9 Ways to Prepare for Postpartum While You’re Still Pregnant
Being a postpartum mom is tough. You’re exhausted, sore, emotional, and trying to care for a helpless tiny human. If you’ve read any of my other postpartum posts, you already know that I was in no way, shape, or form, prepared for the postpartum phase after my first pregnancy. I don’t know why, but I hadn’t put any thought into it at all. I had no idea what to expect, and therefore, I had no idea how to prepare. When I was pregnant with my second baby, I knew what I needed to do to make those first few weeks postpartum a little easier. I was still exhausted, sore, emotional, and trying to care for a helpless human, but at least I had a few shortcuts up my sleeve that made life as a brand-new mom a little more manageable. Here are 9 things you can do to prepare for postpartum while you’re still pregnant.
Nest and Organize
One way to prepare for postpartum while you’re still pregnant is to nest and organize your home. The good news is, this typically comes naturally for pregnant moms. The urge to purge, clean, and organize your house usually kicks in sometime in the third trimester. Try to get your home set up exactly how you want it after the baby arrives. Set up all your baby gear, wash and put away all the baby clothes, and organize everything so that it’s easy to get to when you need it. I wrote a little post about some great ways to prepare your home for baby if you need a little inspiration.
Make Pre-Baby Freezer Meals
Out of everything I did to prepare for postpartum during my second pregnancy, making pre-baby freezer meals was probably the most helpful. I made 8 freezer meals in just a few hours and it was so nice to have them on hand after Elliott was born. We had plenty of people bring food over during the first week, but once that tapered off, I still didn’t feel like cooking and these freezer meals made life so much easier. Everything turned out delicious and even my husband commented on what a huge help they were. I used some of my own recipes and some recipes from the Healing Freezer Meals eBook. Every recipe in the ebook was created to help your body heal after baby and boost your milk supply!
Know what to Expect
I probably won’t ever stop talking about how shocking postpartum was for me the first time around. I was surprised by almost every aspect of the 4th trimester. I think I was so focused on bringing a baby into the world, and what those early days with a newborn were going to be like, that I didn’t put any focus on what I was about to experience. What surprised me most of all was that no one had warned me about what to expect. My doctor hadn’t talked to me about it, my friends glossed over it, and even my sister didn’t give me any details. After I had Elliott, and realized that postpartum is so much more manageable when you know what to expect, I created the Postpartum Handbook – A 4th Trimester Guide for Moms by Moms. It digs into everything you could possibly want to know about the postpartum phase. We cover everything from the first postpartum poo, to postpartum sex, postpartum hair loss, postpartum recovery tips, and more. It even includes a postpartum exercise plan and tips for returning to work or becoming a stay at home mom.
Make a Postpartum Care Kit
Making a postpartum care kit is one of the easiest things you can do to prepare for postpartum while you’re still pregnant. Just get a little basket or caddy at the dollar store, and fill it with everything you’ll need to care for your post-delivery body. Here’s the full list of what I put in my postpartum care kit the second time around.
Related: The Best Postpartum Pads for New Moms
Make a Breastfeeding Caddy or Diaper Caddy
Another simple caddy you can put together while you’re still pregnant is a breastfeeding caddy or diaper caddy. Just stock it up with all the baby basics and keep it by the couch or your bedside (or both). I kept both of my babies in my room for the first few months of their lives, and having a little diaper caddy by my bedside was a total game changer. I wouldn’t even leave the bed to change those middle of the night diapers and it made things so much more comfortable and convenient. It also helped everyone in the house get a little more sleep since I wasn’t up running to the nursery every time I needed a clean pair of jammies or a fresh diaper.
Put Together a Small Postpartum Wardrobe
This is probably going to sound really vain, but I struggled with postpartum clothing after both of my pregnancies. The truth is, your body is going to go through a lot of changes after you give birth. Your uterus is working on shrinking back to its normal size, your breasts are engorged and working on regulating your milk supply, and you’ll most likely hold on to a lot of water weight in those first few days home from the hospital. You don’t need to look good for anyone. You just had a baby. But, that doesn’t mean you don’t want to feel comfortable when you have visitors over or need to take the baby to the pediatrician. Try pulling together a few pieces of clothing that you think might work well for postpartum and keep them in a drawer or in the front of your closet. When you don’t have to spend time digging through your entire wardrobe to find a shirt that fits, it makes life so much easier. I relied solely on maternity clothes after my first pregnancy, and that didn’t go so well. Everything I had was designed to showcase the bump, and well, that’s the last thing you want to showcase when you’re not actually pregnant anymore. Before I had Elliott, I made a quick trip to Walmart and stocked up on some light pull overs, comfortable pants, and massive granny panties.
Stock Up on Household Essentials
When you’re pregnant, you know you need to stock up on things like diapers, wipes, and baby lotion, but one great way to prepare for postpartum is to stock up on household essentials, too. Make sure you’re loaded up on things like laundry detergent, dish soap, cleaning spray, paper towels, and toilet paper. I’ve complied a full list of household essentials to stock up on before your baby is born here!
Create a Watch List
Being a postpartum mom involves a lot of laying on the couch and laying in bed. From cluster feeding, to those middle of the night wake ups, you’ll probably want to have something binge-worthy on deck. Create a watch list on your favorite streaming service and save those shows you’ve been dying to see for after the baby is born. If you have an AppleTV or Amazon Firestick, download the remote app on your phone. You never know when you’ll be stuck under a sleeping baby with a remote that’s all the way across the room.
Have Someone on Call to Help
Have you ever heard the saying “it takes a village”? Well, it really does. It’s always nice to have an extra set of hands on board to help you after the baby is born. Whether that’s your partner, or someone else, try to make sure you have someone you can turn to when you need help. If your partner only gets a few days off work, reach out to friends or family to see who might be available if you feel like you could use some help (or a quick nap). Knowing that you have someone to turn to can make the postpartum phase feel just a little less daunting and overwhelming.
If you’re at the end of your pregnancy or just entered into the world of postpartum, I hope these tips help you navigate the 4th trimester with a little more ease. The postpartum phase is a wild ride, so preparing for it as best you can can truly go a long way.
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