Reddit mentions of Pure Enrichment PureRelief XL (12"x24") Electric Heating Pad for Back Pain and Cramps - Ultra-Soft with 6 Temperature Settings, Auto Shut-Off, and Moist Heat (Charcoal Gray)

Hi! I’m back!!
Although I thoroughly intend to write my birth story when I’m ready, I just finished my first piece since the baby arrived so in celebration, I’ll pair it with something useful.

I really appreciated posts like this while I was pregnant so here goes:

Things I didn’t know I needed:
(AKA things I have frantically ordered on amazon at or around 2am)

•Bottle Drying Rack This probably seems obvious, but when we didn’t get this from our showers we were like... idk why we can’t just use a towel??

•Safe way to cosleep My husband built a BEAUTIFUL Sidecar Crib, but it was attached on my side of the bed and it took 2.5 weeks for me to have healed enough to climb in bed around it safely with the baby. This way, I didn’t have to bend over to pick up baby or even spit up to check on/soothe him.

•Lactation Suppliment My lactation consultant approved. This one worked well in my breakfast tea.

•Better flanges My poor nipples were so sore and the flames that come with the Medela... well I’m not sure who they’re supposed to fit but not me. My doula practically ordered these for me. GAME CHANGER.

•Pumping bra I was cutting holes in sports bras. This is better.

•Nipple Shells Another kind reddittor sent me in the direction of this AMAZING INVENTION after I posted a photo of ice packs tied to my nipples with a burp cloth because I refused to wear a shirt my nipples hurt so bad. I will be purchasing these for EVERY PREGNANT WOMAN FOREVER. They keep your nipples dry, collect drips, apply counter pressure to keep your nipples shaped correctly for latching, and most importantly omg nothing touches the precious nips and you can wear a shirt!!

•Car mirror

Me: that seems extra, he’s in a car seat and safe why would I need a mirror??

Hormones; HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH YOU FOOL

•Car adapter for my breast pump Cheaper than batteries

•Shade for his side of the car because anything that wakes up my sleeping baby is the devil. This one has a bonus that allowed me to roll the window down and it was HOT in the south

•Better suction for the breast pump Again- just better than whatever they send you

•My Breast Friend we got the boppy but this one saved my back

•Heating pad Turns out I’ll do ANYTHING to keep the baby asleep when I transfer him to his crib including preheat the darn thing (on low!) before I lay home down

•Stroller Caddy You’ll want somewhere to put your keys, phone, and coffee

•Baby K’tan An easier way for my husband to wear the baby.

•Leggings I had a pair of these before, and they are SO COMFORTABLE on my postpartum body that I bought 5 more in different colors!

•Extra pump parts for whichever pump you have

•A hands-up swaddle I found at Target

•Wine.

Anyway, hope this helps! Best of luck to all of you!

Mine:
1 SleepPhones wireless headphones is definitely the best single thing I've got since getting sick. Listening to audiobooks has been one of my main activities but I'd end up with my earbud wires wrapped around my neck. These I can sleep on in any position very comfortably and pull them down over my eyes when it's too bright. Must have.

2 on that note, an Audible subscription is also really good. You can gift books individually or a couple months of subscription time.

3 This heating pad is the best one I've found after much experimentation. Heats up really fast to a good temperature and is very flat flexible so you can wrap it around aching muscles.

4 This massage stick is also very nice for especially achy muscles that are hard to get into. It's really helped me break up some of my worst spots.

5 My wife bought and hung this hammock for me so I could get outside a little. Cheap, works well, and lets me see the sky a little again.

6 A kombucha brew kit has been pretty fun for me, doesn't take much effort for a good payoff, and supports healthy gut bacteria. There's not much more to it than making tea and mixing it in jars with fruit. Plus a lot of waiting around, but we're doing that anyway...

7 Finally, and this one is weird as a gift but it's still helped me a lot, is a subscription to Freshly. Freshly is a weekly food delivery service like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh, but they send you complete ready to heat meals instead of ingredients to cook with. Very high quality fresh food. I think of it as heating up really good leftovers. Been super helpful for me as cooking and doing dishes became too difficulty.

Get an electric one that plugs into the wall.

https://www.amazon.com/PureRelief-Fast-Heating-Technology-Temperature-Convenient/dp/B01KVYTV86?ref_=Oct_CABSellerC_3763871_0&pf_rd_p=9c10dda8-3f89-58ae-95ed-e9feb221f5a3&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-6&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_i=3763871&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=DAKDV458H277JKT27NMY&pf_rd_r=DAKDV458H277JKT27NMY&pf_rd_p=9c10dda8-3f89-58ae-95ed-e9feb221f5a3

These are good. 180watt. I have super old one that claims "40watts" but the damn thing will near burn you without the cover.. So I'd assume for the extra thickness this one has, plus the higher wattage it will balance out. I like mine super hot anyway too. Oh and it's got a 2 hour run timer.. So no need for falling asleep with it on for 5 hours waking up thankful your blanket didn't catch fire.

Also agree that seeing an MD would be wise!
I don’t know very much about the legal system, but it sounds like you have literal years of medical documentation of her refusing needed treatment. That really seems to me like she should be made to pay for all of your treatment now, as a bare minimum. Talking to a lawyer would be a really good idea, I bet you have some form of legal recourse here.
Also, I have chronic pain and I have a heat pad that I use for at least 4 hrs almost every day, and it has really improved my quality of life.
I upgraded to this huge fancy one a while ago, but there are many cheaper options!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KVYTV86/ref=psdcmw_3763871_t1_B00474Z0Q4

You should be able to ask for “what do I do at home to continue recovering? This is helping but I need to get an at home program since my therapy is ending. If I go back to training now I’ll injure myself. What do you recommend?” Let me be blunt. If you’re like me you put a smile on your face and say you’re fine. Make sure they know where you’re at pain wise and the fear of reinjuring. This way if they need to get more therapy approved they do that but you should ask for a program to transition to at home. Usually you should get a packet of exercises.

What else can help? Of course autophagy (some of us get really odd pains in areas that it seems to be working on, just so you know it happens
). Tens unit can help with pain. Dr prescribed pain patches (not opioids) called flector patches. You can get it in a cream too. Make sure you check what is cheapest if you’re in the US and if it’s pricey. The cream make sure to wash your hands and keep it away from pets and children. There’s a pill all else fails if you can’t afford patches/cream. The patch contains diclofenac but if you go on this and bruise another option is meloxicam. There are more but those are very common anti inflammatory. FYI do not get on a heating pad in the area with any anti inflammatory patch. The heat makes the meds come out quicker.

Over the counter options. Biofreeze (get the roll bottle) is a nice menthol freeze that helps a lot of people. Buy a heating pad. Get one of the new ones with the plush velvet. They look like this. Pure Enrichment PureRelief XL King Size Heating Pad (Charcoal Gray) - Fast-Heating Machine-Washable Pad - 6 Temperature Settings, Moist Heat Therapy Option, Auto Shut-Off and Storage Bag - 12" x 24" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KVYTV86/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_msnDDbMDZ0K5Q like the prescriptions I mentioned above I would see what the dr recommends if they want you to try an over the counter nsaid. Any NSAID can have side effects I just feel it’s safer to discuss with the dr if you’re on them any significant time.

If you buy a tens if not covered by insurance and need to save a few dollars you can buy a used one that works off eBay. There are hybrid ones that do tens, ems and a few other things if you look up the info and find you want more than tens. The replacement pads for it are cheap so just buy some wherever you find cheapest. Another thing that helps is the gyms warm pool if yours has one. Time in the jacuzzi if they have one. Otherwise a good hot bath with Epsom salts. Good luck!

I like the Pure Enrichment XL heating pad... They last the longest and heat the best of all the other ones I've tried. I literally buy 2 at a time just in case one burns out. Pure Enrichment PureRelief XL Heating Pad for Back Pain and Cramps - Fast-Heating, Ultra-Soft Heat Therapy with 6 Temperature Settings and Auto Shut-Off Feature - 12" x 24" (Charcoal Gray) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KVYTV86/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_Dk.TDbGCPGE5X

Good luck!

My absolute favorite is this oversized heating pad. It doesn’t get too hot to burn but hot enough to bring down the pain, and turns off after awhile. Full disclosure, I fall asleep with it on the highest setting all the time and have never gotten burned.

Pure Enrichment PureRelief XL Heating Pad for Back Pain and Cramps - Fast-Heating, Ultra-Soft Heat Therapy with 6 Temperature Settings and Auto Shut-Off Feature - 12" x 24" (Charcoal Gray) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KVYTV86/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kHS1Db0KH64XH

Although, this is another one of my favorite options. For me, the heat from water is much more therapeutic (see my massive water bill for the several hot showers a day I take haha). But this is like an old fashioned rubber hot water bottle. A lot of them come with cute covers on them. You pour hot water in it and it literally lasts the night.

Hot Water Bottle with Knit Cover, UBEGOOD Rubber Transparent Hot Water Bag, Good for Pain Relief (2 Liters, Blue/Gray) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6BMNPX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FJS1DbKPR4BFD

Finally, I personally don’t like this because it is too tight on my belly, but some of my other friends with endo swear by using this at work. It might be more discrete in the workplace.

DOACT Waist Heating Pad for Back Pain, Heat Waist Belt Hot Compress Therapy for Menstrual Abdomen Cramps, Lower Back Pain Relief, 5V Electric Heating Pad for Women Men https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SR1JRHR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PKS1DbQTMM4CR

This bad boy right here

https://www.amazon.com/PureRelief-Fast-Heating-Technology-Temperature-Convenient/dp/B01KVYTV86/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1511906710&ref_=mp_s_a_1_2_s_it&sr=1-2

I'll paint you the full picture. I setup everything beforehand so when i get back inside from lighting up im ready to go. I have a hot foot bath next to my bed, and i lay back on one of these heating pads, and use one of those massagers that kind of look like a dildo but whatever that i use. Right next to me are my munchies of choice for the evening (last night was Trader Joe's Mac and Cheese and Hot Cocoa flavored cereal). And add to this whatever nutty music i'm listening to with my Audiotechnica headphones. Bliss, my friend.