I'm sitting here filling up my amazon cart with maxi pads, and witch hazel pads, and some earth mama angel baby bottom spray. I was definitely sore with my first, though it wasn't terrible. But I was just thinking about how my midwife was telling me today that the second birth will be easier/faster. But I'll still be sore right? It's not dumb to buy witch hazel pads and bottom spray ahead of time, is it?
Were you sore after your second? Is that a ridiculously dumb question?
hostess / eggplant / 11068 posts
My second birth was super fast and "easier" (is delivery ever easy?)...But I DEFINITELY needed witch hazel and pads, etc.
Still bled a lot and still was hurting a lot for weeks!
pomegranate / 3643 posts
@Rubies: haha true. My midwife always catching herself saying "easier" and then goes "well it won't be easier, it will just be over quicker."
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
Um I was even more sore. But my second baby was also almost 10 pounds, sooooooo yeah.
watermelon / 14206 posts
My second was worse cause she was way bigger. I lived on tucks for weeks. Doesn't hurt to stock up.
bananas / 9118 posts
Hit that purchase button 
With my first, it took me 3 weeks to feel human again, with my second, I was feeling pretty normal by the one week point. Still sore, still had the discharge and a tiny tear and used the witch hazel and other goodies for a good while, but to me it was much, much easIER than the first time.
pomegranate / 3917 posts
I was not sore at all, but maxi pads still definitely a must! I bled for 6w pp with #1 and #2 will be 2w tomorrow.
The not sore really shocked me, but was/is a nice surprise!
pineapple / 12234 posts
I was sore but only for a 3-4 days (instead of 2+ weeks) but regardless, I needed witch hazel pads and even made my own frozen witch hazel/aloe vera pads for this time (#3)
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
Labor was a lot faster and easier, but I was still sore and had tearing. I didn't buy anything special to help with postpartum healing with my first or with my 2nd though.
Can't remember if healing was quicker, but I was on the go from the moment we got back home.
cantaloupe / 6059 posts
Ugh I've been thinking about this, too! I made witch hazel pads for last time but never used any of them - I was only sore down there a day or two! But I have this sinking feeling that I will regret it and actually be sore this go around if I don't prepare in advance. Gah!
Either way, the bleeding was out of control so I will be stocking up on pads regardless.
grapefruit / 4582 posts
I didn't have any yearning for either but I only used one witch hazel "padsicle" for my second. I managed just fine on the icy pads the hospital gave me. But I needed a lot of pads.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
I definitely expect to still be sore! I honestly forgot half the stuff I needed...oops better get on that soon. 
grapefruit / 4819 posts
I was sore for almost two weeks with LO #1, with a second degree tear. Never used tucks pads, witch hazel or any of that stuff though as it wasn't that bad.
With LO #2, I had another second degree tear but never felt one moment of pain afterwards. I kept saying to DH that I couldn't believe it wasn't uncomfortable at all, but it wasn't. I also only needs pads for about 10 days afterwards - I attribute that to the excruciating uterine cramps when BF'ing, I'm convinced it shrunk my uterus in record time! 
pear / 1895 posts
I just wanna chime in and say how happy this thread makes me, with all of you saying how much faster and "easier" your second labors were. If you don't agree with this, don't tell me!
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@jedeve: not a dumb question at all! i didn't tear at all with my second, so i was walking right away practically like my old self, and the pain felt like "after sex soreness" more than anything (sorry, only way i know how to describe it!) - i didn't use numbing spray, witch hazel, or anything like that. the only thing i consistently took was the stool softener.
GOLD / papaya / 10166 posts
I didn't need anything after the 2nd time. I was really surprised.
apricot / 365 posts
For my first vbac I needed all the ice packs and wich hazel for weeks and weeks, but for my second I didn't even finish the container of Tucks pads they gave me at the hospital. And at 2 weeks pp, I've pretty much stopped bleeding. That said, my second vbac baby was slightly smaller (by 2 oz) than my first.
pomegranate / 3643 posts
Hmm maybe I had a harder recovery than I realized based on this thread! I used two jars of tucks and used the rinse for weeks. Three hours of pushing and a second degree tear. But it didn't seem that bad to me!
The pads I definitely know I need, lol. I wished I had some on hand before labor last time. My water broke and there was nothing in the house (except my usual cloth pads which were NOT sufficient for the volume.) I say there leaking fluid for like half an hour while DH frantically ran around to do "one last thing."
kiwi / 543 posts
It's better to have them and not need them .... I'm glad I had them for my third - but I barely needed anything for my second. Birth is pretty unpredictable.
pineapple / 12566 posts
I had a very fast delivery with LO2. It was so fast that I felt fine even one hour later when I walked by myself to the recovery room! And the hospital where I delivered didn't have any of the ice packs or sprays or witch hazel, nothing but giant pads.
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