Whitney Wednesday: What I did 24 hours after giving birth

I'm not one of those people who enjoys the stay at the hospital after giving birth. I know A LOT of people who LOVE staying at the hospital after they've had their baby, and say it's like a vacation. However, vacation to me is having a full night of sleep in a comfy bed, and laying by a pool somewhere warm, all of which the hospital doesn't include. So since my sweet little dude's first birthday was yesterday (queue the tears!), I wanted to reminisce and share a few things I HAD to do 24 hours after giving birth.

1. I take a shower. Yes, this seems like a basic thing to do, but every mom you talk to says this is the best shower you'll ever take. You've also been poked and prodded, let all modesty fly out the window, and you've encountered one too many bodily fluids during this time, so that one beautiful shower is just the ticket to get you feeling a little more normal. I always prepare by buying nice travel sizes of all my favorite soaps and shampoos.

2. When I'm pregnant, I try to stay away from caffeine, so I've started to make it a tradition to have a Starbucks coffee the day I go home from the hospital. It's the most amazing coffee I drink, either that or I don't realize just HOW much I missed it until that first sip. It tastes SO good and is just a happy thing for me to do to set my day off right.

3. Literally on the way home from the hospital this last time, I stopped by my chiropractor and had myself and my baby adjusted. Since I had a C-section, she only adjusted my upper back and neck and I came a few weeks later and had her work on my back and sciatic. Guys. My 11 lb. baby knocked a few ribs out of place and I walked out of that office like a new woman. The last few months definitely took it's toll on my body and she helped me feel SO much better. The baby got a little adjustment too considering he spent quite a bit of time cooped up in the womb he had outgrown several weeks beforehand.

4. We had our house professionally cleaned the day before I came home from the hospital. It was worth every penny. I walked in my door, my house was immaculate, it smelled beautifully clean, and I was just blissfully happy. This is how it should feel coming home with a new baby. There weren't a mountain of dishes waiting for me, there wasn't a pile of dust bunnies in the corner, I wasn't trying to make a walking pathway between all the mess of toys. It was so relaxing to see, and the perfect way to come home.

5. I climb into my bed in my comfy GAP pj's, let my husband watch the baby for a bit, and I take the most magnificent nap of my life. What is it about that first nap after the hospital that feels like heaven? I sometimes daydream about that nap haha!

6. I had my placenta encapsulated. Why yes, my doctor handed my husband a plastic pale that had my placenta in it, and yes he did take it home and put it in the fridge for my Doula to dehydrate and put into capsules for me. I'd do it 100 x's over. Those pills were magic. I struggled with post partum anxiety after my first born (which I've already written a post about) but I thought I had overcome it after about 9-10 months, but it wasn't until I had taken these pills that I realized it was the best I had felt in 3 years. I felt fully restored.

What are some things you did after you got home from the hospital? Let's hear them! Comment below!

-Whitney