What I Actually Used Postpartum (Flying Solo to Belgrade Made Me Remember)

The unsexy advice that kept me sane

I write about motherhood, building a brand, and the stuff no one tells you. If that resonates, you know where to find me.

Last week I travelled to Belgrade from Hong Kong on my own with my two-year-old son. A twenty-hour travel day. My first solo trip with him. I knew it would be challenging, but it was also deeply emotional – I was going to visit some of my best friends after more than a year. So the wish was stronger than anything else.

We arrived at Hong Kong West Kowloon station on time. Me, my son, one huge suitcase, a cross-body 'mum bag' as I like to call it, and a backpack loaded with snacks, two sets of extra clothes, nappy pants, and all the essentials every parent will understand.

I've travelled to Mainland China a few times and had a calculated schedule. Train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou East, then catch line three to Baiyun Airport, then the direct flight to Belgrade. China Railway is almost never late. But this time – and only this time – the train was delayed by almost two hours.

I panicked. My husband, who was in New York for work, was trying to find a different train. Somehow we managed to board the same train and arrived in Guangzhou slightly later. Then a metro ride where we were packed like sardines. Me and my son. We arrived at the airport and I sighed with relief. He wasn't nervous, almost as if he understood the assignment.

Once we were cruising in the air and I put him to sleep, something flashed before my eyes. Those first postpartum days. What I used on a daily basis.

Today I find coffee an elixir. But back then, my go-to was the angled peri bottle. If you delivered naturally, you know how pleasing that bottle feels.

These are unsexy advice. But they kept me sane.

For example, those sprays they tell you to buy for wound healing? They didn't work on me. Instead, I just put a pad in the freezer. Helped so much.

Another thing I craved was a home-cooked meal. Have some stored unless you have help or family coming over to cook.

Another thing I absolutely recommend – bamboo or silk bedding. Or anything thin as air to help with night sweats. Those were brutal. And my nursing bra was made of nylon and polyamide. It didn't help at all. Part of the reason I started this brand.

And the Medela hands-free breast pump. Easy to put on. Easy to move in. Made a chaotic time slightly more manageable.

It's crazy what women go through. And here I was, chilling in the air while my son slept, thinking – we made it. Out of the newborn trenches. Out of the fourth trimester.

I was so proud of us.