Maternity/Breastfeeding.
Ok, these are the same bras as the one above in mint, but it's a 2 pack. It's quite a bit cheaper for the 2 pack (basically buy one get one half off) but it only comes in beige and black and I really wanted mint too, so I ordered this set and 1 mint from the link above. I thought it might be excessive to have 3 of these, but I definitely don't think that now. Breastmilk leaves a nice pretty mark when you leak or when it drips and at least my baby is the messiest eater so when we have a leak or a spill or spit up I like to wash it, so it's been really nice to have 3. Again, I ordered the XXL-Busty.
UPDATE: Post engorgement I have realized the XXL is way too big. I tried on my L-Busty from pregnancy and it is actually a good fit. Kindred Bravely has a good size chart, so check that out!
You can order it from Amazon here.
10. Baby nail file
In blogs I read how in your hospital bag you should bring baby nail clippers as babies have pretty long nails when they are born. This is true. Long and jagged. However, they were also very soft and weirdly were attached the skin underneath even though they looked very long. I sadly clipped her skin when she was a few hours old and made her bleed and scream. I felt awful. I can't remember now if it was my mom or Bryce but one of them looked it up and said that you should use an emery board, but I really struggled, because again their nails are just so soft! I saw this nail file kit on a Facebook ad and quickly went to Amazon and ordered it. It is absolutely worth the price. The sanders are different coarseness for their age and the newborn one is perfect. I can barely feel it when I did it on my skin, but it sands her nails down so well. I so wish I had purchased sooner so I could have with me at the hospitals.
Don't make the same mistake I did and go order it from Amazon now by going here.
11. Snacks (for the hubby)
I had brought snacks with me because my hospital wouldn't let me eat any snacks once I was admitted in case I needed a c-section, which I thought was lame. My plan was to have snacks to sneak in case I had a long labor, but I didn't. And yes, I know I am a terrible patient for even making such plans! I had bought some protein bars, which after she was born at 2am, my husband ate because he was starving. We also had brought some Mountain Dew for him too, which he broke out at 11pm to give him the energy to keep going and being a fantastic birthing coach. So whatever is your husbands jam, stock up and bring it!
Newborn Essentials
1. BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush
As far as newborn essentials, in the first few days/weeks this Babybum brush topped my list of favs. Meconium, the babies first tarry black poops, are very difficult to clean off. There is a fair amount of aggressive wiping and it left poor Annalise's bum so very red and sore. We started applying diaper cream and the brush makes it such a quick, easy, mess free duty. Not only that, but she loved it. She'd be screaming and then when we started applying it she'd stop. One note of caution, a dot is a lot (remind you of your preschool/kindergarten days?). It only takes a very small amount with the brush to apply over the entire bum.
You can order it from Amazon here.
2. Bath Support
I knew that I wanted a baby bath...something, and this was perfect! The lip on the bottom allows your limp noodle newborn to sit right at the bottom, and despite my apprehension they stay put and don't slide out. The blue part is also made of silicon so it allows them to kind of stick to it and not move and slide all over the place. I've read that it can be used until 6 months, but of course that is kind of dependent on how big your baby is.
You can order it from Amazon here.
3. Bath Mat
Continuing on the bath theme, this is fantastic. I really don't think I need to say too much about it because the picture does pretty good justice of how comfortable it makes bath time on both your knees and elbows.
You should definitely invest in the health of your body and order it from Amazon here.
4. Nail File
Make sure to read my thoughts on the baby nail file above in my Hospital Essential section.
5. Newborn Gowns
I put these on my registry and first, they are mint, which I love, but second they make night time diaper changes a cinch. When you're exhausted in the middle of the night, the last thing you want to be doing is messing with buttons and snaps. The zipper ones are pretty great too, but these are hands down the easiest. Your husband will thank you if he happens to be doing any of the night time changes.
You can order it from Target here. Amazon also has a few cute sets of newborn gowns that you can find here and here.
6. What You Don't Need
Alright, so I'm only 2 weeks in here, but so far what I can tell is that I certainly don't need all the millions of onsies I have. Now this is in part due to the fact that I have a girl and it's summer so she got tons of really cute summer dresses, rompers, and other outfits. With all those cute outfits why on earth would I want to put her in a plain old onsie? Maybe if I had a boy, or it was colder out it would be a different story though. If, however, you do have some onsies, please do yourself a favor and buy these adorable shorts from Target to go with them. I am in love and it's practically the only way I'll dress her with a onsie on.
You can order them from Target here.
Postpartum Essentials
1. Ice diapers
This was the very first thing that I absolutely needed when I got home from the hospital. If I haven't mentioned it already I had some pretty bad tears. They made these for me in the hospital and they are the best thing ever! They are very easy to make too. You take a newborn diaper and separate it from the back end (the side with the velcro straps). When separating, think opening a bag of chips. Then go buy a big bag of Sonic ice (because it's the best ice for the job, not too big or hard) and fill the diaper up with a good layer of ice. You don't want it too full because you're going to have to sit on it. In the hospital they secured the torn open part with bandage tape, but at home I just folded it over backwards and used the velcro to velcro it to the back of the diaper. Then, you're ready to stick it in your underwear and it's already contoured to fit your peri area perfectly. PLUS it's absorbent so no need to worry about pads. I did still wear a pad, just in case, but usually the diaper was sufficient. Make sure to put it in with the opened area at the front so when you're laying down it reduces the risk of ice cold water dripping out.
A note on diapers here. We got lots of different kinds of diapers from the shower and gifts and we decided we hate pampers. Both for her and for ice diapers. We love Huggies! You can buy a box of newborn diapers from Amazon here.
Another note on the ice diapers, Bryce would prepare 5-6 at a time and I would say that is probably all that I would do at a time because the ice did clump up and it became harder and harder to separate and you don't want to be sitting on a block of ice. I would say I typically changed it every 2-3 hours, so I did go through a lot and ended up using them for probably a whole week! I know we went through 2 bags of sonic ice.
And a last note on diapers. Did you know that any store (Walmart, Target...etc) will exchange unopened packs of diapers up to the next size? I ended up with over 700 size 1 diapers and so I have exchanged them for newborns very easily. You don't need a receipt, just take it to customer service and they will tell you how much the exchange will go towards. If you end up getting a larger quantity or something then you just have to pay the extra, but good to keep in mind, especially as you near them growing out of a size, maybe just go up instead of opening that next box and not finishing it.
2. Ice Packs
I had originally bought 2 of these with my breasts in mind, but they actually ended up serving a much better purpose for me later on with peri-care. After about a week the ice diapers were not comfortable anymore. I wasn't swollen enough and it was just much too cold. However, I still felt like I needed something so I thought I would pull out one of these and try it. Since they have the gel beads, even frozen they contour to whatever shape you need. They also (at least for me) fit between my legs perfectly. I could even walk around without it fallout out. They freeze quickly and having 2 was perfect to keep switching out and always have a cold one on hand. You can order them from Walmart here or just go to your local store and get it over by the pharmacy section.
3. Pads
I read about these on a blog, and oh my word, where have they been all my life! They are the most comfortable and absorbent pads I have ever used in my life. SUPER thin yet I haven't had a leak once since using them. Several times I had to check to make sure I wasn't leaking all over the place, because with my history of pads, that amount of bleeding would have not stayed put. I barely feel like I'm wearing them and so even though I'm not bleeding as heavy now and could probably use a "less absorbent" pad, I'm sort of hooked on these and don't want to use any other ones. I mean seriously though, how many nights bleeding through on the bed would have been spared if I had known about these sooner. Please order these. You'll thank me later. I bought 2 boxes at first, but I think I'm on to box #5 now. They want me to change the pad every time I go to the bathroom because of my tear to reduce the risk of infection, so I go through them pretty quickly. Plus, you can bleed for up to 6 weeks, so that's a lot of pads!
You can order them from Amazon here. Or you can get it from Walmart or your local grocery store...etc.
4. Tucks pads
These are the most soothing thing in the world. At discharge they gave me a few containers of these and I thought, "oh, this will be enough." Totally not enough. I use 2 every time I go to the bathroom, so it goes quickly! Bryce went and bought me more at Walmart and I wasn't sure if I should just get 100 more or 200. We decided on 200 and I still ran out and had to buy more! So stock up, these are the best, and even though they say for hemorrhoids, it feels good everywhere. But yes, I have hemorrhoids too, so I like it for that too.
You can order them from Amazon here, but honestly Walmart is way cheaper so you can go get them there or order them from Walmart here.
*A quick note, I read lots of blogs that recommended/swore by the pad-sicles so I made like 30 of them before hand. Honestly, I did not like them. They weren't cold enough for long enough compared to the ice diapers and the poured on witch hazel was not nearly as soothing as the tucks pads. In my opinion just skip those.
5. Milkies Milk Saver and Milk trays
Ok, this is something I had never though about before until I read it on a blog (yes, I read a lot of blogs! What else was I supposed to being layed up for like 3 weeks waiting for her to come). Once your milk comes in and you're breastfeeding, after a few minutes of suckling you will have a let down, which is when your milk reflex signals the milk in your milk ducts to be released. The difficulty is that it releases in both breasts at the same time, even though your babe is only at one of them. With the Milk Saver, you can collect the milk released from the other breast. I normally don't get quite as much as pictured below, but once I did! Normally it's about an ounce. Otherwise this milk would not only be wasted but just go into your nursing pad, and I don't think any nursing pad could hold 2 ounces, so on to your clothes it goes!
The milk saver comes with a little box that can stand it up so you can let it sit while you feed on the other side. When you're finished, pour it into the trays in the freezer. The trays are nice because it allows you to just pour in whatever amount you have and then freeze in 1 ounce sticks. These sticks fit in any bottle and so you don't have to thaw your milk first, just put in the bottle and stick in the bottle warmer. The instructions it came with said to not leave in the trays in the freezer for longer than 48 hours so you have to put them in freezer safe baggies every couple days. In a week I have made 15oz, which I guess isn't a ton, but I'm not doing anything extra! Such an ingenious idea whoever came up with this. Kudos to them.
6. Underwear
A bunch of blogs I read poo-poo'd the hospital disposable underwear. I don't know why, I love these! After my surgery last year I was so sad when I ran out of them. They are so comfortable, not tight or restrictive, and if you accidentally get blood on them, who cares, just throw them out! But even if you ask for extras, your supply will eventually end. I am normally a thong wearer, but did not think thongs would be the most comfortable thing for postpartum recovery so one blog recommended these Fruit of the Loom undies and I must say, I do really like them! It's made me question if I want to go back to thongs. Ok, I only questioned it for a few minutes, I still really want to wear my thongs again. I only ordered 1 package, but wish I had done 2 now because I have ran out a few times somehow.
You can order them from Amazon here.
7. Nursing pads
I knew I wanted to use reusable nursing pads. I have just not heard great things about disposable nursing pads and in the long run reusable is so much cheaper. I was skeptical as to whether the 4 pair set would be enough, but with a baby who poops over things all the time I do laundry every couple days anyways, so it hasn't been a problem yet. The ones pictured above are Kindred Bravely brand, the same brand as the bra's I mentioned before. I really like them and have only leaked through them once when my milk was first coming in. They are very absorptive and even when wet don't feel wet at all, which I think is some sort of dark magic, I really don't know how it's possible.
You can order them from Amazon here.
8. Bra's
Make sure to read about my favorite bra's in the Hospital Essentials section.
9. Epsom Salts
During your postpartum recovery it's recommended to take sitz baths 2-3x/day to help aid recovery and for pain relief. It really is very soothing and when I was really hurting this made all the difference to help me get through until I could take more pain medication. The instructions on Google said to add about 2 cups of epsom salts into your bath, so you use a lot of salts! I had bought a tiny bag before hand, and realized quickly that was not enough. Bryce later bought me a 4 lb bag, which I dropped in the tub, so he got me another. Therefore, I really don't know how much salt I have used. But definitely start with a minimum of a 4 lb bag.
10. Cabbage Leaves
And what are the cabbage leaves for you might ask? For your breasts of course! I had heard of this, but it wasn't until school this past semester I actually learned the medicinal purposes of it. They can be used for breast engorgement, pain, plugged ducts..etc. Purportedly their effectiveness is due to the anti-inflammatory chemicals and phytohormones that are found inside the leaves when they are heated. While cold cabbage leaves can have this effect when warmed at the breast it is intensified if the leaves are warmed prior to use either with a hot iron or blanching by boiling prior. The best part about cabbage leaves is that they are the perfect shape to contour your breasts and the cold (I chose to use them cold for engorgement) was so soothing. You can just pop a leaf in your bra and you're all set! But do leave them in until they are warm(ish) to benefit from the medicinal effects.
And there you have it! Did I miss anything? Lord I hope not, this is already way to long. Hope this helps all you new moms (or experienced ones that didn't read as many blogs as I did and didn't know how much you are missing out on).
