Postpartum Essentials | The Cuarentena

It feels like true motherhood multi-tasking has begun. Typing one-handed whilst nursing. New skill levels unlocked.

Whilst the days have blurred together in a swirl of the newborn haze, finally, the fog is starting to settle. Slowly but surely I am gaining confidence in the new role of motherhood. Each day the responsibility seems more manageable, as I navigate the needs of my son and we learn how to communicate with each other. Housekeeping is still daunting, but I am taking it by day.

One of the first essentials was having a solid support team right from the get-go. I decided to enter a cuarentena (or as I like to call it a Quarantine-a) Essentially that is a postpartum period where you take a pause. You focus on the new role as a mother. Traditionally this lasts 40 days, which you close out the outside world. It is a vulnerable and overwhelming time for both new mother and baby. During this time female family members come to stay with you and help out with housework, making sure you are well fed, and providing support. In this role my mom came to our side to help. During the process of the cuarentena I can see why it is so crucial for the health of the new mom as well as baby. Adjusting to life outside of the womb is overwhelming. There are so many new stimulations and sensations to take in! As for myself, it was a reintroduction to my body, learning how to navigate milk production and feeding. Taking it slow the first week to recover. Being able to focus on myself and mostly baby without the stress of chores was a welcome relief. Even finding time to brush my hair was a small victory initially! So for me, I feel extremely grateful to have a support team to help out during the overwhelming newness of motherhood.

One book that is useful for the topic of the cuarentena is, “The First 40 Days, the Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother,” by Heng Ou. She states the importance of taking 40 days to rest, and properly nourish yourself. She claims that proper, or improper postpartum care set the tone for the health of the woman for the next 36 years.

So far, I am still in my cuarentena and it has been proving its importance to me, and my recovery. The postpartum recovery for me has been very smooth. My birth was gentle with no damage to the body, so after the initial day of my hips reshuffling back, the rest has been focused on the emotional and mental component of resting and adjusting to the new role.

Now I will list some items that were super useful to have handy to practically prepare for the postpartum time.

Frida Peri-Bottle : This is a lifesaver for initial bathroom trips. I will not go into too many details, but if you do not have a Japanese toilet this is great. Using toilet paper initially after birth is not too appealing of a task.

Rael Organics Period Underwear: Great to have, I did not want to do any more underwear and this was such a relief to just be able to not worry about bleeding or ruining underwear. I tried out the Frida mom postpartum underwear which was a waste of money. They did not have any moisture-absorbing capabilities so the period underwear was much more suited for the job!

Natura Care Post Partum Pads : Again self-explanatory, I would double up with these & the period underwear

Beef Tallow: We used our homemade organic beef tallow. I have a reel on Instagram how to make. This is fantastic for dry skin, lips, and used as a nipple cream.

Oversized Cashmere Sweater (from estate sale) & Sweatpants: Living in that. An oversized cardigan for the last weeks of pregnancy transitioning to postpartum wear. I love that it was second hand so I don’t worry about the amount of spit-up, baby pee, milk, and any other mess that has fallen on it. A trusty cozy giant sweater is my best friend, as well as sweatpants. My pants are from Quince & Konges Sløjd.

A million (or so) Rags: Those little burpie cloths have a permanent spot over my shoulder. They get used often for burps, spit-up, spraying milk, dropped food from one-handed eating, and much more.

Haakaa Ladybugs: No one tells you how much milk you will leak! As well as that the other side does whilst feeding. These ladybugs fly around the house with me to prevent constantly changing nursing pads.

Waterproof Pads & Mattress Protector: This is for the milk again. Your bed will thank you.

Perineal Mama Mist: This was great after the Frida bottle, only thing is my bottle fell and broke :(