How to Thrive After Birth: The Essential Guide to Postpartum Planning and Support

Having a postpartum plan is just as important as having a birth plan, yet it is so often overlooked. With the poor state of maternal health in the United States at the moment, you owe it to yourself and your family to be prepared.

What does being prepared look like beyond having meals in the freezer, and a nursery with all the essentials?

It means having a list of reputable support services you may need, like pelvic health therapists, lactation consultants, postpartum doulas, mental health support services etc. On top of that, thinking of things that you’ll feel comfortable with friends and family helping you with (ie household chores, shopping, playing with older kids). Finally, think about things- they can be big or small- that bring you joy, and put them on there too.

When you have time to yourself, which yes will be hard to come by, you need to pick something that fills your cup (outside of being a mom) to do. Just because the baby is here, doesn’t mean that your needs don’t matter anymore. It’s important for you to be taken care of too!

In Kind’s founder Maria Berglund put together a plan for you to use as a guide on your own postpartum journey. Feel free to print it, and put it up on your fridge for people to refer to, or save it as an image on your phone and send it to your partner/village for reference. After baby comes, people will ask you what they can do to help you- rather than using up your valuable energy to think of something, pick something off of this list instead!

The 4th trimester is a wonderful and exhausting time. Please don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it- asking for help is a sign of strength, not of weakness. Knowing which friends/family/resources you can turn to during the hard moments is important! You are not a burden or a bad mom for being vulnerable, and asking for help.