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The hardest trimester of them all is the fourth trimester.
You’ve just pushed a human being out of your lady bits, everything hurts, and you still have to actually take care of the thing that just came out of you…
In short, it’s a great time all around.
Since this is my third pregnancy, I refuse to be caught slipping and got all my postpartum must haves ready way in advance.
I went ahead and set up my postpartum station in my master bathroom with everything I’ll need in case I literally walk in the house and need to take a dump.
There’s also a few things missing that I plan on grabbing from the hospital on my way out that aren’t already in there.
1. Angled Peri Bottle
I had no idea these existed with my first two kids smh. Basically a peri bottle is a bottle that you fill up with warm water and spray on your va-jay-jay to keep it from burning to bad when you pee.
Usually, the hospital will send you home with one. It’s pure crap. It’s literally shaped like a ketchup bottle and you have to hold it at the most uncomfortable angle to get anywhere near the parts that need rinsing.
For some reason, it never occurred to me that I was literally using the most inconvenient tool for the job.
Enter the FridaMom Peri Bottle. This thing is sure to be a life saver postpartum and is on every must have list i’ve come in contact with so far! There’s also a bunch of cheaper options on amazon, but this was the one I grabbed!
FridaMom | $15.79
2. Dermoplast Spray
Yet another must have for your burning perineum is this spray.
Every time you use the bathroom, once your finished cleaning up the warzone, spray this stuff in your nether regions and prepare yourself for sweet relief!
Dermoplast Spray | $8.99
3. Stool Softeners
When I had my first kid, no one said a word about stool softeners. I mean not a WORD.
I could literally kill those people.
The first poop postpartum nearly killed me. Okay, I may be being a bit dramatic but I swear it was worse than birth (which I was drugged up for most of).
For my second birth my nurses made sure that I was ahead of things, and started giving me stool softeners early which made a world of a difference.
Colace Stool Softeners | $8.99
4. Pads
When you give birth, there’s a lot of bleeding down there. Regardless of whether or not you’ve had a vaginal birth or c-section birth it’s the same situation.
Believe me.
Also, tampons are a huge no-no. There can definitely be no sticking of things up the vagina after delivery.
For my last two births, I tend to double up on overnight pads to make sure that I don’t have any leaks. No, it’s not the most comfortable thing ever and you’ll feel like a grandma, but it’s better than changing sheets at 2 am.
Always Overnight Pads (3 Pack) | $25.74
5. Tucks Medicated Cooling Pads
These pads are packed with witch hazel which helps to soothe burning, discomfort, and hemorrhoids.
If you need just a little bit more help after the dermoplast, then line your pad with these after using the bathroom.
A lot of moms also make padsicles out of pads that they soak with witch hazel and then freeze. That wasn’t as comfortable for me but some people swear by it!
Tucks Medicated Cooling Pads | $6.98
Bonus: Period Panties
If you’re a heavy postpartum bleeder (like me) then having a little extra protection may not be the worst thing.
A lot of people recommended Depends for postpartum, but my mom convinced me to try out some period underwear that are made to soak up any accidents that may happen. Also I didn’t want to have to keep throwing them away and buying more since they’re pretty pricey.
I haven’t tried them out yet since I’m still pregnant, but I plan on combining these with my pads for a magic duo!
Bambody Absorbent Panty (3 Pack) | $39.90
Wishing all of you expectant mamas the best and hope that this list helped you get as prepared as you can be for that fourth trimester! Let me know in the comments if there are any must haves that you think I missed!
