Is planning for postpartum really as important as planning for my birth?
Can you really plan your postpartum?
During our pregnancy we often hear about creating a birth plan and the importance of this. (Which of course is important.) However not many mums are educated on the importance of planning for their postpartum.
Why is it important?
Planning for our postpartum sets the foundations for the early days with our babies and can make the transition to motherhood feel so much easier and supported. A mothers focus after birth should be purely on the baby. Having a plan in place allows a mother to do this and know her wishes are being honored. A postpartum plan allows families to be on the same page and is a pathway to open communication about their feelings and preferences for the fourth trimester.
What does a postpartum plan look like and what should i include?
A postpartum plan outlines your preferences for the first few weeks to months after baby is born. These may be things you discuss with a partner or birth team however writing them down can often lead to a more desired outcome.
A postpartum plan should include:
Planning for rest and healing; If you have older children who can help with them so you can rest with bub? What can your partner do to allow you to rest?
Your boundaries around visitors; Who do you feel comfortable with visiting and when will you feel comfortable with visitors? How will you set boundaries with friends and family? When visitors do come what would you like them to do? How can they help and support you during this time? Setting boundaries is important as you want people who come into your postpartum space to help make this time easier for you, not just come and hold the baby and leave.
A meal train! There is a wonderful website called meal train. This allows a friend or partner to create a meal train which is sent around to mum’s support group and allows everyone to select a day they would like to drop off a meal/snacks. The people on the meal train will them drop a meal to their door on their selected day. This is one of the greatest gifts for a new mum and provides so much help.
For those who may not want a meal train for personal reasons, how else can you be prepared to have nourishing meals on hand;
Meal prep before bubs born. With your partners help (maybe even parents or friends if they live nearby) make some meals for your freezer that you are able to defrost easily and have on hand.
Lots of areas now have business that offer clean and healthy meals dropped to your door, research to see if there is any in your area and order some meals to stock up on close to birth or after bub is born.
Support system: A postpartum plan is the perfect opportunity to right down your wishes and discuss these with family and friends or your doula around who will help post birth and what you want this to look like. This may be who will help with housework during the early days so mum can rest, who will help with meals, who will help with other children if you have them. If you don’t have a doula, looking into a postpartum doula to help support you post birth is also important to plan.
Planning for breast feeding or bottle-feeding support. If you are planning to breast feed this is an opportunity to start planning for that by stocking up on appropriate vitamins, preparing to have nutritious on handed snacks that are easy to grab, ordering a breast pump or researching them, seeking advice and support from other breastfeeding mums, researching local lactation consultants that you may need for help and support.
If you are planning to bottle feed, then this is an opportunity to do your research and find the right formula brand and bottles to have ready!
The fourth trimester is a sacred time for women and an important time for them to rest, heal and bond with their baby. Planning for your postpartum during your third trimester can help to ensure you get the rest and support you need. Investing in a doula can help with this planning and support.