So what should you have set up in your house before you give birth?

I would recommend putting in a caddy in the bathroom to create a healing station for yourself. You can make a few of these "mommy stations" if you have multiple bathrooms.

Frida Mom has a great c-section postpartum kit if you want to just "buy one and done". Or you can curate your own kit to hunt for the best prices.

​Some things to include might be:

Yes, even after a c-section you will experience bleeding. This is normal and can last 4-6 weeks after birth. Contact your doctor if you're soaking through more than one pad in an hour or passing large clots

After the birth of your baby, you might be in the hospital for anywhere from two to four days. The hospital staff will do everything they can to help with pain management and keeping you comfortable.

Once you return home it will be super important that you take things slow and easy. You'll need to avoid twisting or any movements that put pressure on your abdomen. The muscles are going to be extremely fatigued and your incision is delicate.

You'll want to keep your stitches/staples clean and dry to avoid infections.

And while it is recommended to take it easy and rest, you'll also want to incorporate some movement, like walking around your house. This is to help avoid blood clots, get those muscles used to working again, and aids in healing.

​Remember, you're a superhero, mama. You've got this.

I didn't deliver my daughter via c-section so I felt it would be best to reach out to a mama I know that has. Here are her recommendations for anyone getting ready for a cesarean delivery:

- Jennifer K. mother of 2 born via c-sections

A vaginal delivery, or natural delivery, is when a baby is born by passing through the birth canal and vagina. This is the most common method of birth worldwide.

Vaginal deliveries are the most common method of birth and more preferred by providers than c-sections. This can happen spontaneously or through induction. Vaginal delivery tends to be viewed as the safest method for both the mother and the baby.

Most providers will tell you that it takes about 6 weeks to recover from a vaginal delivery. But like I said previously, bearing any medical issues, recovery is as long as it takes you to feel recovered. If that's past six weeks, and for a lot of women it can be, that's okay.

​After a vaginal delivery, there will be a significant amount of bleeding. However, you will need to let your provider know if you soak a pad through in an hour or pass any large clots.

With some personal preference for making your own "padsicles" or buying them, most of the supplies for healing from a vaginal delivery can be found in the first aid aisle.

​Frida Mom has a postpartum recovery kit for vaginal deliveries too but here's what to set up for your bathroom(s) as a "mommy station":

If you're like me, you're looking at this list and wondering where you even start with how to use all of this.

So you have to go. Here's what you do:

And that's it! It seems like a lot initially but once you find a rhythm it goes pretty quickly. The trick is that Tucks, the perineal foam, and the pad liners are all made with witch hazel. This acts as a natural way to help with inflammation, burning, and itching that you may experience as you heal.

I would recommend getting at least one product with witch hazel in it. I personally did layer all three (liner, Tucks, foam) with some Dermaplast and it helped to keep me pretty comfortable.

It is an important part of your postpartum care to be fairly fastidious about cleaning and caring for yourself. This will help you to heal quickly and reduce the risk of infection if you have stitches.

A sitz bath is a shallow warm water bath, just enough for your bottom, to soak in. You can set one up in a bathtub or they make special seats that can go on your toilet.

​These can be done with either just warm water or water and sitz soak salts. This can be used as a strategy to promote muscle relaxation, reduce inflammation, and increase blood flow to promote healing.

You might be able to get one of these from the hospital if you deliver in one. They might provide either a donut or a waffle seat.

Either way, after delivery and especially if you come away with any tearing or hemorrhoids, one of these cushions can help make the transition back home more comfortable.

​The design is meant to take pressure off of your perineum and make sitting much more comfortable. I used the waffle seat everywhere. From the car ride home to the couch to the stools at our counter. Where I went, it went.

You might be thinking to yourself, "Why is there a section titled 'The Kitchen' in a blog post about postpartum healing and recovery?"

Because this is the second place of the house that you want to prep for yourself.

If you're like, unfortunately, most of us, you don't have much of a village physically near you. If you do, by all means accept it when they offer to stock your freezer or set up a meal train. Take the help. Trust me, you'll have enough going on. And while you might feel like you're putting them out right now, they really are excited to help and it will be such a relief later.

But, if you don't have anyone to do that, spend some time prepping and stocking your own freezer. This might be easier if this is your first baby or if any little ones you have are a bit bigger so you have (some of) the time.

​A lot of people lean into things like lasagnas, casseroles, breads, and muffins here. But if you have dietary restrictions or preferences then this will help ensure that all you have to do to have a healthy (and dietarily safe) meal is pre-heat the oven. And who doesn't want more time to spend wrapped in baby-snuggle bliss?

There is a good chance that you're feeling a whole mix of emotions right now and have a to-do list that only seems to be growing.

I want to leave you with this, something I took great comfort in when the stress and the fears seeped in:

Women have been giving birth for literal ages. Our bodies are meant to do this. They're meant to bring babies earth-side, heal with time, and hold an unimaginable amount of love.

So in all of the other have-tos you're doing to prep for your new little one, remember to prep for the new you too. Your body will have just performed the most amazing nine-months-in-the-making feat. Treat her with care. Feed her well. And when you look in the mirror, I hope you see nothing but a beautiful extension of Mother Nature herself.

With love,

​Dakota