It is common for expecting parents to prepare for their baby's birth. They will take the classes and read the books and do the yoga and download the guided birth meditation. However, it is also common for them to spend less time preparing once they bring the baby home. This part of your journey deserves at least equal, if not more preparation and attention. It is good practice for you to create a postpartum plan so that you are prepared for those first six weeks after having a baby.
This will significantly reduce the stress you can experience at this time.
Here a few suggestions to help you effectively prepare:
Arrange meals. One of the big tasks you will want to prepare for in your pregnancy should be organizing your food for the first several weeks. The more convenient you can make this the better. This can look many ways. Some choose to prepare freezer meals to have on hand for easy meal options. Others budget for a meal prep or delivery service to be incorporated into their schedule. Some have the option of using family and friends to help support them in this way for the first few weeks. Often you are using a combination of all three of these options. The more you have ready, the less effort is needed when you are home adjusting to your new life with your baby.
Arrange help. Another way you can prepare for the postpartum period is setting up help to come regularly in the first several weeks. Having an expectation of someone coming to lend a hand in any way that would support you the most that day can help relieve stress and lift your spirits. You can utilize friends and family for this, or you can budget for a postpartum doula to help with various tasks to maximize your ability to focus on your new baby and get some rest. Again, often new parents will rely on both family and friends and professional help to lower the stress of the first several weeks after having their baby.
Organize your chores. You may also want to look at all of the day-to-day chores and responsibilities you have and figure out a schedule for when and who can do these things. Often these fall on a partner, as the birthing partner is usually responsible for many of the activities around the baby. However, you are also encouraged to find other helpers that can lessen these demands on you in the first few weeks. This can be found, again, through family, friends, and professional help in either a postpartum doula or a cleaning service.
Organize sleep. Finally, it is a really good idea to make a plan to help support your sleeping needs. It is inevitable that you will be tired, and your sleep needs often will not be met. However, there are things you can do to prepare to have the right support to maximize your ability to rest. Once again you will want to utilize your support structure of family, friends and professional help. If you can arrange for support to come in and help with your baby so that you can catch up on sleep, it will greatly affect your physical and mental health. Improving your sleep will benefit your patience, your mood and your decision-making skills, which will improve your relationships and the way you experience your postpartum recovery.
Taking the time to properly prepare for your postpartum experience can make all of the difference. As you utilize the suggestions above you will set yourself up for a much smoother journey and one that will bring you much less stress. This will allow you to focus your time and attention on your beautiful newborn.
Sharon is a certified doula and childbirth educator with 23 years of experience and has supported over 1,500 Calgary and area families on their parenthood journey. She is also the owner of Calgary Birth Essentials, which offers private and small group prenatal classes, birth and postpartum doula support, and breastfeeding and early parenting education. For more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit calgarybirthessentials.com.
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