As a mom of six, I’ve made it through the postpartum recovery journey learning from my mistakes, triumphs, and realizing that each one was different and it helped me gain perspective. Each child I had was different in how they adjusted to the world as a newborn. I had some that were more easy-going and some that were colicky and cried most of the time. I had one child in particular that required so much extra emotional energy due to troubles feeding, weight gain issues, tummy upset, and some developmental concerns. I wish I could say I became an expert after that, but all it taught me was to lean into my husband for support and ask family for prayers. When possible, I tried not to overload myself with expectations for what I should get done in a day. How I felt about myself as a mom and what I accomplished in a day affected how I was handling everything physically and emotionally.
Normally, I don’t sweat the small stuff, but everything feels intensified during postpartum recovery.
I felt pressure to get up and start walking around immediately. With the first two babies, I rushed and wanted to get back to my normal schedule. I felt I should have rested more and enjoyed bonding with my babies instead of letting outside pressure in to act like I didn’t just give birth and ignore the dinner plate-sized wound that needed to heal internally. After the fourth baby, I no longer felt like I could hop right out of bed and start taking care of the household the first week. I finally started following my midwife’s advice and stayed around the bed as much as possible the first five days, the next five around the house, and the next five slowly transitioning back into regular routines. Following that advice helped me take my time and not feel anxious, learn my baby’s particular needs, and physically heal properly so I ended up healing quicker overall. 
I’ve been experiencing pregnancy and postpartum recovery off and on for the last nine years, and I’ve seen so many improvements in the quality and accessibility of recovery products for women.
I learned after baby number three that having some electric heating pads help in postpartum cramping. After baby number four, companies like Frida Mom have made it easier to get all the supplies you need in one purchase. I wish I had that resource for my second baby. I would advise moms to put Frida Mom postpartum recovery kits on their baby registries or to mention them anytime someone asks what they could get to support a new mom. It’s nice to have everything you might need right after birth rather than finding out you need something and have to scramble to get it after you’re already in the middle of healing.
Meals were a huge issue for us after the fourth baby.
My husband was blessed to be able to take a week or two off after our first couple of kiddos and he spent most of his time entertaining them and trying to keep up with the house while I spent my time taking care of the baby and recovering. We noticed that having him cook and clean up after meals was particularly challenging because we usually do that together. We had gracious family members and friends make us a meal or two, and after our sixth baby, the in-laws and our loving church family provided us with gift cards to our favorite restaurants for meals. Having a community of people to support us in this way was extremely helpful, but if you don’t have that, a meal delivery service would be a game-changer. Having fresh meals ready to go was a life saver for us. Every now and then, when we have a particularly stressful week or the meal service is running a discount, we order some as a treat to take one thing off our to-do list.
As far as best baby products to help ease the postpartum recovery period, I recommend three very important items.
After the fifth baby, my sweet husband purchased me a medical grade thermometer because undetected fever is one of my bigger anxieties postpartum. I’ve bought so many thermometers over the years and none of them seem to work or read accurately, so having a medical grade thermometer gave me the peace of mind I needed.
The second item is a hospital grade electric nasal aspirator. My sister actually suggested this item and the price of it originally steered me away from it. We’ve tried the basic aspirators and they were either gross to handle or not very effective, so splurging on the electric one really helped us out.
Lastly, I tried the most popular pulse ox sock that has been on the market for a few years. I had a toddler get really sick with a terrible respiratory virus before our last baby was born, so I purchased the pulse ox sock to monitor her while she slept and I figured it’d be useful for the baby once she arrived. I love putting the special sock on her when I want to sleep without panicking about her breathing, and I find I sleep better knowing the smart sock will go off if her oxygen levels dip to a concerning level. 
Depending on your situation, you may not need all of the newest supplies and gadgets to care for yourself and your newborn. The cost of some of these items can really be a doozy. We’ve had some babies that have only needed basic supplies, but I have learned to look around for new and improved items to make life easier during postpartum recovery. Peace of mind is so wonderful during those first couple of weeks and beyond so that you can give your babies the best version of you. Every mom and baby are different and experiences are so varied. Do whatever you need to do to get you through recovery and caring for your newborn.
Blessings to all the moms going through that “fourth trimester.” And remember: don’t be so hard on yourself!
