4 Weeks Postpartum Update: Recovery, Breastfeeding + My Essentials

ByAbby Saylor Armbruster

4 Weeks Postpartum Update: Recovery, Breastfeeding + My Essentials

Hey guys! Today’s post is a complete recap of my first 4 weeks postpartum with an honest chat about recovery, my breastfeeding journey thus far and my biggest essentials during this time. If you’re pregnant and wondering what you actually need for comfort and healing post-birth, keep reading for my recommendations.

I’m going to do my best to recap each week, but to be honest, it all kind of feels like a blur! The lack of sleep is probably to blame. 😉 It’s taken me a week or two to write this post little by little in my small pockets of free time, so hopefully it makes sense!

WEEK 1

Justin was on paternity leave this week, so we spent every day at home with an occasional visitor (+ our first pediatrician appointment that Friday), soaking up our sweet baby. During the first week, I was experiencing a lot of pain with breastfeeding as my nipples toughened up and general body discomfort from birth. Breastfeeding is no joke and truly a full-time job, but that’s a conversation for another day. I was pretty weak after labor, so I often needed to utilize my Boppy to help me hold Clay up since my arms were so tired. Trying to stand up from a sitting position while holding her was pretty difficult as well. I walked with a waddle from soreness and I felt a heaviness down there. I wore disposable underwear (which are pretty much diapers) full time with loose clothing or maternity leggings because I found them to be easier with bleeding and hemorrhoids.

My milk fully came in 3 days after birth and I was glad that I was able to feed her from day one without having to supplement or anything. This wasn’t much of a surprise to me though since I lactated so much during the entire second half of my pregnancy, I assumed having milk wouldn’t be an issue for me — and thankfully, it wasn’t!

WEEK 2

This was my first week home alone with Clay! I was a little nervous about it knowing that I wouldn’t have anyone else there to help out if needed. It was, and still is, difficult to balance taking care of my baby while also taking care of myself. She always comes first, so it’s easy to forget or to not prioritize eating, going to the bathroom, etc. I have to wait until she’s settled to do all these things, which is obviously an unpredictable schedule. I don’t have much else to say about this week other than I was starting to gain more confidence in my mom abilities, breastfeeding, etc. I felt like I was really starting to figure things out and I enjoyed getting to know my baby more one on one.

WEEK 3

Right when my body was starting to get used to breastfeeding, I began dealing with some serious pain from oversupply. I had to have my mom come over and help me with Clay one day because my breasts hurt so bad that I could barely hold her. I couldn’t lift my arms over my head or sleep on either side of my body because I was so engorged. Due to my breasts being so full, they were difficult for Clay to latch on to and it made breastfeeding absolutely excruciating and I would cry through every feeding. I looked for answers online and everything I read was contradicting: hot compress, cold compress, pump, DON’T pump… I was at a loss. After some resistance on my end, Justin convinced me to reach out to the lactation line that the hospital provides and I set up an outpatient appointment with them to try to find a solution.

After meeting with them, they confirmed what I already knew (that I have WAY too much milk) and gave me instructions of what to do to fix it (a technique called block feeding), and it WORKED! They told me to completely empty myself out with a pump first thing the next morning, then switch breasts every three hours when feeding Clay. If she wants to eat multiple times within that three hour period, keep her on the same breast. They gave me some tips on how to adjust Clay’s positioning for oversupply and they told me that she tries to slow the flow down by curling/clenching her lips while feeding, which explains some of the pain I was feeling as well. If you’re having issues or pain with breastfeeding, I highly recommend reaching out to a lactation consultant! It’s okay to ask for help and them being able to get their eyes on you and help you one on one will be a much more effective solution than doing trial and error from what you read online.

My bleeding really died down this week and I began wearing smaller pads. Aside from breast discomfort/pain, I felt great and like my regular self!

WEEK 4

This week I really focused on implementing the tips that the lactation consultant gave me and I had success with it, aside from getting clogged ducts for the first time. Not fun, you guys. I noticed a large lump on my left breast by my armpit, so I called the lactation line to see what they recommended I do. I’m glad I spoke with them because I woke up the next morning with one on the top of my right breast as well. They recommended I do hot compress (I laid washcloths on my chest in the shower and used the Lansinoh heat packs outside of the shower), wear a loose bra, massage and feed, feed, feed (and/or pump). I dangle pumped for 5 minutes while massaging the clogged ducts with lotion when it wasn’t time for feeding, then continued massaging while Clay nursed on that side until I got them to go down. Massaging is very uncomfortable because they hurt, but I worked them out by firmly rubbing them back and forth and facing her nose toward the clogged area as best I could while nursing for the strongest suction. This was successful for me!

I also ended up getting my first migraine since my first trimester this week (I’ve had chronic migraines for years), which was a bummer. My migraines went away during most of my pregnancy, so I haven’t had to deal with one in a long time. Thankfully, this one wasn’t an awful one. I got it when I was home alone watching Clay, so navigating taking care of her under those circumstances was a learning experience.

Also this week, Justin and I went out by ourselves for the first time since Clay was born. My mom watched her and we left the house for only an hour or two to run some errands and grab a quick treat. We left between feedings, so it was an easy time to step out. It was nice!

ESSENTIALS

Postpartum

  • Nursing bras — these are my favorite ones that I’ve tried so far!
  • Nursing pads — you’ll go through LOTS of these
  • Tucks pads — I would put these in my underwear
  • Dermoplast — I’d spray this down there after I went to the bathroom
  • Peri bottle
  • Always Discreet Boutique Disposable Postpartum Underwear — I preferred these the first couple weeks over regular underwear and pads!
  • Underwear pads (large ones and small ones)
  • Maternity underwear
  • Heating pad — I found this to be a must for uterus contractions during breastfeeding
  • Robes — easy and comfortable!
  • Fitted tank tops as nursing bra alternatives — sometimes bras can feel too tight, especially when engorged or dealing with clogged ducts
  • Face lotion — I’ve always had oily skin, but I’ve become SO DRY from breastfeeding

Breastfeeding

To conclude this update, I feel really good and I’m amazed by how fast the female body can recover from giving birth. I’m still about 10 lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight, but I don’t really care to lose it. I have my 6-week postpartum appointment coming up soon and I plan to start doing some ab exercises when I’m cleared to do so to tone back up. It’s difficult to cover all aspects of postpartum in a single post like this, so if you have any questions about my experience, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thanks so much for reading and check back soon for a 1-month baby update!