Have you ever wanted to order something that wasn’t on the menu at a restaurant like they do in Ratatouille the movie? What about finding that ever elusive Unicorn Frappucino? Well, we firmly believe that when it comes to your pregnancy, birth, & postpartum, there should NOT be a secret menu. That’s why we’re here to both demystify some of the evidence based things you could be using/requesting AND to make recommendations for you too. Secret menu items might be all fine and good for fast food restaurants, but we’re not keeping these secrets from you any more!
**Note, some of these links are affiliate links and we may get a small compensation if you use them. We promise this is not how we are getting rich, and we only recommend products we really love!**
Secret Menu for Pregnancy Top 5
Pregnancy can be rough, but we’re here to tell you some of our favorite “secret menu” things that can make it a little bit better. Here are our top 5:
1. Compression Socks–yes they can be tough to get on, but they seriously help with swelling so much. Kindred Bravely has some that don’t even look like your grandma would wear them, & bonus this mom owned company has comfy cozy clothing for every step of your pregnancy to postpartum journey.
2. Slide on shoes–bending over to tie your shoes is overrated, & we’ve been hearing rave reviews of Hey Dude Shoes from lots of our clients.
3. Magnesium lotion is great for helping with restless legs, and our favorite is the lavender sleepy lotion from 8 Sheep Organics.
4. A good support belt will save your lower back as your belly grows & we think the awesome belts that Belly Bandit sells are soooo worth your investment.
5. Finally, our secret menu favorite thing to recommend is to take an independent childbirth education class that fits with your goals. We know of a ton of great online classes to fit every budget (including free), & if you want to try an in-person class, hit us up, because we totally do that!
Lamaze Classes for VBAC, Bringing Home Baby, Breastfeeding Basics, Labor Pain Management, Safe & Healthy Birth in 6 steps, or Labor Confidence (free).
Alice Turner has awesome classes including Supporting Her (specifically for partners), Birth A to Z (free), & FREE live Lamaze classes via her YouTube channel too.
If you’re looking for an awesome class for partners to learn how to help, The Birth Partner’s Ultimate Labor Support Toolkit is an excellent one!
Mandy Irby (The Birth Nurse) has a really great pre-recorded full Lamaze class that I like to recommend as well: Ultimate Guide to Taking Control of Your Childbirth. (Use coupon: BIRTHGEEKS for 15% off)
Secret Menu for Birth Top 5
Not all of these options are available at all facilities, but it never hurts to ask and even asking for these things helps plant a seed that people would like them.
1. Intermittent &/or Telemetry Monitoring can be soo helpful for movement while you are in labor! Intermittent monitoring is typically available if you don’t have any drugs in your system & everything is looking great with you & baby. Times for intermittent monitoring can vary, but typically 15-20 minutes out of every hour used as a metric. Telemetry monitoring is WIRELESS & AMAZING for sooo many reasons including moving, getting up to use the restroom, walking the halls, etc. ASK for these things!
2. Squat Bar–YES, they have them, & no you don’t have to use them to squat if you don’t want to. I like to wrap the center of a sheet around the bar & put the ends in your hands so you can put your feet on the bar and pull the sheet while you’re pushing. It works really well for some people!
3. A Roller Ball Massager is something that you’ll need to bring, but you can grab a cheap one at 5 Below to help with massage and counter pressure on your partner’s sacrum. It is one of my most used tools in my doula bag.
4. Eye Masks are great for both helping you focus internally on how you are feeling & coping with labor AND signaling to the people around you that you want to be left alone to concentrate. Psst, I really like to wear one when I’m trying to sleep during the day and my kids keep coming upstairs to ask me questions too.
5. Alternate Pushing Positions are NOT used enough, & I’m here to say that they need to be, even for people who have epidurals!! As a #birthdoula, I’m a HUGE fan of whatever works for you and your baby, but I hear soo much misinformation about pushing positions, & the constant assumption that flat on your back with your legs in stirrups is just how it is going to be, is frankly annoying and not at all supported by evidence or physiology for the most part. I’m here to say that you CAN push in other positions and you probably SHOULD at least try a few before you figure out what will work for you.
Secret Menu for Postpartum Top 5
Everyone wants to buy stuff for your baby, but all of our “secret menu” things are specifically for YOU!
1. Milk Collectors are awesome for catching that extra liquid gold that might otherwise end up in your bra, but be aware that there are passive collectors like Milkies Milk Saver on-the-go & active ones like the Haakaa silicone pump. If you have a tendency to overproduce, be aware of if you are demanding more or just collecting.
2. The fancy peri-bottle made by Frida Mom is Ah-mazing if you’ve had a vaginal birth. Seriously!
3. #Cesarean or not, a belly binder can be your friend in those first days when your abs & organs are all still rearranging.
4. Clothes that are especially made for nursing your baby and being comfortable are important, & Kindred Bravely has some of our favorite pieces (& you can 10% off by using our link.
5. Our favorite pillows for nursing are from My Brest Friend, and not just because of the awesome pockets, though those are great too.
We truly hope…
We truly hope to keep breaking down the secret menu for our clients and community. If you don’t know to ask for these things, you might not get them. Keep learning and pushing for change, you know we will too.