This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of DulcoEase® Pink™. The opinions and text are all mine.
If you’re pregnant or had children before you know that a lot of moms like to gloss over the truth a little bit when it comes to what goes on with your body during your third trimester, and after you’ve given birth. Maybe some are just shy. After birthing 3 children, I’m pretty much passed that stage. Using that to my advantage I want to help you gather a small list of things & give you a few tips that can help keep you more comfortable in the last trimester as well as the weeks after you bring your baby home.
Constipation
One of the things you might have to deal with unfortunately is constipation. It’s something you really want to avoid as much as possible because if you push & strain too much you can end up with hemorrhoids. It can also happen while you’re giving birth if you push incorrectly or like me, have a very large baby.
Near the end of your pregnancy your body really slows down digestion wise & your system can get very sluggish. Add onto this the weight that you have gained, as well as prenatal vitamins that you may be taking that contain iron and you might need some help keeping things moving. The same thing happens when you come home after giving birth. It doesn’t matter how you gave birth but some of you may have stitches to worry about, whether they are down below after a vaginal birth or in your pubic area from a C-section you will really want to avoid straining in any way when you go to the bathroom.
Dealing With Constipation – How to Keep Things Moving:
- Increase Your Water Intake – If you have a hard time consuming a lot of water & are open to bottled water try one that is filtered by reverse osmosis. This was suggested to me by my nutritionist & it worked wonders for me. Also, try lightly freezing it, just make sure to drink slowly so you don’t get cramps.
- Fiber, Fiber & more Fiber – Start out slowly at first because a lot of fiber can cause gas. A nice fiber rich cereal for breakfast or even a broccoli & cheese omelet. Beans are a great source of fiber as well as leafy greens, fruits, veggies of all kinds, seeds & nuts. I suggest trading your white bread for a high fiber multi-grain bread. If you can’t handle them, they’re good toasted. Try to fit these things in as often as you can.
- Smaller Meals More Often – Near the end of your pregnancy there is less & less room in your tummy & everything is being smooshed around. Eating more often, but less in one sitting will keep you from over-eating, which doesn’t help constipation one bit. It will also help keep your blood sugar more stable & may help a tiny bit in cases of acid reflux aka heartburn. You’ll want to keep this up when baby gets home as well because if you’re nursing you’ll need that steady stream of food to keep your milk flowing as well as build your energy levels back up to help you recover faster.
- Exercise – As hard as it can be in those last couple months of pregnancy you have to try to keep yourself moving. Even if it’s only a walk around the block. Move a little bit every day.
- Glycerin Suppositories – Suppositories tend to work very quickly & can provide immediate relief on some level if things get too backed up. You must ask your Dr. if it’s ok first.
- Invest In a Stool Softener like DulcoEase® Pink™ It can prevent and relieve constipation. It’s stimulant free & it contains *the #1 OB/GYN recommended stool softener ingredient. It works with your body by drawing water into the bowel, making the stool softer, and producing a bowel movement within 12 to 72 hours.
*Among stool softener ingredients
**If you are pregnant or nursing please make sure you ask your Dr. first if DulcoEase® Pink™ is right for you.
Dealing With Hemorrhoids, Stitches, & Pain “Down There”
If you’ve done everything you can to avoid hemorrhoids and you still got them (unfortunately this happens sometimes) there are a few things you can do to help bring yourself some relief. Even if you didn’t get them while pregnant you might want to stock up on these things BEFORE you come back from the hospital with baby and create yourself a New Mommy Toolkit. This way if you’re shy you don’t have to ask anyone to run to the store for you.
- Hemorrhoidal Pads with Witch Hazel (or witch hazel pads) – After you’ve given birth sometimes the hospital will provide you with a package of these in your bathroom. You’ll be told to put these on top of your pad to help soothe things. Witch hazel is a natural anti-inflammatory so use them as often as the package says you can. They help immensely.
- Hemorrhoid Cream – Its always a good idea to keep a tube of this in your medicine cabinet because you never know when you’ll need it.
- Dermoplast Pain Relieving Spray – You might get this in your room at the hospital if you deliver vaginally, if so, take it home with you. If you have stitches the cooling & numbing effect it provides will help you a great deal. Your Dr. can also prescribe it for you. Make sure to mention it to them, especially if you get stitches or have an episiotomy.
- Sitz Bath – If you give birth vaginally you’ll more than likely get one of these, unless you have a super easy birth. You can take this home with you as well. It’s like a tub that you fill with water. You sit it on top of your toilet bowl & then you sit in it. It helps relieve some of the swelling that may occur in the perianal area after birth or due to hemorrhoids.
- Variety of Pads – When you’ve been pregnant for 9 long months, a funny thing happens. You go back to use your favorite type of pad or tampon & things have changed. You’ll want to pick yourself up a variety of different brands, styles, and types of pads before you come home with baby. This way you can try out each one and find out what fits best for you postpartum.
Other Aches & Pains
Ah, there are so many aches & pains that go along with pregnancy & giving birth. Now that we’ve covered some of the things other people don’t talk about let’s not forget about the basic items that just make life all around easier when you’re expecting or have a brand new little one to care for.
- Body Pillow or Extra Pillows – Do yourself a favor & go out & either get a body pillow or about 5 extra pillows the moment you find out you’re pregnant. You’re going to need them.
- Heating pad or Bed Buddy that you can heat up in the microwave – Great for back aches during pregnancy & cramps during postpartum when your uterus is shrinking back to size.
- Granny Panties – They’re really a lot more comfortable than regular underwear once you start approaching 9 months, and after you bring baby home you’ll want something that you don’t mind ruining. Depending on how you give birth there can be a lot of bleeding afterwards.
There are many other things you can put in your New Mother’s or Pregnancy Took Kit that are a lot more ordinary, but the things I’ve listed here aren’t talked about quite as often. I think I’ve given you a few basics to get started. I hope this information doesn’t scare you in any way, because to be honest, after all is said & done, you’re going to be so ecstatic looking at that beautiful bundle of joy that you can handle anything!
Every new mother’s toolkit should include DulcoEase® Pink™, the #1 OB/GYN recommended ingredient* for going #2. So if you are pregnant or breast feeding, ask your doctor if you should think Pink. Find savings on DulcoEase® Pink™ at www.MomsTalkDulcoEase.com!
*Among stool softener ingredients
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of DulcoEase® Pink™. The opinions and text are all mine.
