This New Healing Foam Helps New Moms Recover *Down There* & It’s A Game-Changer

I had my first baby in April of this year, and I was completely unprepared for the post-childbirth recovery. I didn't think I was naive going into it; I had done all of my recommended reading, after all. I just figured that birth was the hard part, and recovery would be no big deal in comparison. Boy, was I wrong. My recovery was a doozie, and I wish I'd had this product. The Frida Mom Perineal Healing Foam is your new postpartum recovery must-have (and will absolutely be in my hospital bag when it's time for baby #2).

When I was pregnant, my daughter's head consistently measured in the 95th percentile. My husband explained that he was from a "big-headed family," and we laughed and laughed. On April 27, I was no longer laughing. My vaginal delivery and subsequent recovery were anything but easy, and the amount of witch hazel pads and Dermaplast that were Amazon Primed to my house can attest to that. And while I was thankful for those products, they weren't perfect. Those round, witch hazel pads had to be placed just so in my chic, stylish Depends, and they inevitably slid around as I moved. Oh, and did I mention the misery of searching for a pad that had mysteriously gone missing? I was terrified of touching anything down there.

That's why the Frida Mom Perineal Healing Foam ($13, Target) is so genius. Not only does it handle the job of the witch hazel pads and Dermaplast in one, but it eliminates the need to strategically place those little pads along your maxi pad, "like pepperoni on a Subway sandwich," as my kind nurse had instructed. The foam's active ingredient is witch hazel, which "contains chemicals called tannins that can help reduce swelling and fight bacteria, which in turn decreases pain and helps prevent infection," Dr. Kelly Kasper, OB-GYN, told Parents. Unlike the pads, however, the foam can easily get into all those nooks and crannies, and you won't have to worry about anything slipping, sliding, or going M.I.A. (because ouch).

Plus, it's way easier – and quicker – to use. You'll clean everything with your peri bottle (if you're smart, you'll get the upside down version also from Frida Mom) and then pump the foam directly onto your maxi pad. The foam will then go to work, bringing down the swelling and calming the discomfort in the exact area you really, really need it. I'd definitely take a bottle with you to the hospital, and keep one stashed in arm's reach in your bathroom, too. If you want to take your relief to the next level (and I mean... why wouldn't you?) throw the bottle in your fridge. Witch hazel feels good, but cold witch hazel is seriously heaven-sent.

I've always known that women are badass, but after experiencing childbirth myself, I think we might be superhuman. Not only are we nursing the wounds of a crazy physical feat, but we're simultaneously responsible for keeping a shrieking human alive who wants to eat constantly and party all night. Nothing will make the transition to motherhood easy, but Frida Mom's perineal foam can at least make the physical aspects easier.