Postpartum recovery and garments and all that...


Backroads
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So... I am subscribed to a couple of pregnancy e-mail lists, and lately they've been talking about how... gross... I will possibly be after giving birth and telling me to buy giant maxipads and depends and all sorts of horrible things...

Anywho... what's the best way to work all this into the wearing of the garment? I'm having fears of ruining all my garments no matter what I do. And when should a just-gave-birth mother put the garment back on?

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They should give you these extremely unattractive yet awesome meshy underwear at the hospital. I just wear those at the hospital. After 3 or 4 days or so the bleeding is much more manageable, and I put my garments back on, over the meshy underwear, until things have slowed down a lot more. It's really up to you.

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I didn't wear them at all at the hospital. It was just easier with nurses and lactation consultants trying to help nurse, and all the bleeding. When I went home I just wore tops (nursing tops) until the bleeding wasn't so bad.

The meshy underwear molds to your body, which will be weirdly shaped for a few weeks. :) It also rinses out easily and dries fast, and they always gave me several pair. So I didn't have to worry about finding underwear that fit or ruining it.

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I never wore my garments during my postpartum hospital stays. There was simply too much going on in that department to make wearing garments either comfortable or practical. I typically didn't put them back on until the postpartum bleeding had gotten to the point of being similar to a regular period.

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Oh and another thing, if you're torn or swollen down south they keep ice on it for the first day or so. Either a frozen pad or ice in a glove. The mesh underwear holds that in well, too.

I'm a fan of the mesh undies for postpartum, if you can't tell.

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Also, if you end up with a c-section, garments will be VERY impractical for several days because just about anything with a waistband will be uncomfortable, and while you're in the hospital the nurses will be exposing your scar regularly to change the dressings and such, and that can sometimes be messy.

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Oh and another thing, if you're torn or swollen down south they keep ice on it for the first day or so. Either a frozen pad or ice in a glove. The mesh underwear holds that in well, too.

I'm a fan of the mesh undies for postpartum, if you can't tell.

My hospital had special pad-shaped ice packs that they had me wear in the hospital, as well as sent me home with some extras (and extra mesh underwear. I agree, that stuff is great)

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So... I am subscribed to a couple of pregnancy e-mail lists, and lately they've been talking about how... gross... I will possibly be after giving birth and telling me to buy giant maxipads and depends and all sorts of horrible things...

Anywho... what's the best way to work all this into the wearing of the garment? I'm having fears of ruining all my garments no matter what I do. And when should a just-gave-birth mother put the garment back on?

Put mine back on as soon as I could. I think after my second child, I put them on as soon as I was able to get off my bed and take a shower (maybe 3 or 4 hours after giving birth). I put regular clothes on too. Couldn't stand that breezy gown. I just used the over-night pads all the time, changed them often, and wore underwear (for support) over my garment bottoms. I never had a problem, but everybody's comfort level is different.

Just go with the Spirit. ^_^

-------------------------------------------

Posted the above before reading all the other posts. Just wanted to add that my pregnancies did not involve complications with the birth itself. My problems came with the post-partum depression. I just didn't want it to seem that my birthing experience was a "cake". LOL I had problems too, just not with the garments or bleeding.

Edited by Tough Grits
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Every woman's after situation will be different. My first was very heavy and I wore the hospital mesh undies and pads for almost a week. #5 wasn't too bad, so I was able to treat it like would a normal period.

I think when to put the garments back on is totally up to you. I wore my tops in the hospital but not the bottoms. I put my bottoms back on when I could use normal pads for the bleeding.

My sister had a c-section and was advised to get some depends. I'm not sure how long she wore those but said it worked out well for her.

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I had so many problems I had ot to get 5 units of blood and was in the hospital for 3 days longer than "most people having a c-section " according to the nurses. I couldn't do anything for days & days. I had a c-section after pushing and tearing down there so I had to heal in two places. Garments were the last thing on my mind. I think I put them on about 10 days after birth, due to everything that was going on. I really think I was doing the right thing, protecting them. Also the c-section made it impossible to have a "waste band" for a while.

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After all four births and three miscarriages I wore my garments. Pads work great. For a few days you have to change them more often.

(I'm not responding to long hospital stays.)

Seriously I don't understand taking garments off because our bodies are doing what God designed them to do. Garments are washable. This sort of goes along the lines of not wearing garments for exercise or whenever. Reasons?: They are too sacred to get dirty. Good Grief! They are underwear. Yes they are sacred and are there to remind us of our covenants. But again, they are underwear and they are going to get dirty. We wash them. Does anyone really think that Heavenly Father doesn't know our bodies get sweaty, that we have periods and bleeding after childbirth? He made our bodies. I seriously doubt he's going to get upset with us for wearing our garments.

There! I've finally said it. There have been so many posts about garments and periods, garments and exercise, etc. I've tried to be tactful. But really girls? We promise to wear our garments day and night. So, we're going to make exceptions for periods and child birth?

Before anyone gets angry with me: ITS YOUR DECISION! Not mine.

I will probably be back to read the backlash, but I doubt I'll respond.

Backroads, Really truly its not that bad after childbirth. Menopausal bleeding was worse.

Edited by applepansy
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Except for surgical procedures I wear my garments. Including after all four live births and three miscarriages. Perimenopausal bleeding was worse than any bleeding after childbirth and I never considered taking off my garments.

For those who have read the post I deleted. I apologize. My emotions on this issue got the best of me as they do every time I read a post about "when is it ok to take my garments off".

(Backroads, I do not believe you started this thread to ask that question. Your concerns are valid. Having never been through childbirth and postpartum bleeding your questions are good ones to ask.)

Now I'm going to say something that its probably going to sit wrong with most of the younger than dirt group. Taking our garments off for convenience seems to be a generational thing. My parents and my endowed peers have never considered taking off garments for postpartum bleeding, sports where garments can be worn under the sports clothing (garments might get sweaty), yard work or work (where the garment might get dirty). Heavenly Father made our bodies. I'm sure he understands better than any of us how they work and what our struggles will be when it comes to being obedient to our covenants. During my 15 years of perimenopausal bleeding I practically lived in the bathroom for 2-3 days a month and sometimes more often than once a month and I never even considered taking off my garments. What always popped into my head was "This too shall pass."

Hydrogen Peroxide and soap take blood out. Dawn dish soap and hydrogen peroxide will whiten garments stained with sweat and dirt.

I hope my thoughts come across a little softer this time.

Ultimately, we all get to choose for ourselves how we will be obedient.

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if you feel you must wear the garments right off the bat then you might want to consider the old one piece garments. It might make things easier to deal with for you, the nurses and doctors.

I would feel uncomfortable with the garments being exposed to nonmembers every time they needed to check you but I dont know how anyone else would feel about it.

It has been a long time since I had a baby so maybe hospital procedures have changed since then?

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if you feel you must wear the garments right off the bat then you might want to consider the old one piece garments. It might make things easier to deal with for you, the nurses and doctors.

I would feel uncomfortable with the garments being exposed to nonmembers every time they needed to check you but I dont know how anyone else would feel about it.

It has been a long time since I had a baby so maybe hospital procedures have changed since then?

Anne, I wasn't suggesting wearing garments during childbirth. For Postpartum checkups doctors in Utah ask that women only remove the bottoms.

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I wasnt suggesting wearing them during childbirth either. It was my understanding that we arent supposed to wear just one part of the set though.

When I want for my endowment, that's what the temple president's wife told me. Never wear one part without the other. Think of it as one unit. one unit.

Also I don't find reasons to take them off, in general. I wear them all the time, but after giving birth I have so many issues I can't. I use those bed pads for a week or longer and the pads (giant ones) for a month and change them every hour.

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I wasnt suggesting wearing them during childbirth either. It was my understanding that we arent supposed to wear just one part of the set though.

You're right. We wear the whole set. In a postpartum checkup the bottoms are only removed for the exam which is a necessary exam and takes minutes. This is true with any other gynecological exam.

My concern is removing the bottoms because the postpartum bleeding is heavier than a normal period for a few days.

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So did you just not wear garments for those few days?

That meshy underwear better be awesome. I'm so weird about such things!

I love the mesh stuff -- it is awesome!! It's unidirectional (no front or back), and seamless, so it's super comfortable, even with a c-section.

Also, if you end up with a c-section, garments will be VERY impractical for several days because just about anything with a waistband will be uncomfortable, and while you're in the hospital the nurses will be exposing your scar regularly to change the dressings and such, and that can sometimes be messy.

And listening for bowel sounds...awkward. "Let me just check your belly to see if you have gas building up yet."

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Except for surgical procedures I wear my garments. Including after all four live births and three miscarriages. Perimenopausal bleeding was worse than any bleeding after childbirth and I never considered taking off my garments.

For those who have read the post I deleted. I apologize. My emotions on this issue got the best of me as they do every time I read a post about "when is it ok to take my garments off".

(Backroads, I do not believe you started this thread to ask that question. Your concerns are valid. Having never been through childbirth and postpartum bleeding your questions are good ones to ask.)

Now I'm going to say something that its probably going to sit wrong with most of the younger than dirt group. Taking our garments off for convenience seems to be a generational thing. My parents and my endowed peers have never considered taking off garments for postpartum bleeding, sports where garments can be worn under the sports clothing (garments might get sweaty), yard work or work (where the garment might get dirty). Heavenly Father made our bodies. I'm sure he understands better than any of us how they work and what our struggles will be when it comes to being obedient to our covenants. During my 15 years of perimenopausal bleeding I practically lived in the bathroom for 2-3 days a month and sometimes more often than once a month and I never even considered taking off my garments. What always popped into my head was "This too shall pass."

Hydrogen Peroxide and soap take blood out. Dawn dish soap and hydrogen peroxide will whiten garments stained with sweat and dirt.

I hope my thoughts come across a little softer this time.

Ultimately, we all get to choose for ourselves how we will be obedient.

I think your post is fine. The last line of the post says it all!

I do not remove my garments for very many things...only the few things that they must be removed for. I do yard work in them and I go to the OB/GYN in them--we have to take off all of our clohes off when we get there anyway.

Oh, the things we women must bear. ^_^

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Peroxide doesn't take everything out. It seemed more respectful to not wear them for a few days to protect them. . . nevermind that I can't afford to replace a few pair a day. I wear mine to do almost everything, including work out. I don't judge my friends who take theirs off to work out. I feel just fine not wearing them in the hospital. If you found a way that works for you, great. Don't judge us because we seem young and irresponsible. I certainly don't look for reasons to not wear them.

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