This month has gone by so fast, now that baby James is here. Sometimes I'm can't believe I have three kids — no wonder I'm so tired!
One thing I've remembered the third time around is that healing after giving birth takes time, so be patient with your body! I thought it might be nice to share a few things that have been the most helpful to me in my first few weeks postpartum. Giving birth is no joke- bleeding, engorgement, soreness, sweating, constipation, just to name a few. Yikes! All of the things below have allowed me to better take care of baby James because of the nourishment and comfort they've provided to body and soul and I am excited to now share with you.
1. While I'm nursing, I've been reading a fantastic book written by @motherbees called The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother. From it I have learned so much about slowing down, enjoying this "fourth trimester", and allowing my body time to recover from my pregnancy and delivery. Let's hear it for reading material that encourages cuddling in bed with our little ones and not being afraid to ask for help!
2. Lansinoh Soothies Gel Pads are SO nice for the early days of nursing when I was engorged!
3. Munchkin LATCH Nursing Pads have been my favorite that I've used so far, and I love Munchkin too! (This is probably TMI, but in the spirit of motherhood I'm going to share it anyway: I also use theses Munchkin nursing pads to line my c-section incision! I stick them on the inside of my undies so that there is a thin line of padding between my incision and my pants, and it keeps everything sterile as I'm healing.)
4. My favorite hand sanitizer BY FAR is from Dr. Bronner. I tuck one in my diaper bag for outings, and also put them around the house to use throughout the day. When people come over I tell them, "you're going to love this stuff!", so it's not awkward when I ask them to sanitize before touching the baby. :)
5. Our Tubby Todd Hair & Body Wash has been perfectly soothing and moisturizing to use on my c-section incision, and also on my sensitive postpartum breasts and skin. Since I'm in such close skin-to-skin contact with baby James all day (and night!), it has been reassuring to know that by using our Tubby Todd products, I'm not passing on any artificial fragrances or residues.
6. Nova Granola is my favorite snack and it is SOOOO GOOD! Between all of the postpartum madness that's happening to your body (bleeding, constipation, night sweats, healing, etc.) it's so important to eat the right kind of foods to keep you balanced and happy. I love Greek-strained yogurt with Nova Granola — it's my go to postpartum breakfast and mid-day snack. The yogurt is packed with protein, helps fight infections, and keeps things moving in your tummy. This granola makes it exciting to eat plain yogurt, and was such a healthy treat my first few weeks of recovery.
7. The anesthetics in the hospital made me itchy and dry, so our Dream Cream came to the rescue! I felt good using it on my skin, knowing that it's safe for newborn baby James, too. Plus with all of the showering, extra hand washing, and sanitizing, my skin has been extra depleted and dry, so I have been using it for my full body and for spot treating dryness. Our Dream Cream has proven to be a great gift for new moms because it is so soothing and creamy on irritated skin, and is safe for both Mama and baby!
I hope this list helps! Remember to take care of yourself, Mamas!
xx
Andrea
