The Postpartum Plan: A Journey through the 4th Trimester
Let’s define the postpartum period, sometimes referred to as the 4th trimester….
- A mother or birthing person may be considered to be postpartum for the first 12 months following the birth of the baby. So often we consider the postpartum period to only be the first days or weeks after the birth (typically the first 12 week but sometimes as few as only 6 weeks). While the first days and weeks are typically the biggest adjustment period and most important time for healing after giving birth, in the sense of physical recovery, having a baby is a major life change and transformation that cannot be ground down to only a few weeks in total. Along with the expected physical changes that many people anticipate, experiencing the emotional aspects of welcoming a new baby may sometimes come as a surprise.
How can you best prepare for the postpartum period?
- Truly, there is no right or wrong way that you can prepare yourself and your family for the time after the birth of your baby. By anticipating your needs prior to the arrival of your baby you are already doing a great job to take care of everyone in your household. Don’t feel overwhelmed or like you have to have everything just right before your baby is born because chances are things are going to need to be adjusted or completely altered once baby is actually with you! Here are a few ways to get yourself and your home ready…
o Make a list of support persons: (grandparents, aunts and uncles of the baby, close friends and other family members who you believe would be willing to help out). While it is great to have visitors make sure they are prepared to help you out in some form – such as washing some dishes, bringing over a meal, or help with older siblings or pets in the home, and any other tasks that are pertinent to maintaining some sense of normalcy and routine in your household. If you don’t feel as though you have this type of support this is a great opportunity to research if there are postpartum doula services in your area.
o Determine what you need as the mother/birthing person: the first thing most individuals grow concerned about is the amount of sleep they will be getting. Sleep is going to be an important aspect of recovery along with regular resting periods. This is where your support persons can also play a huge role. (If you have a cesarean section you may need to adjust your plan for recovery as this is a major abdominal surgery.)Your partner should also take their needs into consideration – while they have not physically given birth they too will be exhausted! Nourishment and meal preparation is also going to be a huge and impactful part of your first days and weeks homes with baby. Sleep and food should be your top priorities as they are basic needs to be met by anyone!
o Fulfill important roles ahead of time: by having conversations regarding expectations of those in the home will hopefully remove some of the added stress of hoping things might be done without you prompting. It may be normal for one parent to make dinner while the other cleans the home – whatever it is make sure to take the time to adjust expectations for how these things will be done. Changes are likely to be temporary but should still be considered. Also, place emphasis on making arrangements for pets and older children in the home who will still need care and attention!
o Prepare a birth plan and a postpartum plan: by actively preparing a birth plan you are already participating in your postpartum preparation. How so? Thinking of how you want your birth to go and making informed choices for you and your baby is likely to produce more satisfactory birth outcomes. The birth may not have gone exactly to plan (as they often do not – and that’s ok!) but you hopefully felt empowered in your decision making process. Establishing a postpartum plan can be accomplished by doing many of the items listed above along with attending a birth and postpartum preparation course.
o Stock your home and set up your ‘Nursing Nest’: While it may be important to have your home set up with all of the things for baby prior to their arrival it isn’t a bad idea to also have your home stocked with non baby essentials. This can be anything you use regularly such as toilet paper, paper towels, dish and laundry soap, pet items, everyday hygiene products, and of course shelf stable food items. This will hopefully save you a few trips to the store in those first exhausting days/weeks. A Nursing Nest is a great solution so you have everything you need in one spot. This spot should be a place you plan to spend most of your time with baby in the first few months. It may be your favorite recliner, a cozy spot on your couch, or even your bed. Keep diapers and wipes by this area along with burp cloths, blankets for baby and the parent, a table for a water bottle and snacks and any other items you like to have by you for convenience.
TIP: Keep multiple changing areas around your home. This makes it so much easier to change baby without having to make a trek across the house!
Getting ready to bring a baby into your life may feel very overwhelming and that’s completely normal. By making a plan you are preparing yourself, your family, and your home for the best first experiences possible. This will hopefully help you to feel more at ease and ready to take on the role of parenting for the 1st time or maybe your 3rd time! For more in depth information and assistance in making your own individualized postpartum plan there are courses available through Swaddled with Love LLC. You can find an in depth list of services I offer by clicking Services and Pricing at the top of the page!
