
I was prepared for birth , but had no concept of how challenging the postpartum phase would be. I am sure this is an experience many other women can relate to.
It's normal to spend hours researching various birthing options, to create a birthing plan we feel comfortable with. In a stark contrast, few of us spend any time planning out important details for the postpartum period.
Even simple things , like how the laundry will be getting done, or when you might feel comfortable having visitors. Having a plan for little details like these, has the power to make the postpartum period so much easier.
After having my first daughter, I quickly realized how unprepared I truly was for the emotional and physical drain postpartum is. My body felt like it was run over my a truck, I was up every two hours nursing a baby and I was starving all the time! Why was I not better prepared for this?!
It took me months to realize how flawed our society is, by not better preparing women for what the postpartum stage looks like. I ended up creating a printable postpartum planner for women, that covers every aspect of the postpartum phase . Everything from meal planning , all the way to who will be watching your pets while you are in labour/recovering.
Developing this planner became a huge passion project of mine. I really struggled in the early postpartum days, trying to adapt to the new role of being a mom , while also recovering from birth. It was a big adjustment I just wasn't prepared for. Had I taken a few hours to plan out some meals, chore routines etc. I would have had a much easier time. Not to mention the big wave of emotions I wasn't expecting.
When I started creating the postpartum planner, I was sure to include a few pages focused on mom's mental health. Everyone is focused on the baby after birth....but nobody is checking in with mom. Having a few simple guided journaling pages can make the world of difference, in terms of mental health. Click this link or the photo below to take a peak at this planner! It is available in two colour schemes!
We need to normalize the idea of creating a postpartum plan for new moms. It helps lift so much of the stress in those first few weeks after having a baby. Moms need to feel seen and heard after having a baby. Far too often their needs are forgotten about. Creating a postpartum plan is a great start to making the postpartum phase just a bit easier!
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