Postpartum Prep that Actually Helps
This is meant as a general guide to get you started in postpartum prep. It is not all-inclusive (I don’t think any guide can really prepare you for the huge shift that is postpartum) but as a foundation setting, guidepost, seeds to plant on your journey to motherhood. One big thing this guide leaves out is the whole birth part of the equation, which is huge and you should think about! I just don’t’ do it here. This guide is purely focused on postpartum.
Prepping for a baby isn’t just building a registry of things to buy. It isn’t primarily a consumer activity despite many forces which will push you to buy yet another “essential” item.
Shift your thinking from 9 months to about two years. It isn’t just about getting through pregnancy to the “finish line” of having a baby. Not only will baby be very close-by and vulnerable in the first year, you are recovering from the marathon X1000 that is birth – so plan for both.
This is my no buy guide for postpartum.
Lets get started: A healthy mom is a healthy baby. A healthy mom is a healthy family. A healthy mom is your postpartum plan. YOU are part of your care plan.
1. Postpartum is not an Amazon List.
Most of what we think of “postpartum prep” culturally is baby showers. A registry of things like baby socks and cute dresses, playing “guess the baby name” with your friends and family. Baby showers are great and hopefully your loved ones will throw you a really special party if that’s what you want BUT this is and should be just a small part of your preparation.
Think of planning for baby not as a list of things to buy and preparing for a period of your life.
2. What can you control?
There’s plenty you can’t control in birth and postpartum. You shouldn’t plan for the worst, but also be ready for things that may happen, to happen. So, what does that mean for postpartum prep? It means: control what you can control.
Some questions to get you started:
Where do I go if nursing isn’t going according to plan?
Who can I text/call when I’m overwhelmed?
What signs tell me I need more support? Physically and emotionally?
Who notices when I’m not okay?
Who can I ask feeding questions without pressure?
What feels flexible and what feels non-negotiable? (like chores, day to day things)
What boundaries protect my rest?
How will I handle visitors?
What support do I want from my partner?
What expectations am I willing to release?
Who can watch the baby for a few hours if I need rest, get a massage, get out of the house?
What feels healing to me? How can I plan for that.
Do I have a list of referrals? (prepare at least a few names before you actually need them, also one contact will have referrals. Always ask! The birth world is small!)
Lactation
Newborn sleep support
Mental health
Pelvis floor
Physical training for postpartum
(Other things which have some things to buy but are not necessary!! buy some new pjs, get a flower delivery service, buy new sheets, maybe a list of shows you have wanted to watch but haven’t had the time, reach out to old friends, think about your first Christmas cards – beautiful things to anchor your in the new reality of children and you can control for them!)
3. If you did one thing and one thing only, my biggest suggestion would be to FOOD PREP
You simply need to eat. Doubly, triply after you have a baby. You need to eat if you are nursing, you need to eat for your recovery, you need to eat. You need to eat healthy. I’m not suggesting sitting and counting calories and worrying about every single thing that goes in your mouth, but you should think of simple nutritious, nourishing food that will build your strength back. You don’t have to stress about prepping enough food to survive the apocalypse, but some food that’s easy to eat and will keep you full in those dicey few weeks. Yes!
Some basics to consider before prepping:
How much space do you have? Do you have big freezer, an extra freezer? This will guide how much you can actually prep beforehand.
Go pantry shopping. Frozen vegetables can be great for soup. There are plenty canned goods that can be good for recipes as well. Make sure you have adequate basics like flour, sugar, oats, butter.
Without too much detail, postpartum food should be:
easy to digest
food you will actually eat
good source of gentle fiber (like no raw celery and big crunchy salads)
high fat
high protein
easy to eat with one hand
Set up a meal train: this is a great thing for a spouse to do. You can even put a cooler on your front step and have family make and drop things off. This is such a helpful and fun way to help out a newly postpartum family.
Ask for Grubhub gift certificates! If there’s a time to not feel bad about takeout, its postpartum IMO. If you don’t like to cook, this is an even better option.
Food prep can also be a great way for a loved ones to help too! If you have a mother, aunt, cousin, brother, friend who likes cooking this would be a great way to help. A great gift!
Some of my favorites for post partum:
Kodiak protein balls
Beef jerky
Eggs!
Apples and peanut butter
(I’ll be writing a full food prep guide with recipes coming soon!)
4. Plan your space for how you use your space
The truth is, you probably don’t need a full nursery. They are fun to make and decorate, they make it “real” that you are going to have a baby. You may not get that much use out if for a long while.
Where are you going to spend most of your time when baby comes? For most people, this will be the living room. So, plan for most things to be in there. Changing, naps, supplies. You don’t need a fancy changing table, you can use a towel or a pack n’ play changing table. Get little portable caddies with baby supplies that you can move room to room. You don’t want to be bringing baby up to the nursery every time you need to do a diaper change.
5. Learn what’s normal and what to look our for
“Weird” things that are normal for postpartum:
Light bleeding
Uterine cramping
Night sweats
Feeling very thirsty or hungy
Constipation
Mood swings
Brain fog/forgetfulness
Cluster feeding (baby wanting to feed less than every two hours, especially at night)
Baby wanting to be held constantly
Noisy sleep
Baby hiccupping and sneezing, light congestion
Day/night confusion (can be remedied!)
Things you need to talk to your medical provider about:
Heavy bleeding (soaking more than one pad an hour)
Large clots
Fever over 100.4
Severe headaches/vision changes (headache that does not get better)
Chest pain, shortness of breath
Severe abdominal pain
Sudden swelling of limbs
Overwhelming anxiety
Panic attacks
Intrusive and scary thoughts about baby
Incision not healing
6. Learn about newborn sleep
Sleep deprivation is literally torture. Unfortunately, its one of the first things that is impacted with a new baby. Baby will need to feed every three hours (even more if cluster feeding or small). Lack of sleep will worsen anything else that’s going on, mood, appetite, your recovery. This ends up in a vicious cycle and you think things like – hey, my life will always be like this! (it wont). Fortunately there’s many things you can do.
Plan a sleep/feed schedule with your partner so you each get at least a chunk of sleep. If you are nursing, make sure you are pumping when baby is fed with spouse.
Hire postpartum doula (prep for this beforehand before you are desperate in early days!)
Look up newborn sleep techniques. You can hire a sleep specialist (it really will help you get baby sleeping large chunks fast with no cry it out method! Postpartum doulas have lots of knowledge about sleep techniques too.)
A lactation specialist can help you plan your feeding and sleep in a way that will protect your supply and nursing journey.
7. Learn how to ask for help and how to accept help
This might be the most important thing. We aren’t good at asking for help, nor receiving it. So think about the things that you could ask for from loved ones and what you will accept help from. How you might help someone in return when it’s your turn. Think about community and your web and exchange of help. Community is a beautiful thing and postpartum is a time to help build it!
