Thinking Ahead: Writing a Postpartum Plan

A postpartum plan can make the early days after baby feel a little less overwhelming

Having a baby brings change and a lot of adjustment—some of it expected, some not. You may have been receiving help with anticipating what your birth experience may be like, but we don’t always get the same help with preparing for what comes after: the long nights, emotional shifts, changes to your sense of identity, or the quiet moments that can feel overwhelming. The focus can become squarely on baby and all of a sudden your needs as a mom can become secondary or even completely overlooked.

That’s where a postpartum plan can help.

A postpartum plan is a way to jumpstart conversations about the kind of support you may need in the early weeks after birth—not just with feeding and sleep, but also for your emotional wellbeing and mental health after baby.

What goes into a postpartum plan?

Every plan looks a little different, but here are a few questions to consider:

• Who can you talk to when things feel hard?

• What helps you rest or reset when you’re overwhelmed?

• How will you know when you might need more support?

• What kind of boundaries might you want around visitors?

I’ve created a simple postpartum plan that you can download here. It invites you to explore the kind of postpartum support you may need and it provides space to reflect on your hopes and feelings around having a baby and becoming a mother. You can work through it alone, with your partner, or even bring it to a conversation with a therapist or care provider.

I provide in-person and online prenatal and postpartum support in Stratford, Ontario, and some of this work can include working out a postpartum plan. If this interests you, please get in touch!