Preparing for Baby: A Post-Partum Supply Recovery Guide

Now that I'm in my final month of pregnancy, I definitely have some additions to my "What (Not) to Wear" entry that I'll post shortly, but am currently shifting my focus to bringing baby home.  As most of my pregger gfs would agree, we rarely talk about what happens AFTER giving birth.  I've shared the following email with so many of my pregnant consorts, that I thought it worthy of posting in its entirety.  Beware, it is not for the faint of heart, but neither is childbirth.  Post-partum moms, would love to hear what worked and didn't work from you. 

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My gf turned me onto this list when she gave birth about four weeks ago:  http://amzn.com/lm/R1JR1QQ3G9EUSS.  She complained that her husband had to make several late night runs to the drug store and the medical supply store to collect this stuff and how helpful it would have been to have had it in advance.  I also adore this blog post, which is hilarious, but also highly informative and takes the edge of the less sexy question of what happens to my body post-birth: http://www.tinyironfists.com/2010/01/there-will-be-blood.html.

I deal with my stress by over-preparing and researching and have more or less come to the following post-partum supply conclusions (all highly scientific, of course, since they are totally and completely based on word of mouth and my non-knowledge of childbirth as a whole).  So basically what I'm saying is, take everything I say with a grain of salt and the security that I have totally gone off the edge in my last month of pregnancy. :)  I purchased the following:

Teena pads for incontinence:  Better than Depends because you're not wearing an adult diaper (definitely NOT sexy), but more like a kotex and are less likely to give you a rash (which Depends are apparently known for...who knew...maybe grandma).  About half my gf's had post-partum incontinence, but I shudder at the thought of what Mr. GOTG would bring home if I sent him on this last minute errand. 

Tucks pads:  Whether you've got hemorrhoids or not, these apparently numb the nether region.   

Americaine or Dermoplast spray:  Most hospitals will send you home with a can, but you need a second can to get through the "OMG, I wish I were not sitting on a bear trap" phase.  Word on the street is that the Dermoplast spray with the red top stings like the Dickens and blue top is the only way to go.  

Perineal pads:  My gf swears by these and said her hospital was super stingy with them when she asked for more to take home.  They are a kotex and ice pad in one.  They are expensive, which would explain why the hospital was not keen on sharing.  Another gf suggested, as an alternative, that you buy blue ice (like the kind you put in your lunchbox) and basically put on two pairs of undies.  The first pair holds your kotex for bleeding and the second holds the blue ice against your lady parts.  She complained that the perineal pads only stay cold for 20 minutes and the blue ice stays cold up to an hour.  Everyone thus far has recommended big ol' granny panties for recovery that you don't mind staining, so I got me a super awesome package of Fruit of the Loomies (Loonies?) as well.  I've been told that this underwear will more or less guarantee your husband will stay away from you until the 6 week recovery mark for sex. 

Colace or Smooth Move Tea:  Didn't think about this until my gf mentioned it, but if you tear, passing a bowel movement can be hell.  

Donut: I prefer Krispy Kremes personally, but my gluten free diet has more or less taken care of that.  Again, to get you through the "I'm sitting on a bear trap" phase of post-partum recovery.  

Soothies gel pads:  I got mixed reviews on these.  Some women swore by them, others were indifferent and relied on the cold/warm Lansinoh gels pads (which you can apparently nuke the hell out of -- not recommended by the doctor, but highly recommended by all moms).  I own both.  We'll see what works, but I don't intend to make bloody, cracked nipples part of my future if I can avoid it.  

Kotex:  Always Infinity Overnights won by a long shot (Infinity are the super thin ones).  I've not worn a pad since junior high so this should be fun...  Some recommended putting two in your undies to avoid leakage, but I suppose that depends on how much you bleed. 

  

Just call me crazy post-partum lady. 

Maternity Clothes Blues (and Scores!)

So this GOTG started a blog and then proceeded to run off to India for a year, get married, buy a house, and make a baby with her beloved.  Whew.  Finally time to make good on my promise to make something of this blog.

Great writers say that you should start with what you know, and my latest obsession is maternity clothes...and how profoundly fugly and expensive they are.  Being an office gal myself, I couldn't very well go to the office naked (considered it, shuddered at the prospect of other naked government suits and decided against it) and instead joined the masses of pregnant women stalking maternity websites, scratching their heads wondering why all maternity tops are made out of the same cheap polyester.  As I was neither blessed with a money tree (if you find one, call me) nor loads of pregnant girlfriends willing to hand down their Paige maternity jeggings, out came the credit card and a little Internet shopping.  Here are my lessons learned.

The Perfect Black Pants:  All good wardrobes start with a basic essential, in my case, the perfect slim leg trouser/pant.  Why slim leg?  Because for the first time in my curvaceous life, the proportions of my belly work in my favor!  As the belly gets bigger, your thighs look trimmer.  Genius.  My go-to?  The ok™ bengaline maternity ankle pant by Japanese Weekend ($68).  I'm 5'5" (5'6" on a good day) and I detest hemming pants because I 1) am cheap, 2) am lazy and never carry through with my plans to get my pants hemmed, 3) judge people who don't get their pants hemmed properly, and 4) expect at 5'5" that most pants should fit me off the rack (yeah, right).  These pants fit like a charm from the minute I ripped them from the clutches of their mail order bag.  The waistband fit from the earliest "is she getting fat or is she pregnant?" days to my now protruding belly.  The bengaline is somewhat impervious to wrinkles, which makes it great for travel and those of us who detest ironing.  Is it a cigarette pant?  No, this is a slim leg trouser, with room to move, because pregnant women get bigger as pregnancy gets longer and, believe me, you'll need room to move.  Turns out I like the short waisted waistband on these particular pants. Its highly elasticized, stays up, and doesn't show through my more form fitting tops.

Pencil Skirt:  I believe in timeless classics (and the ability to reuse clothes through multiple pregnancies).  You can never go wrong with a pencil skirt, but finding a maternity pencil skirt is harder than you would think.  Again, Japanese Weekend comes out the clear winner with the ok™ bengaline maternity pencil skirt ($60).  Same fabric, same great waistband, reasonably priced.  This falls just below my knees, which is perfect for my conservative office enviro without being homely (*don't* be the homely pregnant chick).

J. Crew Tanks:  Could be that I'm pregnant in the middle of an ungodly heat wave (110 degrees anyone?) or just sweat more than the average gal, but J. Crew's favorite tanks ($18, with occasional in-store and online sales when purchased in multiples) are my go-to item for chic pregnant lady layering.  Whether I wear them with a cardigan or pre-maternity blazer (unbuttoned), or on the weekend with leggings and sandals, they always look great.  The long length accommodates my growing belly and, best of all, I'll be able to continue to wear them after the baby.  Yay for multi-purpose.

Open Cardigans:  Again, another multi-purposed item from my pre-pregnancy wardrobe: open cardigans.  I purchased the MOD.lusive Roll Sleeve Cardigan  in every available color during the Nordstrom sale (score!) for a whopping $29.90 a piece. With these four items alone I've been able to construct 90% of my work and weekend wardrobe.  I also pair these with belts just under my bust line to add a little shape to my otherwise shapeless body.  

The Good -- Other Solid Buys:  Much like the black pants and skirt, a little black dress goes a long way through pregnancy, when mixed and matched with different shoes and accessories.  Also, dresses are just damn comfortable when you want to let it all hang out and still look put together.  I'm not bothering to post my LBD of choice, if only because there are a million on the maternity market and mine is rather unexceptional. You can pair your LBD with the cardigans above, too, to get more mileage.  Love my 3/4 leggings, especially in the heat.  I made the classic mistake of purchasing maternity leggings at an inflated cost early in my pregnancy without appreciating that my otherwise low-rise leggings would do me just fine throughout.  Plain t-shirts are another great layering essential.  My two loves are my husbands undershirts, which I have shamelessly stolen (Fruit of the Loom v-necks are awesome -- how did I not know this before?! $14.83 on amazon.com for a pack of three) and my splurge Michael Stars Maternitees, which I purchased on Gilt at a substantial discount ($28).  (Just found a link on Pinterest that suggests you can make your Fruit of the Loom cheapies even more soft and comfy by "brining" in the washer with salt water, to give more of a vintage feel.  Hello!  If you do this, report back on the results!  http://octaneshop.com/pages/brine-your-tee)

The Bad -- Lessons Learned:  Although I read this advice on a million other pregnancy websites, I'll repeat it here: go slow.  Do not overbuy.  Take stock of what you already own.  I purchased a pair of maternity jeans, but did so only after spending a painful two hours in the dressing room at Pea in a Pod (which sucks the lifeblood out of being pregnant) trying on every pair of premium denim they sell (sadly, you should probably do this, if you intend to shell out the cash for premium maternity denim).  Turns out, their store brand was almost indistinguishable from the Citizens of Humanity Kelly Bootleg Maternity Jeans, save for the wash, and at an almost $100 discount (which is to say I still paid around $100).  And, yes, I did buck up and pay to have my maternity denim properly hemmed at Nordstrom with the original hem (an expense always justified).  If you're 5'5" or under, try the petite denim!  The inseam is usually between a 30-32 and works with flats.  Finally, do splurge on proper undergarments as your lady bits expand.  I had a great rack pre-pregnancy and went up almost three full cup sizes (ouch!) by my fourth month.  If your foundation sucks, so will everything else.  Do not cheap out here; have yourself properly fitted by a professional (yes, you are probably larger than you think).  On the undies, save your pennies.  My pre-pregnancy Hanky Pankies do me just fine, thanks.

And the Ugly -- What Didn't Work:  Don't waste your time (or money) purchasing maternity camis.  Although the maternity camis I purchased from the Gap are lovely (long in the torso and extra support in the bust, support cami $19.95 -- if you do purchase these, size up because they run small), my pre-pregnancy camis continue to fit just as well five months in.  Also, for me, belly bands just didn't cut it.  Notably, these were lifesavers for many of my girlfriends, especially those who slowly put on weight or were hiding their pregnancy.  I went from my jeans fitting one Saturday, to bursting at the seams the following Sunday morning.  Not all pregnant bodies were created equal.  Finally, do think about proportion.  I bought two pairs of bootleg pants (Gap's full panel modern boot pants, $55.96 and Japanese Weekend's over the belly suiting pant, $68) and both were epic fails.  If you want to avoid looking like a house, embrace your curves and do your best to create some proportionality, using color blocking, belts, or fitted shapes.  

Welcome!

Welcome to Bitching and Wining, an international Girl On The Go's (GOTG) guide to hunting (for the perfect cocktail), fishing (for the perfect deal), and handbags. This is my first attempt at blogging, so I'll do my best to be pithy, bitchy, and opinionated enough to pique your interest. Comments are welcome.