POSTPARTUM RESOURCES LIST
Gather your favorite credible sources for all areas of postpartum that you may need support in. For example, who will you contact if you have breastfeeding questions or concerns? Who will you contact if you need pelvic floor therapy? Where can you look for information on nutritional support & recipes or general parenting help? Who will be your go to baby sleep expert?
Also, gathering support resources to learn from before your baby arrives. Do you want to take any classes (newborn basics, bring home baby, get breastfeeding off to a good start), read any books, use any online resources?
FACTORS TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WILL INFLUENCE YOUR POSTPARTUM ADJUSTMENT
- Your own physical and mental health
- Previous parenting experience
- Previous and current birth experience
- Adequate sleep
- Support from a partner
- Presence of other support
- Postpartum complications
- Financial concerns
- Immediate contact with your baby
- Postpartum pain
- Timing of return to work
- Baby’s temperament and health
- Baby feeding
ASKING FOR HELP
- Decide who will be part of your support system and when you will be open to having them visit.
- Who will you call when you are feeling overwhelmed? Plan for your emotional support and reach out for it when you need it. Don’t expect anyone to check in. Take an active role in your postpartum just like in your birth!
- Who is most likely to be the most helpful right after birth? This is your “A” TEAM. Who in your life would come help with the baby so you can sleep, shower and get a break? Who might do household chores for you? Who might be able to run to the store for you or prepare you a meal? Who might be able to take your older children out of the house for the day?
- Who in your life is on your “B” TEAM? Who would help by holding the baby, keeping you company, offering encouragement & emotional support, bringing you a coffee or prepared meal or occupying your older children for a while?
- Who in your life is on your “C” TEAM? Who might you be able to get together with for coffee, lunch at the park, social time out without your baby or give you words of encouragement?
- Hire PP doula
NUTRITION OPTIMIZATION
Plan for your postpartum nutrition. Plan meals and snacks for the whole family and try to keep things stocked close to your due date. Keep snacks and water close by at all times after your baby arrives. You can even prep and freeze meals to eat after your new baby arrives. Need ideas of what to cook or for meals that freeze well? Here are my freeze ahead postpartum meal favorites from The Lily Nichols Blog 50 Real Food Postpartum Recovery Meals! My favorites are the creamy chicken & vegetables and the slow cooker pulled pork & veggies & potatoes and the shepherd’s pie.
REST AND SLEEP
Maximizing your rest and sleep will be easier said than done but I didn’t want to leave this section out. The newborn phase is notoriously known for causing sleep deprivation. My best tips for you to get through this time of hourly night wake ups is to maximize your rest between those times. When morning comes and you’ve been up every hour trying to feed and care for your newborn, don’t plan to do anything during the day except try to recover. Do your best to sleep when your baby sleeps even during the daytime. This is where your support system will have an opportunity to play an important role in helping you get rest. If someone can tend to the baby while you get sleep and bring the baby to you for feedings that can be helpful as well. Even if you can plan for this every couple days. You could also plan with your partner to let them sleep for part of the night, then take the baby in the morning to let you get some extra sleep in the morning. On the days you are most tired, don’t make plans. Stay home and try to rest when you can.
Know that this stage will pass. Most days it is normal to feel like you are in survival mode and not that you are thriving. If you need to limit visitors to maximize sleep, set those boundaries! Your baby will grow out of hourly wakeups usually within a 1 to 2 months. If you are experiencing hourly wakeups beyond that, it may be worth consulting with an IBCLC if you are breastfeeding.
FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD
Think about how you might transition your older children into having a new sibling. This can be as simple as having discussions as your pregnancy progresses or incorporating a book to help siblings understand. Some families ofer gifts from the new baby to the older sibling. When you are leaving for the hospital to give birth, tell your other children what is happening and that they will soon meet their new brother/sister.
It is also a good idea to stock up on household items you use regularly so you don’t find yourself needing items and having to make extra trips out to go get them or end up having to go without.
YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARTNER AND SEX AFTER BABY
Determining how parental responsibilities will be shared and divided before your baby arrives can help alleviate the stress a new baby brings. Keep in mind this should be a system with open communication after the baby arrives so adjustments can be made when needed. Knowing what you can expect from your partner before your baby arrives can help you have a more positive transition where you feel fully supported by your partner. Talk about how your relationship might look after the baby comes, how you might share responsibilities and how you might manage the baby’s night time wake ups.
Returning to sex after having a baby is very personal for each couple. Belly birth or vaginal birth, you need to be sure not to rush into sex postpartum. Communicate with your partner whether or not you are ready. Be sure you are healed physically and also that you are mentally ready for sex again. Take things at your own pace. Pain with intercourse should not persist. If it does, seek an evaluation by a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist.
PELVIC FLOOR RECOVERY AND EASING BACK INTO EXERCISE POSTPARTUM
Getting back to exercise postpartum is going to look different for every mama. It is important that no matter your pre pregnancy fitness level that you listen to your body closely during the postpartum period. Start with simple activities and safe pelvic floor exercises as soon as you feel up to it. Go for short walks, perform controlled abdominal breathing and practice engaging your pelvic floor throughout the day. When starting back into physical activity, ease into gradually. When you feel fatigued or if you experience increased vaginal bleeding that is your body’s way of saying you are doing too much. Explore safe, early postpartum pelvic strengthening exercises. Don’t rush the process. Within a few weeks you will feel ready to incorporate more and more movement working your way back to your baseline activity level. Exercise patience (pun intended, LOL) and get moving when you feel up to it.
COLLECTING NEWBORN NECESSITIES
How can you prepare to bring home your baby? Decide on what you want to have in your home to care for your new baby and be sure everything you will want to use right away is set up, cleaned and ready to use. Browse online for baby registry checklists for a complete list of ideas! Read my blog post all about the Postpartum Essentials and have them ready to go!
Make a decision about how you plan to feed your baby, breast or bottle or both? Do you plan to cloth diaper or use disposable diapers?
RETURNING TO WORK
Think about what it might look like for you when you return to work if you plan to and have these discussions with your provider. Will you need to be sure you will get breast pumping breaks? Where will these take place? Where is a safe place to store your pumped milk? Will you return full time or part time? After how many weeks off will you return? What will be your plan for childcare when you return to work? Plan for how this will affect your family financially.
POSTPARTUM RECOVERY EDUCATION
Learn about what’s to come! Know what a normal postpartum physical recovery should look like so you can identify what is not normal. Learn the basics on my blog Vaginal Birth Recovery & Cesarean Birth Recovery. What Real Postpartum Will Look Like.
Well there you have it friend! You are one step closer to feeling prepared for your postpartum. Be sure to read the blogs I mentioned in this post to continue your postpartum planning and please reach out if you are in need of any resources!
Talk soon! Jerica
PS. Come hang out with me on Instagram @Unpopularmoms
