Remedies for After Birth "Exit" Care

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A few of you have asked me to put a list together of tips on how to care for the good china after giving birth.

So thanks to your suggestions, and what I found online, here’s the glorious list on how to get your tender bits back in order.

Here are suggestions for after birth care:

Ice wrapped in a washcloth
Use a squirt bottle filled with water to rinse while you pee
Hold a clean pad firmly against the wound and press upward while you poo to help relieve any pressure
Take both ibuprofen and acetaminophen to address any inflammation and pain (talk to your provider to confirm this one)
DIY padsicles
Sitz bath combined with Postpartum Bath Herb healing tea
Hair dryer set on cool to dry off any areas where you don’t want to shake a towel over – this applies to c-sections as well
Condoms filled with water and frozen to a slushy consistency held against the scary sections (it’s not like you’ll be using them for anything else so it’s worth a shot)
Mix calendula oil with the water in your peri bottle to help speed healing
Use the Boppy you bought for your baby or nursing, to sit on for the first few days or spring for a donut cushion (great if you're dealing with hemorrhoids or tailbone pain.)
New Mama Bottom Spray – sprayed directly on all that ails you, or on a pad then applied
Placing Tucks pads or pads soaked in witch hazel (you can place two overlapping for more coverage) on a maxi pad to help soothe the area.
Partumwear underwear if you don’t like the netted underwear and pads the hospital gives you
Prune juice for both c-sections and vaginal births to keep the pushing to a minimum. (Your provider may recommend a laxative as well.)
Invest in a Squatty Potty and/or a bidet sprayer for making bowel movements (and peeing) easier
Vitamin E oil and/ or Neosporin on c-section incisions
Wearing a compression girdle to give a little support after a c-section
The Care for Birth Box or the C-Section Box from Bodily. It has many of the goodies you'll need to recover after birth and it's well priced and well thought out. I like it a little better than the FridaMom Labor Kit because I think you get a bit more, but FridaMom makes solid products so feel free to investigate their line as well.

Note: Many readers recommend Dermoplast spray, however, there's no research to support its effectiveness and some people are very reactive to it.

Are you backing away from the screen saying, “what the hell have I gotten myself into?!”?

Hey, you may get lucky and not have any use for any of this stuff like my friend, Moira.

Personally, I think it’s the anticipation of pain that’s the worse part – when else do we have up to 35 weeks to think about how much something may hurt? Seriously, if it was that horrible no one would have more than one child. Even if you do need some of this stuff, it’s pretty short-lived and you have a new baby to keep your mind off the mess, so don’t worry about it too much.

There, there, you’ll be shiny and new again before you know it. (hair stroke and shushing) Just like this: