Postpartum Planning Essentials: 11 Must-Do Preparations for Expecting Parents
Bringing a new baby into the world is an incredible journey, filled with joy, anticipation, and—let's be honest—a fair share of uncertainty. While the focus during pregnancy often centers on preparing for birth, it’s equally important to plan for what comes afterward: the postpartum period. This time is a significant transition as you adjust to life with your new baby, and having a solid postpartum preparation plan in place can make all the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling at ease.
How to prepare for postpartum
In this guide, I’ll walk you through 11 essential areas to consider as you plan for postpartum. From organizing your meals to setting up a support network, each of these steps is designed to help you create a smoother, more manageable postpartum experience. By taking the time to prepare now, you can reduce stress, promote your healing, and fully embrace the precious early moments with your baby.
Use this as your third trimester checklist as you prepare for baby’s arrival. Let's dive into the key preparations that will build your sense of feeling calm, confident, and cared for as you navigate this new chapter in your life.
In this blog post
Postpartum meal prep
Postpartum recovery supplies
Postpartum mental health support
How to get more sleep when you have a baby
Managing household tasks
Financial planning for new parents
Infant feeding preparation
Preparing your support network
Preparing your relationship before giving birth
Legal documents and health insurance for baby
Managing visitors’ expectations
1. Postpartum Meal Planning & Prep
Nutritious meals can help to nourish the birthing parent during their period of postpartum healing, and through the physical demand of breastfeeding. Yet many new parents find it hard to find time to cook while their baby is young, yet alone to have time to actually eat. Having a plan for your meals during the postpartum period can save time, reduce stress, and ensure proper nutrition during postpartum recovery.
Postpartum meal prep tips
Freeze meals ahead of time.
Batch cook during your third trimester. If you’re making a lasagne for dinner tonight, why not cook two so you can freeze one?
Consider what meal delivery services are available in your area.
Budget for takeout or other meal support.
Set up a meal train.
2. Postpartum Recovery Supplies
Stock up on the postpartum essentials you’ll need to support your healing after birth. Having necessary supplies on hand helps to ensure you’ll be comfortable and cared-for during your postpartum recovery.
Essential postpartum recovery supplies
Pads: After birth, you will experience vaginal discharge, typically for 2-6 weeks. Vaginal discharge after birth is similar to a period, and occurs as something called ‘lochia’ (a mixture of blood, mucus and other uterine tissues) leaves the uterus. This discharge is present even after a cesarean. Stock up on pads of all sizes (especially the extra heavy/long ones), and keep in mind they will need to be changed often. To reduce the cost, you could see whether any moms in your area have extras from their birth they’d be willing to sell you at a low cost, or even gift you for free.
Perineal bottle: If you have any tears or stitches after giving birth, you may find that using a perineal bottle (sometimes referred to simply as a ‘peri bottle’) can be helpful to reduce discomfort when using the toilet.
Comfortable clothing: Whether you’ve had a vaginal or cesarean birth, you are likely to feel sensitive in your abdomen. Many postpartum people prefer clothes without a waistband, such as flowy dresses or nightgowns. Remember to check that your clothes will also be easy to breastfeed in - that they can either be unbuttoned, or easily pulled up or down to expose your breasts.
3. Emotional Support
Postpartum is an emotionally challenging time. Planning for your emotional wellbeing support is critical for mental health.
Preparing your emotional support after childbirth
Identify people who you feel comfortable speaking to, who are trustworthy and have good listening skills.
Locate professional mental health support, such as a counsellor or therapist, who can support you if wanted or needed.
Explore options for postpartum support groups in your area.
For more detailed information about postpartum mental health support, I recommend checking out Postpartum Support International.
4. Sleep Strategies
Sleep deprivation is common during postpartum. Newborn babies need to feed every 2-4 hours, and often want to be held, which can disrupt parents’ sleep. Given these realities, strategies to help manage fatigue and optimise your sleep can help you to feel more rested during the postpartum period.
Sleep strategies for postpartum families
Discuss sleep shifts with your partner: If one parent is breast/chestfeeding, it is typically recommended that they sleep during the first portion of the night, due to the influence of hormones during different times of the night on milk supply. So, the breast/chestfeeding parent might sleep from 8pm to 12am. Then, the breast/chestfeeding parent takes the second shift of the night.
Learn about bedsharing safety guidelines: Bedsharing is common practice globally, and is supportive of breastfeeding and optimising parents’ sleep. However, safety considerations are important. A great place to start learning is with La Leche League’s Safe Sleep Seven.
The golden rule of postpartum: sleep whenever your baby sleeps. Don’t plan to get things done once they are napping.
5. Household Management
Planning for the management of daily household tasks can keeping the household running smoothly during postpartum, reducing stress and allowing for more focus on recovery and bonding.
Tips for managing household tasks after baby
Delegate tasks. Discuss in advance what responsibilities will be shared between you and your partner, and speak with friends and family about what help they could offer.
Hire help.
Simplify routines for laundry, cleaning, and grocery shopping. Before I gave birth, I created a whole binder with a strategy for what tasks needed to be done on which days, and how frequently they needed to be done.
6. Financial Planning
Financial planning for new parents can feel like a bit of a minefield. As soon as you’ve paid for one expense, another pops up. Financial stress can affect the postpartum period, so planning in advance helps to manage stress over expenses.
What to include in a postpartum budget
Medical bills
Baby supplies (especially diapers and wipes)
Additional help you may need, such as help with cleaning or childcare
Meal prep, take out, or meal delivery services
7. Infant feeding preparation
Feeding your baby, whether by breast, bottle, formula, or a combination, is arguably one of the most demanding aspects of newborn care. Preparation before birth, like creating a breastfeeding plan, can help you have a start to feeding that is as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Tips for preparing for infant feeding
Gather essential supplies.
Know where to get lactation support.
Learn about signs that baby is getting enough milk.
Consider taking a lactation class.
If you’re preparing to breastfeed, I have a whole blog post that goes into all the details about these tips (and more!) Click here to read it.
8. Support Network
It is important to establish a strong support network before the baby arrives. A reliable support network can provide physical help, emotional support, and advice.
Tips for creating a postpartum support network
Identify key family members, friends, and professionals who can assist.
Discuss expectations, boundaries, and responsibilities with the people in your support network.
You can also get a head start on your end-of-maternity leave planning by considering childcare arrangements for when you head back to work.
Preparing for partner support postpartum can look like exploring what forms of support would be most helpful, but also strengthening your relationship. Which brings me to…
9. Relationship with Partner
The arrival of a baby can lead to changes in your relationship dynamics. Being prepared for change can help to maintain a strong partnership throughout the postpartum transition.
Postpartum relationship tips
Schedule regular time for connection. You might not be having regular date nights (at first!), but can you set aside 5 to 10 minutes a day to have a check-in on how you’re both feeling? Beginning this practice before baby arrives can help it to become a habit that can hold you through the upcoming changes.
Communicate openly about your needs.
Before baby arrives, work together to set expectations about the division of responsibilities during postpartum. Consider that the birthing parent will likely be limited in their contributions, as their main focus during postpartum is recovery, and they are often spending several hours a day breast/chestfeeding.
Locate a couple’s counsellor. Seeing a couple’s therapist before having your baby can help you to set the stage for a strong relationship throughout the postpartum transition.
10. Legal and Insurance planning
The process for legal steps after baby’s birth will be different depending on what country you live in. Ensuring everything is in order before you give birth can provide peace of mind, give you an understanding of any financial costs involved, and simplify the process for when baby has arrived.
Tips for preparing legal and insurance matters for baby’s arrival
Understand how the process of getting baby’s birth certificate works
Consider whether they will need health insurance, and learn about the process for obtaining this. For example, to get a new baby health insurance in the Cayman Islands, you are required to first obtain their birth certificate in order to apply for their health insurance.
Consider whether they will need a passport, and begin collecting any necessary documents for the application. Depending on what country you live in and what country’s passport you are applying for, passport applications often require many documents, including the baby’s parents’ birth certificates and marriage certificates, and occasionally even the grandparents’ birth certificates and marriage certificates. It will likely be easier to begin preparing for this process before baby is born if you’ll need to gather certificates or other legal documents.
11. Manage Visitors’ Expectations
Parents are often divided in their feelings about visits from friends and family after during postpartum. Some parents love the extra help and can’t wait to introduce their new bundle of joy to their loved ones. Other families favour a quiet postpartum period, prioritising privacy as they bond with their new baby. Whatever your preferences, managing visitors thoughtfully can ensure you get the rest you need during postpartum recovery. Planning how to manage visitor’s expectations by communicating and setting boundaries can reduce stress and help to maintain harmony.
Tips for postpartum visitor management
Create a visitor schedule.
Communicate visiting hours.
Don’t be afraid to say no if you need time alone.
Consider ways that visitors can be helpfully involved.
Communicate plans about birth announcements and any preferences you have about other people sharing your baby’s photo online.
Setting the stage for a smooth postpartum journey
Whilst you may not know exactly what postpartum has in store for you, planning ahead in these 11 key areas of postpartum can help you to have a smoother transition. Preparing for baby’s arrival can be exciting, as you’re setting yourself up to experience a sense of being calm, confident and cared for as you adjust to life with your new baby. My hope is that this guide will get you on the right track, but if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out by sending me a DM on Instagram.
Are you looking for ongoing support to help you in preparing for and throughout your postpartum journey? Sign up to my email newsletter below to get all my best postpartum tips and tricks!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ceridwen is a postpartum doula and lactation counsellor based in the Cayman Islands. She offers personalised, evidence-based information to help pregnant families prepare for their baby’s arrival. After birth, she helps postpartum families to feel calm, confident, and cared for, with a focus on lactation and mental health.
Learn more about Ceridwen here.
