Postpartum Must Haves

I am now three months postpartum and was recently putting away my postpartum essentials basket and realized I didn’t use everything in my basket, so I wanted to do a quick update to my previous Postpartum Essentials post. There are a few items that really stood out as postpartum winners and they are a MUST HAVE if you ask me.

This is based on my personal experience and you may have a different experience than I did. I also was in the hospital for three days after I had my baby, so they provided me with ice packs, pads, mesh underwear, Tucks Pads, Ibuprofen, and pain relieving spray/foam.

Must haves:

  • Peri Bottle – You will need this. The hospital should give you one, but I bought an extra one so I could be prepared in both of my bathrooms.
  • Earth Mama Angel Baby Mama Bottom Balm – First of all, I love this company. All of their products are awesome, but this one in particular is simply amazing. I will never have a baby without this product and I really can’t recommend it enough. There are tons of people who recommend Dermoplast, which I did have, but rarely used. I would chose the Bottom Balm before Dermoplast. If there is one item you take away from this post, this should be it. It helps heal and soothe after labor. I would put this on every time I went to the bathroom and I really think it’s one of the reasons why I healed so quickly. It is fairly expensive for such a tiny amount, but honestly, I would pay anything for this stuff!
  • Tucks Pads – Another must! What I would do is put on Bottom Balm and layer my pad with Tucks Pads. It was so soothing and made me feel so much better! I did receive these in the hospital, but went through a ton at home. Next time, I will have a large stock of these!
  • Pads – Obviously you need these. However, I had purchased a ton of the thicker pads, but didn’t really use them as much. I did spend three days in the hospital though, so I did use the thick pads there, but at home I used way more of the thinner pads. I mainly used the thicker pads for night time. However, this is from my personal experience, so you may have more postpartum bleeding than I did.
  • Underwear – I did go out and buy some cheap(ish) boy short underwear before I delivered. I did like the mesh underwear from the hospital, but definitely wanted “real” underwear for at home. These boy shorts were perfect to hold everything in place!
  • Ibuprofen – Definitely need. It helps with the pain and swelling. I did receive a prescription from my doctor before leaving the hospital, but I had some at home just in case.
  • Colace – This helps to ease your first bowel movement after delivery. You will most likely need this. I began taking it right after I left the hospital ‘just in case’ and will do so for every baby. However, I think the fear instilled in me reading about “the first poop,” made me super nervous, but it wasn’t too bad.
  • Earth Mama Angel Bottom Spray – After about the first week or so, I didn’t really need Tucks Pads and Bottom Balm constantly. I would use this Bottom Spray instead. Not as good as the Bottom Balm, but still soothing.

What I did not use:

  • Padsicles – I made a ton of these for my freezer and I think I used maybe two. Some people swear by them, but they are not for me. While I was in the hospital, I was given ice packs that were perfect. After I was home, I tried to use the Padsicles, but they were just too wet feeling. Maybe at that point I didn’t need them anymore. Next time, I will probably just keep ice packs ready in my freezer.
  • Nipple Cream – I didn’t (and haven’t) needed nipple cream while nursing. I did use coconut oil while I was learning/getting used to pumping.
  • Dermoplast – I did try to use this, but honestly, the Bottom Balm helped me more than anything. I was given a similar pain relieving spray and foam while I was in the hospital and did use it for those first few days. However, after I went home, I stuck to Tucks and Bottom Balm.
  • Nursing Pads – I haven’t had any leaking at all. Luckily, I received many of my nursing pads for free in registry gift bags, so I’ll just hold on to them for next time.

What are your postpartum must haves?

 

postpartum must haves

*This post does contain affiliate links.

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Postpartum Essentials Basket

UPDATE: Since having my baby, I wanted to do a quick update to my postpartum essentials basket on what I actually used or didn’t use! Click here to see my postpartum must haves!

In preparation for delivery and postpartum, I wanted to create my own postpartum kit with everything that I might need when I get home from the hospital.

I am a huge researcher and planner and like to be as prepared as possible. Let’s get real here: labor is hard. Recovery is hard. Being prepared is going to help ease some of the stress

Some of these things the hospital should send home with you, however, I wanted to make sure I was prepared in both of my bathrooms so I would have access to all the necessary items on both floors.

  • Pads – Apparently you will bleed (a lot) after delivery. Think of all the periods you were able to skip for the last 9 months seeking revenge! The hospital will give you pads, but you will need more and the hospital pads look pretty hardcore. For this I chose two kinds: Overnight, heavy flow for the beginning and a thinner, overnight for later. 
  • Tucks Pads – Hemorrhoids are real, ladies. They are pretty common after pushing out a baby. Not only are these Witch Hazel soaked pads perfect for easing hemorrhoid pain and discomfort, they also can help your whole area with swelling.
  • Peri Bottle – After delivery, you are going to be swollen. You aren’t going to want to use toilet paper at first on such a sensitive area. So the hospital will give you this spray bottle to squirt warm water on your lady bits after using the bathroom. The hospital should send you home with at least one, but I wanted one for each of my bathrooms. 
  • Dermoplast – Again, you’re going to be swollen and in pain. This product helps to “freeze” the area to help with both of those things. Make sure you get the BLUE top! They may give you one of these to take home. 
  • Nursing Pads –  If you are breastfeeding, you are going to leak. So I have stocked both of my baskets with Lansinoh Disposable nursing pads that I received free in gift bags from Target and Buy Buy Baby for creating a baby registry with them. I also purchased a set of organic, reusable nursing pads. I have read pros and cons to both types of nursing pads, so I wanted to try both and see which works best for me. 

Other: (these items are not essential, but will be convenient to have)

  • Earth Mama Baby Angel Postpartum Bath Herbs – Another way to help combat the pain, swelling, and discomfort post-baby is using a Sitz bath to soak in when you get home. The hospital may send you home with one. These  bath herbs are like a large tea bag to put into your pad, sort of like a Tucks pad, but you can freeze these herbs to help with pain and swelling. I purchased these on Black Friday for a really good deal, so I thought I would try them instead of buying a whole Sitz bath and herbs to put in it. 
  • Lansinoh Hot or Cold Breast Therapy  – I also received these for free in a registry gift bag from Target. You can use them hot or cold, which is perfect when breastfeeding to help let down milk and also to help with engorgement issues. If you didn’t want to purchase these, you could use frozen bags of vegetables or wash cloths. 

Not shown: (the following items are either in my hospital bag or in my medicine cabinet)

  • Earth Mama Baby Angel Nipple Cream – You will need some kind of nipple cream to combat the constant sucking. A lot of women like Lanolin Nipple Cream, however, if you have a wool allergy, you will want to avoid Lanolin. I just love EMBA, so I am choosing to use this cream instead. 
  • Ibuprofen – This is a must! It is what they will give you in the hospital post-baby and will help with pain and swelling at home.
  • Colace – Your provider will give you a prescription for a stool softener to help with your first post-baby bowel movement. I have heard that it is not a pleasant experience. Yay. I didn’t want to deal with stopping to pick-up or drop-off a prescription after the baby, so I purchased this on my own. 
  • Padsicles – The hospital should offer you ice packs after delivery, which is helpful,  but this DIY ice pack will help with swelling and pain using regular pads, aloe and witch hazel. I have stocked my freezer with a freezer bag full. 
  • New Mama Bottom Spray – This will be similar to Dermaplast, but with natural ingredients. I purchased a package of different things from EMBA on Black Friday and wanted to try this as replacement to Dermaplast. 
  • Bottom Balm – Again, this came in a package I purchased on Black Friday, but I have heard great things about this bottom balm, so I want to give it a try! 

Is there anything else you would or did include in your postpartum essentials kit?

 

 

 

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Healthy Crock Pot Refried Beans

I have always loved Mexican-ish foods: tacos, nachos, burritos, oh my! So becoming a vegetarian wasn’t that difficult for me because you can substitute beans for meat in tons of dishes!

Last year, I was so sick of opening cans of refried beans. Is it actually vegetarian or is it made with lard? Which brand tastes the best? And then I would always add things to the beans to make them taste better. There had to be a better way and this is totally it!

When I first started making refried beans in the Crock Pot, I knew we would never go back. Yes, it does take more time and planning than simply opening a can, but it is so worth it!

I know exactly what is in the beans and can tweak it for my taste! This recipe can be made with just pinto, but I do like to mix black beans and pinto beans. It does make the color a little darker, but it is so delicious!

The beans can easily be frozen in freezer bags to keep on hand. The most important part of this recipe is removing extra liquid from the beans when they are done. If you leave to much liquid, the beans will be really runny. If you like it like that, perfect! If you like it a little thicker, make sure you pull off as much liquid as possible. You can always add it back in later if the beans are too thick or it is also a perfect base for soup!

Healthy Crock Pot Refried Beans

Ingredients:

3 c Pinto beans (I usually use half black beans and half Pinto beans)

5 c water

4 c vegetable broth

1 onion, quartered

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp black pepper

Optional: 1 fresh jalapeno, sliced

Directions:

  1. Rinse the beans in a strainer.
  2. Add all ingredients in crock pot, stir to until well combined.
  3. Cook on HIGH for 8 hours or until beans are soft. Add more water if needed. (I did not need to)
  4. When beans have opened and are soft, they are done.
  5. If there is a lot of liquid, remove as much liquid as possible. (The more liquid, the runnier the beans)
  6. Use an immersion blender to blend beans until desired consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a potato masher to mash the beans. If beans are too dry, add liquid back into the beans or more water as needed. 

*I do like to save some of the whole beans, instead of pureeing them. They are so good to just eat plain or in burritos!

 
To freeze: Wait until cool, then put in a Ziploc freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer for easy storage.

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Broccoli Cheese Soup

Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past, I made broccoli cheese soup.

It was a disaster.

I’m not sure what went wrong, but it was inedible. Usually, even if dishes don’t turn out that great, we still suffer through so we don’t waste food. But this… this abomination of broccoli cheese soup will probably go down in history as the worst thing that I have ever made.

Since that day, I have stayed away from making broccoli cheese soup. Even though I love it so and my heart pines for it, I refused to try to make it ever again.

…Until now. As I’m entering my last few weeks of pregnancy, I’m trying to prepare for bringing the baby home. One way I’m prepping is to make a bunch freezer meals so I won’t have to worry about cooking for a while.

I came across this recipe for a healthy broccoli cheese soup and decided to overcome my fear and go for it!

It came out fantastic! In fact, it was so good that we ate all of it before I could get it into the freezer! So then I made a double batch so we could eat it and freeze it!

I am so happy with this soup. It’s so easy and it is so good! Hope you enjoy it as much as me!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, dice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c of butter

1/4 c of All-Purpose flour

1 c milk (I used Almond Cashew)

3 c vegetable broth

3 c broccoli (apxr 1 head), chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 c carrots, diced (I used pre sliced carrots and roughly chopped them)

½ tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 c cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, heat the butter until it starts to melt.
  2. Add the flour and whisk constantly for about 2 minutes.
  3. Slowly add the vegetable broth and milk, continuing to whisk the mixture.
  4. Once combined, turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 min.
  5. Meanwhile, add olive oil to saucepan for medium heat.
  6. Add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Remove from heat if finished before flour/butter mixture is done simmering.
  7. Once the flour/butter mixture is done simmering, add broccoli, carrots, and cooked onion/garlic.
  8. Add salt and pepper.
  9. Simmer for another 20-25 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
  10. Using a handheld immersion blender, puree about half of the soup. (If you don’t have a handheld blender, blend half the soup in a blender). You can also blend more or less depending on how chunky you like your soup.
  11. Add the cheese and stir until combined.
  12. Serve and enjoy! You can add some shredded cheese on top if desired!

 

To freeze: Once cooled place in the either a freezer ready plastic container or freezer bag.

To serve: Place in fridge to thaw about 24 hours before eating. Reheat either on stovetop or in a microwavable container in microwave until heated through.

 

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DIY Postpartum Padsicles

As I’m entering my last few weeks of pregnancy, I’m prepping for bringing the baby home and for my postpartum recovery. I have read that these padsicles are a necessity, so I wanted to make up a bunch to throw in my freezer to help ease my recovery as much as possible.

These are really easy to make and are essentially ice packs for your postpartum lady area. In the hospital, they should offer you ice packs to keep the swelling down after birth.

However, padsicles are extra special! Witch Hazel helps reduce swelling, helps repair broken skin, and naturally fights bacteria. Aloe also helps with swelling, cools, and soothes skin.

You can also add essential oils to the pads like lavender, however, I have had reactions to lavender in lotions and detergents in the past, so I didn’t want to take a risk especially postpartum.

Supplies:

DIY postpartum padsicles steps

Directions:

  1. Carefully open a pad.
  2. Remove paper over wings.
  3. Pour a tablespoon of Witch Hazel over the pad. *If adding essential oil, add a few drops now
  4. Use a tablespoon of aloe and spread over pad. (Eventually I just eyeballed the amounts).
  5. Fold wings back in and replace paper.
  6. Fold pad back up.
  7. Place into freezer bag and into freezer.
  8. Take out one at a time to use as pads. Let that for 2-3 minutes before placing on skin.

 

 

Disclaimer: This post uses affiliate links for products that I have used, purchased, or love.

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Pregnancy Update: 36 Weeks

Holy moly! I cannot believe I only have 4 (actually 3.5) weeks left! I wasn’t even sure if I would make it this far because of my husband’s family history with giant babies and early labors. But here I am and it doesn’t look like the baby is planning on making an appearance anytime soon!

Although I’m getting super uncomfortable, I am soaking up every minute that I can with just my husband and I. Enjoying the quiet. Taking naps.

I’m also taking my time making freezer meals, packing my hospital bag, and preparing for bringing the baby home. I’m still feeling really good, just everything takes longer and more effort!

Total weight gain: Ohhh man… close to, if not over 30 lbs. I stopped getting on my scale at home, but I can’t help side glance the scale at the doctor’s office!

Maternity clothes? All the time. Sadly, some of my maternity shirts don’t cover my big ol’ belly anymore!

Stretch marks? A couple on my back/love handles. Crossing my fingers that I don’t develop anymore!

Sleep: You know, people kept saying I was so lucky for being pregnant in the winter and I just brushed it off because I am always cold… but this last trimester I am burning up! I am still sleeping well, but I wake up a lot because I am so hot!

Workouts: Not so much. Does laundry count? Actually, it has been getting nicer outside, so we have been walking 2 to 3 miles when it’s warm enough.

Diet: Same as always. I just eat less now because the baby takes up so much room!

Best moment this week:  Hmm… Probably when the baby’s mattress came in and we are almost complete with the nursery!

Miss anything? Having my own body! It’s so frustrating when I can’t bend over, get up, drop things, try to do the dishes, etc.

Food cravings: Cold stuff. I have to have ice in all of my drinks!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope.

Gender: Boy

Labor signs: None. I have had some light cramping every couple days, but no signs of baby.

Symptoms: My hands! My hands are hurting so bad!

Belly button in or out? Still in and almost completely flat.

Wedding rings on or off: Off. Since my hands have been hurting, my fingers have also been swollen. I could probably get my ring on, but I don’t know how comfortable it would be.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. I’m enjoying these last few weeks of just my husband and I as much as possible.

Looking forward to: We have decided to have the baby at our hospital’s alternative birth center instead of the labor and delivery unit. This week we have our orientation to get prepared for that, so I’m pretty excited to meet the staff, get all the info and finish packing for the hospital.

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The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s 9 PM and suddenly I need cookies. So what do I do? Pull up Pinterest and search for some delicious cookies. And I figure, if they’re oatmeal cookies, they’re healthy right? 🙂

But here’s the thing… I haven’t been to the grocery store in a while, so my ingredients are limited and I want cookies NOW. I can’t possibly wait an hour for them to chill in the fridge (which is common with oatmeal cookies)!

So I came across this recipe for the Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies… EVER by Radiant Dust and let me just say, they are the best ever!

Okay, I know I’m not supposed to eat raw egg while pregnant (or ever really), but I did it. The dough smelled AMAZING and I couldn’t help myself! Had I not been pregnant, I may have eaten all of the dough before I baked any cookies.

I had some leftover mini Hershey Kisses from my Peanut Butter Blossoms, so I used those instead of chocolate chips and it was so delicious having big chunks of chocolate mixed into the cookie.

You can feel free to add other types of chips or fruit (like cranberries or raisins), but personally I hate a raisin in a cookie. Especially hidden raisins!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

Yields about 30 – 36 cookies. I forgot to count how many it made and plus, we ate some of the dough before baking!

1 c butter, softened

1 c  packed light brown sugar

1/2 c white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 c quick-cooking oats

1 c chocolate chips (I used mini Hershey Kisses)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, blend butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
  3. Beat in eggs and then stir in vanilla.
  4. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the mixture until blended. Mix in the quick oats, and chocolate chips.
  5. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets.
  6. Bake for 11-12 minutes (no more than that even if they don’t seem done). Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

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Sweet Potato Bean Stew

My husband has had a sore throat and just generally been feeling icky for the past few days. I’ve been trying to stuff him (and myself) with tons of vitamins and fluids hoping that he quickly gets through this and that I don’t get sick.

Normally, I would really dread my husband having a Man Cold, but he has been a champ this time. He even managed to drag himself to our eight-hour birthing class over the weekend.

I decided this would be a perfect time to try out this new recipe that I actually found on the side of a veggie broth container.

It is so good! It’s so healthy and is super filling.

Usually, my husband hates eating food (especially soup) for days, so I had planned to freeze half of this soup for after our baby arrives, but he has been requesting it every night for dinner! I think we have had this three nights in a row and have one more meal left.

I love the sweet and spicy mix of this soup! I do have to warn you, the longer it sits in the fridge, the spicier it is getting! However, I am still able to eat it without drinking a ton of water, so it’s not too spicy and I wouldn’t change anything for next time.

I usually like to add “toppings” to my soup like avocado, green onion or cheese. But this soup doesn’t need anything. It’s delicious! It is also very easy to edit, so if you like a different kind of bean or more beans, you can surely add them too! I thought I might need to add more beans or quinoa to make this soup a meal, but it didn’t need it.

Sweet Potato Bean Stew

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 c onion (about 1 medium onion), chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped (I used both a yellow and an orange pepper because they were starting to go bad)

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 c sweet potato, cut into 1 in pieces (about 1 large sweet potato)

1 can (15.5 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp ground cinnamon

4 c vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic until tender.
  2. Stir in cumin, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon; add broth, beans, and sweet potato.
  3. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer 1 to 1.5 hours until potatoes are tender.
  4. Puree 2 cups of stew in blender or food processor until smooth (or you could use an immersion blender). Stir back into stew.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Cherry Firebomb Jell-o Shots

If you read my last recipe post, Raspberry Lemonade Party Punch, you will know that I recently went to a bachelorette party for which I offered to bring adult beverages long before I knew I was pregnant.

I wanted to make a yummy, pink punch and some fun Jell-o shots. I love to make Jell-o shots because they can be made ahead, are super easy to make, and are fun to eat! So at 32 weeks pregnant, I was in the kitchen making up over 70 Jell-o shots and 2 gallons of party punch. 🙂

This particular Jell-o shot was almost painful for me to make… One alcoholic beverage that I really, really miss is hard cider and Fireball (AKA Angry Balls). When I popped open the bottle of Fireball for this shot recipe, I quickly counted the days until I could make this shot for myself to enjoy!

This shot is really fun! It’s cherry Jell-o, delicious cinnamon whiskey, and a cherry! Next time I will probably soak the cherries in Fireball for an extra kick.

I have also included directions for a general Jell-o shot below. You really can’t go wrong with any flavor of Jell-o and vodka!

Enjoy!

Cherry Firebomb Jell-o Shots:

Ingredients:

1 c boiling water

1 box cherry Jell-o mix

1 c Fireball

20 maraschino/dessert cherries

20 2 oz plastic shot cups

Directions:

  1. Bring water to boil.
  2. Add boiling water to Jell-o mix in a bowl.
  3. Mix for two minutes or until mix is completely dissolved (this is very important!)
  4. Add liquor and mix well.
  5. Pour into plastic shot cups about 3/4 full.
  6. Add cherry to each cup.
  7. Cool in refrigerator for four hours.

 

Jell-o Shot Directions:

Ingredients:

1 c boiling water

1 box Jell-o mix

1 c liquor

20 2 oz plastic shot cups

Directions:

  1. Bring water to boil.
  2. Add boiling water to Jell-o mix in a bowl.
  3. Mix for two minutes or until mix is completely dissolved (this is very important!)
  4. Add liquor and mix well.
  5. Pour into plastic shot cups about 3/4 full.
  6. Cool in refrigerator for four hours.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links for the 2 oz plastic shot cups.

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Raspberry Lemonade Party Punch

The weather is warming up! I’m so excited to put away my winter jacket and boots, to open the sunroof, put down the windows and turn up the music!

One of the best things about the weather warming up is spending time outside, BBQs, and bonfires!

I love having people over, turning on the grill, and enjoying some cold adult beverages!

A while ago, I was invited to a bachelorette party and offered to bring alcohol (little did I know that I would be pregnant by then!). Since the weather is becoming warmer and the soon-to-be bride loves pink, I decided to make this delicious and easy Raspberry Lemonade Punch.

It is easily customizable for any type of juice, alcohol or fruit. And I was so sad that I couldn’t have any punch this time around! I can’t wait for summer to be here so we can celebrate our new baby and have outdoor BBQs with this punch!

Raspberry Lemonade Punch

Ingredients:

Yields 2 gallons

3 12 oz frozen Raspberry Lemonade concentrate

36 oz (3 c) water

72 oz (4.5 c) Raspberry Vodka

1 package fresh raspberries

1 lime, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

2 liter lemon lime soda

Directions:

(Basically you will follow the instructions on the concentrate, but instead of 3 cans (12 oz) of water, you will do 1 can water, 2 cans vodka per concentrate can)

  1. In a large punch bowl or pitcher (I used two, 1 gallon pitchers), mix lemonade concentrate with water and vodka, stir until well mixed.
  2. Add raspberries, lime and lemon. (You could add additional fruit as well)
  3. Chill until ready to serve. Add lemon lime soda right before serving.

 

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