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Postpartum recovery is often overlooked, but it shouldn’t be
In this post, you’ll read Danielle Zamarelli’s raw and powerful story of postpartum sitting pain, the late-night desperation that led her to invent The Tush Present, and how Nyssa is proud to support women everywhere with tools that make healing not just possible, but empowering.
Bringing a baby into the world is monumental and life-changing in the most beautiful and challenging ways. But let’s be honest: postpartum recovery isn’t treated with the same care and preparation as labor and delivery.
At Nyssa, we hear this from mothers every single day: the pain, the discomfort, the unexpected challenges like sitting down to feed your baby or simply rest, and realizing your body feels completely different from than it did just days before. It’s emotional, it’s overwhelming, and it’s something no one truly prepares you for.
That’s why Nyssa so passionate about creating products that bring real relief, whether it’s our FourthWear® Postpartum Recovery Underwear that supports and holds ice packs in place, our Between Legs Perineal Ice/Heat Therapy Packs for targeted cooling comfort, or our thoughtfully curated recovery kits designed for your entire healing journey.
The story below comes from one mother who experienced the depths of postpartum sitting pain and turned her desperation into innovation. It’s raw, real, and powerful, because no one should have to suffer silently.
Written by Danielle Zamarelli the creator of The Tush Present
I had no idea how hard postpartum would be. Even if someone told me exactly how it would go, it just hits you differently when you’re living it. While pregnant, I really did not think about what postpartum would be like at all. I am a person who lives through the moment I’m in, sometimes to a fault.
I’ve been a nurse for 12 years and a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) for 5 of those years. I’m no stranger to hospitals, pain management, and recovery from surgery, procedure,s and life events.
Once my epidural wore off, I was in serious pain. My daughter went to the ICU immediately after birth and experienced “delayed transition to life.” She was comfy and did not want to come out. It was terrifying and scary. They placed her on my chest, and she was not really breathing. I knew something was wrong. Within second,s she was swept away, and they called a code. I’ll never forget hearing overhead, “CODE NEO BED 11.”
In my work as a CRNA, I am the responder to Codes. I was all too familiar with this situation. As the doctors stitched me up, I watched my daughter receive chest compressions and breathing support. Luckily, and thanks to the excellent medical team, she turned a corner very quickly. Over the next twenty-four hours, she was in the ICU.
I remember being pushed by the nurses from the mother-baby unit to the neonatal intensive care unit, which was on a different floor. This happened over and over again. I was sitting on a very hard, plastic wheelchair. It was the most painful experience of my life. I could not sit.
I had a grade 2 tear, and knowing that it could’ve been much worse, I was shocked by the pain. The hospital gave me a donut, and it made it worse. It was like a brick and put pressure in all the wrong places.
After I went home, I spent many days crying while breastfeeding because of the difficulty sitting. I bought every cushion, donu,t or pillow I could find on the internet. Nothing worked. So many cushions put too much pressure in the wrong areas and worsened it.
One morning, at 3 AM, in a pool of my tears, about 3 weeks postpartum, I started stuffing together pillows and blankets. Eventually, I created a situation where my entire perineal area (vag-to-tush) was suspended in the air. I finally felt relief.
Little did I know, the solution that would eventually become The Tush Present was just a desperate idea in the middle of the night. I asked my husband to take notes. I couldn’t believe that nothing existed that offered this kind of perineal suspension. I thought there must not be enough of a need.
I questioned whether my situation was rare. I started asking my friends and family. My Mom explained that when she had my sister and me, she had the same problem…nearly forty years ago. My friends who had given birth recently were saying the same thing. How is this possible?
I started researching and learned that 9 out of every 10 women experience some form of perineal trauma with childbirth. I further learned that up to 80% have tailbone pain and up to 50% have hemorrhoids. What was going on here?
All these women were impacted by something as serious as sitting, and yet, no effective solutions existed?
I knew I owed it to myself and every woman who has ever suffered from sitting issues the opportunity to unlock the ability to sit without crying, wincing, yelling in pain, and having a complete meltdown.
I teamed up with my friend Lauren, and we’ve been working on building The Tush Present, the first-ever, USA-made, 100% non-toxic pregnancy and postpartum support pillow. Pregnant women love it for back support, hemorrhoid relief, and tailbone discomfort.
Postpartum women love it for recovery from tearing and hemorrhoids. Some of our clients have also purchased it for tailbone fractures and felt like sitting went from impossible to possible.
We are finding new uses every day and we are feeling so empowered to support women through one of the most special, nerve-wracking and vulnerable times in their lives.
Who knew that having a baby would lead me to this? I’m so glad it did, and I’m so grateful that through The Tush Present, we’re finally offering the sitting relief many women need after silently suffering for far too long.
If my story resonates with you, visit us at www.thetushpresent.com to learn more about The Tush Present and our journey to raise the bar for safe, high-quality pregnancy and postpartum women’s health products.
Stories like this are why Nyssa exists. No one should have to cobble together DIY fixes at 3 AM just to find relief. The pain and challenges that come with postpartum recovery are real, but you deserve better tools and better support.
If sitting is painful, try pairing The Tush Present with Nyssa’s Between Legs Perineal Ice/Heat Therapy Pack for soothing comfort and cooling relief exactly where you need it most. Slip the pack into our FourthWear® Postpartum Recovery Underwear, which holds it securely in place while also providing breathable, supportive comfort.
And when it comes to managing all the other postpartum discomforts (breast engorgement, cramps, swelling) our full line of reusable ice and heat packs and curated postpartum recovery kits are here to support you every step of the way.
Because healing isn’t just about getting through the day, it’s about feeling strong, cared for, and ready to take on this new chapter with confidence.
Ready to prioritize your recovery? Explore Nyssa’s complete Postpartum Recovery Collection and build the relief and support system you deserve.
