Full Disclosure: I was provided with an item from Pariday to review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Fiscally Chic.
Happy Tuesday! This post is for the ladies, so Dad, you might want to skip this one.
As you might remember, there were quite a few things I worried about leading up to Alex’s birth. Two included how he would actually come into the world (VBAC or C section?) and how breastfeeding would go. Some things were ultimately out of my control, like his birth; but there were other things I could do to help with labor, breastfeeding, and my recovery.
Before we even made it to the hospital, I got in touch with the lovely ladies at Pariday. Pariday was founded to “help women through the parts of motherhood no one tells you about. [They] are dedicated to creating elegant solutions to some of life’s least elegant moments.” These ladies have such a great sense of humor and positive attitude about the “magic” of childbirth and breastfeeding. I joke because both are messy, can be painful, and never go quite as planned. Pariday sent me a bundle of their products designed to help soothe tenderness and will be giving a bundle to one winner as part of the giveaway at the end of this post.
TendHer Perineal Packs
The Pariday TendHer Perineal Packs and Sleeves are super-soft all-natural gel packs and moisture wicking fabric sleeves that can be used cold or warm to provide an “Ahhh!” moment to your “ahem” lady bits during and/or after child birth. What’s even better is that the perineal packs can provide comfort to both vaginal (yep, I just typed that) and cesarean deliveries/recoveries. Which was perfect for me since I hoped for a VBAC, but also mentally prepared for a C section.
Mara Lowry, Pariday’s marketing guru, shared that the perineal packs can be used warm during labor to promote stretching and you can also wet the sleeves if you prefer moist heat. While I brought the perineal packs in my hospital bag, I didn’t use them since labor never progressed (I only dilated 3 cm) and wound up having a repeat C section. This birth confirmed that I have a small pelvis and Alex ended up having the cord wrapped around his neck twice. Thank goodness for modern medicine!
I did have a chance to use the perineal packs once home from the hospital since the cold pack also works well for bringing down tenderness and inflammation at the incision site. I don’t remember my incision being very tender when Monica was born, but this time was a different story. With Monica, they closed the incision with staples. This time, the doctor used sutures and some of them didn’t dissolve. Since my body was rejecting the sutures, the doctor needed to remove some them out at my 2 week check-upthe incision was a bit red and swollen. I just popped the perineal packs in the freezer and then applied them to my incision over my full-panel maternity pants. Possibly while drinking a glass of wine…Ahhh!
For those who do have a vaginal birth, the perineal packs can also be used frozen to provide relief down there. Just be sure to place it between your maternity pad and your (ahem) lady parts (the packs should be closer to skin to apply temperature-based soothing, but are not absorbent so you still need a pad). You can also apply witch hazel to the sleeves to help with hemorrhoid pain.
And while these packs are designed to soothe lady pain, I also used it warm to help with some lower back pain. And when Monica hit the counter with her forehead, I pulled one of the packs out of the freezer to use as an ice pack.
TendHer Breastfeeding Pillows
I was super excited to try out the Pariday TendHer breastfeeding pillows since I remember having nipple pain when first breastfeeding Monica. Even though she nursed for close to 20 months, neither of us knew what we were doing at the beginning. In addition to figuring out latching and positioning, the lactation consultants also had me pumping. So the ladies were getting quite a work out! I used some hospital-provided Lansinoh Soothies gel pads for cooling comfort, but I wasn’t very impressed. They were thin and seemed to lose their cool fast. And that’s another thing, unlike the TendHer breastfeeding pillows, the Soothies can only be used cold. I think the Medela lanolin was a bigger help.
Mara said that I probably wouldn’t need the breastfeeding pillows until my milk came in, around day 2-5 (according to kellymom.com), so I didn’t bother bringing them to the hospital. Plus, I knew I could get something from the hospital in a pinch. She recommended putting the breastfeeding pillows in the fridge or freezer before heading to the hospital so that they are ready for the first few days after you get home.
As for this time around, and hinted in my post about apple crisp, I think breastfeeding is going perhaps a little too well since Alex loooooves it! Breastfeeding came really easily and he latched right on in the recovery room. Since this is our second baby, the lactation consultant said Alex can sense that I’m more confident and relaxed. I also think my nipples had an easier go because I only pumped a few times in the hospital for comfort, not after every feeding. So I’m happy to report that I didn’t have any pain at the hospital.
I’ve pumped a few times at home, and the breastfeeding pillows have been nice to use cold and even at room temperature. They’re also softer than the Soothies. (Yes, they’re like little pillows.) And the TendHer breastfeeding pillows last so much longer, up to 4 weeks vs. the Soothies’s 72 hours.
If you end up having trouble with let-down, you can warm the pillows in warm water and apply to the breast before feeding. Since I have an ample milk supply and fast let-down, I haven’t needed to use the breastfeeding pillows warm. But it’s nice to know they can also be applied warm to help with a plugged duct (fingers crossed that doesn’t happen!).
Giveaway Time!
As I mentioned at the beginning, Pariday is giving away one bundle of their TendHer Pillows and Perineal Packs, a $60 value! This is perfect if you’re currently expecting a baby or having pain while breastfeeding. Or this bundle is the perfect baby shower gift for a sister or friend.
