By Frida Mom
WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAL WHEN YOUR POSTPARTUM RECOVERY TIME GETS CUT SHORT
In an ideal world, we’d get months to recover from childbirth. But in the real world, it doesn’t always work out that way. So whether you’re going back to work after 3 days, 3 weeks, or 3 months, we’ve put together a checklist to make sure you set yourself up for postpartum, post-maternity leave success.
When you imagine the most perfect, stress-free childbirth and postpartum recovery experience, what do you see? An easy delivery, no complications, fast and also pain-free. Immediate skin-to-skin and, potentially, a baby that latches like a champ straight out of the chute. And then an easy transition to life at home as a new family, with weeks and weeks of paid maternity leave before you slowly ease your way back into your job with the support of your company. Doesn’t that just sound like a dream?!
Childbirth is unpredictable. Breastfeeding isn’t always as easy as it seems. Unfortunately, some women get days off (not weeks) before they have to return to work to keep their family afloat. You may not be able to take the long leave you need, but at least there are postpartum recovery essentials to help with the lingering pains from your vag to your tush.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR YOUR “BACK-TO-WORK-TOO-SOON POSTPARTUM RECOVERY BAG”
Heading back to work when you’re still a mess (physically and mentally) is not ideal. But you do what you got to do, right? You can make your transition back to work as easy as possible by remembering to cover all your postpartum recovery bases.
If you’re a working mom and just want to check something off your list before returning to work, our Labor and Delivery + Postpartum Recovery Kit has everything you’ll need for postpartum-on-the-go, plus a travel bag to keep it all together.
Now let’s dive into some specifics:
- • The office toilet paper is too coarse for comfort, so you can’t take any chances there. Pack up your Upside Down Peri Bottle to take with you (or better yet, get an extra just for work). The angled neck means you don’t have to stick your hand in those communal toilets or leave a trail of TP remnants on your scars and stitches.
- • You’ll also want to pack a few extra pairs of undies. Our Disposable Postpartum Underwear is comfortable and seamless so you can easily wear them under your work/post-maternity clothes. But most importantly, they will hold all of your various layers in place, so you won’t have to worry about shifting during the morning meeting.
- • Instant Ice Maxi Pads are great on-the-go cooling comfort vag to tush. It's an absorbent pad and ice pack all rolled into one easy-to-use, mess-free package.
- • Also, you’ll want to have a pack of the Witch Hazel Perineal Cooling Pad Liners, too. Lay one right on your maxi to keep it completely cool down there.
For extra perineal care, a bottle of Witch Hazel Perineal Healing Foam is a must! You can actually pump the foam right on top of your ice pad or a regular maxi. It gets where you need it most and won’t be absorbed into your pad. Pro-tip: bring an insulated lunch bag to hold the foam and liners, and store them in your work fridge for an extra cool blast when you need it.
DON’T FORGET TO CYA!
It’ll take less than one hour of sitting at your desk after you have your baby for you to realize that sitting isn’t really comfortable right now. You’re sore, you’ve got layers of absorbent protection in your underwear, and you might even have hemorrhoids. You can’t just sit in your chair without taking some precautions, like a seat cushion to soften the blow. But who wants to cart a big ol’ donut cushion into the office your first day back?! You need the Perineal Cooling Comfort Cushion. This discreet travel pillow twists open, auto-inflates in 30 seconds without batteries or a power source, and it’s compact enough to keep in your purse. The two-sided action also helps: the donut side relieves pressure when sitting, and the cooling side has a little pocket to insert the reusable cold pack for some much-needed cold therapy.
Being a parent is about doing what’s necessary for your family. And if that means you have to go back to work before you’ve even had a chance to fully unpack your hospital bag, then you’ll make it happen, because that’s what moms do. But you’ll make it happen in comfort with these postpartum recovery essentials because making a hard thing even a tiny bit easier is also what moms do.
