Hellobee Boards

Lots and lots of pads - bigger than you think you'll need. I did use the tucks pads, they weren't completely necessary but really nice to have. Also, stool softener was definitely needed for awhile.

I didn't use any ice packs or bottom spray.

Last time I used pads but I just had LO2 yesterday and so far, the depends underwear are more comfortable than the large hospital pads. I do have some pads for when the bleeding becomes lighter.

I also recommend a donut pillow. It nice to not have my sore areas touching the firm bed.

-Stool softener
-Lots of overnight sized pads
-I soaked a few pads in witch hazel and froze them. That was amazing!
-I didn't use any spray because I didn't have a tear. It will just depend on your experience, but I would have some on hand.
-A peri bottle
-flushable wipes. Toilet paper is a little rough at first

Peri bottle is a must - fill with warm water to help urinate. I also steeped the post partum bath herbs and put those in there too

post partum bath herbs and I soaked in those daily
I loved the bottom spray- it was a must. especially since I had hemorrhoids too (so I also had tucks)

I thought I could just use big pads, but I kept leaking urine every time I tried to move. After I delivered, my bladder muscles were nonexistent so wearing a depends was so much easier

For ice pads, I used hand me down flannel receiving blankets cut into strips, soaked in the post partum bath herbs and then frozen. They were very soothing. I also took home a bunch of the peri ice packs from the hospital - they were wonderful.

I personally also brought some chucks pads from the hospital for my bed back home.

@Goldengirl: they're just absorbent disposable pads- you can buy them yourself but my hospital had some more heavy duty ones that were machine washable so I snagged one of those to bring home and it was great to have on my bed.

-Pads vs Depends: the first 3 or 4 days I used the big stretchy hospital underwear with a pad. I didn't like the wastefulness of Depends, or the feeling of wearing a big diaper. I bought some cheap black cotton underwear and used that for 5 weeks with pads.

-Tucks pads: yes, I used 2 boxes of 100. Just put them on top of the pad. After that, I started just using personal care wipes soaked in witch hazel.

-Ice packs for your lady bits: I only use them the first couple days, maybe once or twice a day, and the hospital provided them. And made one or two at home just by soaking a pad in witch hazel and put it in the freezer.

-Earth Mama bottom spray/other similar products: Dermoplast is cheaper and the can from the hospital lasted me as long as I needed.

-Depends-This would not have worked for me. Pads were fine. Always Infinity without wings were my friends.
-the hospital sent me home with sticks pads. I used them but I didn't have hemorrhoids and felt like they just got bunched up and didn't add much.
-I did like padsickles and made about 10 using witch hazel that had aloe in it.
-I used a peri bottle but didn't use any other sprays other than the Dermaplast that the hospital sent me home with.
-you can always send someone out to get you something. I'd buy some pads and make some padsicles and call it good!

- ice diaper - I wet a newborn diaper and froze it
- pad - just a long pad, not necessarily a thick one
- witch hazels pads - I got them from target. I used them as the top layer of this whole set up.
- derma-something numbing spray - I sprayed this on top of the witch hazel pads and then directly onto myself.
- mesh underwear - love them. I loved the smaller ones I found on Amazon even better than the hospital ones.

I used this whole set up all day everyday for like three weeks. It helped heal my 4th degree tear fast. Then I started only doing ice diaper at night. Then I cut out the ice diaper and just used thin pad and witch hazel pads with normal underwear.

My bathroom looked like a mix of nursery and old persons home.

Good luck!

@Goldengirl: no need for a pad with the depends underwear. Do you know anybody who delivered at your hospital? My hospital sends patients home with peri bottles, disposable underwear, peri ice packs, large pads, etc. It might be nice to see if you have to buy that stuff or if they provide any supplies after your stay.

I had a 1st or 2nd grade tear with my LO1, and a small one with my LO2.

I took the mesh underwear and one peri bottle from the hospital. No need to buy separately unless you wanted multiple to have in different bathrooms. For the underwear, once I ran out, I just used my regular underwear (I had bought a couple extra pair of black ones!), nbd.

After I got home, I just used regular pads. Like the heavy flow/kinda long ones, but not overnight.

I used the Tucks wipes. Mostly just for actual wiping, not so much for soothing. And I did have some of the Bottom Spray stuff with LO2 -- it was cooling, which felt nice, but not really a necessity.

For an ice pack, we got one of the soft-cover/gel ones from Walgreens. I would just sit on it. I also took whatever they would give me of leftover ones from the hospital, and for LO2, they actually just used newborn diapers with ice cubes in them for ice packs...which clearly you can make at home. Despite having a small tear, I didn't actually ice ever at home after LO2.

All that to say, for my soon-to-be-here LO3, I'll just be making sure I have some pads, the Bottom Spray (leftover), a pack of Tucks wipes, and the ice pack (leftover). And plan to bring the peri bottle home.

Everyone's advice is pretty spot on!! I wish I had asked for extra ice packs from the hospital because they're really easy to use, just crack them, put them in your pad, then remove after thirty minutes. We are doing cloth diapers, so once I got home, I (carefully, gently lol) used the sprayer we installed instead of a spray bottle and it was amazing! Sometimes I would just sit there for a minute or two because the cool water felt so good!
My biggest piece of advice is to keep on top of the constipation. I'm really susceptible to it and the narcotics in the hospital made it much worse. Take your stool softener!! Next time, I will start taking miralax the day I get home too. I was miserable after a week and didn't start taking miralax until it got really bad.
Good luck!!

The only thing I'll add is a sitz bath and stool softener!!!!

I bought depends but never used them because they were way too "rough" feeling and hurt me a lot. I used the big hospital pads and then switched to regular maxi pads.

I made those frozen pads with witch hazel and only ended up using like three or four (I had a bad second degree tear, almost third but not quite). I did end up with a few of those in my bra during engorgement though.

Tucks pads were essential. I had hemorrhoids from pushing and so I used the pads on my hospital pads and also to wipe after those scary pp bowel movements.

@Goldengirl: If you're in Canada the hospital sends you home with nothing. That being said, I invested in all this stuff and then had a C section and didn't need any of it. Don't spend too much money in advance, you can always have your partner run out.

Oh, one thing, extra sheets. The night sweats I got were INTENSE, as I flushed out my hormones, I'd wake up soaking wet for weeks!!! I kept a change of clothes by my bed.

@Goldengirl: with both babies, both times second degree tears, all I needed were pads with wings, the 1 peri bottle the doctor gave me, and 2 cans of Dermoplast.

I bought so much more and didn't use any of it. So much wasted money.

Now...bfing stuff was a different story. I had so many problems I bought every product invented and used it all.