Preparing for Postpartum Before Your Baby Arrives

The short answer: during the third trimester, line up food and help, prepare a few recovery and feeding supplies, set up a comfortable space for rest, and talk with your care provider about postpartum care and which signs to call about. Then plan to rest. As Kate puts it in her Postpartum Guide: "Your Job is Rest."

Most pregnancy preparation focuses on birth. But the weeks afterward, the fourth trimester, are when many new mothers feel least prepared. This checklist draws on Kate Fawcett's Postpartum Guide, the book included in the Postpartum Box.

1. Plan your food

  • Fill the freezer with meals that reheat easily. Kate's guide notes that freezer meals "make a world of difference."
  • Stock easy snacks and drinks you can reach one-handed.
  • Say yes to a meal train, or ask a friend to organize one.

2. Line up your help

A partner can be an important source of support, but they do not have to be your entire support system. Think about:

  • Who can help with meals, laundry, older children or pets
  • Who makes you feel safe and rested, and who you'd rather see later
  • How visits will work. Kate's advice: "Limit visitors. Only welcome those who are there to care for you, not just the baby."

3. Plan to rest

Kate calls the early weeks "the cocoon time." Her guide suggests a gentle rhythm for the first three weeks:

  • Week 1: stay in bed as much as possible.
  • Week 2: stay around the bed, with light movement but rest still first.
  • Week 3: slowly add light activities or small outings, if that's what you need.

Planning this ahead, and telling the people around you, makes it much easier to actually do.

4. Gather recovery supplies

  • Soft, long cotton postpartum pads and comfortable underwear
  • A peri bottle for rinsing with warm water after each bathroom trip
  • A soothing perineal spray
  • Padsicles (frozen pads with soothing ingredients). Kate's guide includes a recipe and suggests: "You can make these in the last few weeks of pregnancy so they're ready to go when you need them most."
  • Comfortable postpartum clothes and clean bedding ready
  • A water bottle with a straw, kept wherever you'll rest

5. Prepare for feeding

However you plan to feed your baby, it helps to have a few things ready. If you plan to breastfeed, that might include nipple balm and breast pads. If you plan to bottle feed, have bottles cleaned and ready. Ask your care provider about local feeding support, such as a lactation consultant, before you need it. Whatever feeding looks like for your family, Kate's guide puts it simply: "Fed is Nourished. Loved is Enough."

6. Set up a rest space

Choose a spot where you can rest, feed and keep everything within reach: water, snacks, phone charger, burp cloths and a small basket of supplies. Keep a second basket in the bathroom.

7. Talk with your care provider before birth

Questions worth asking:

  • What does postpartum care look like with your practice, and when are the visits?
  • Which signs, for me or for baby, should I call you about after birth?
  • Who do I call after hours?
  • Can you refer me to a pelvic floor physiotherapist? Kate's view: "Every postpartum person deserves pelvic floor physio."
  • What mental-health support is available?

Kate's guide is clear about one warning sign: if you are soaking through a pad in an hour or actively passing clots, call your care provider or emergency assistance. Write your provider's answers down and keep them somewhere easy to find, along with the after-hours number.

8. Plan for your emotional health

The early weeks can bring big feelings. Talk with your partner or support people ahead of time about how you'll check in with each other, and know who you'd contact if you're struggling. Your care provider can point you toward local support.

A ready-made postpartum kit

The Postpartum Box, created by Kate Fawcett, Registered Midwife, includes Kate's Postpartum Guide, Lovebee nipple balm, silver nipple cups, nipple shields (while stock lasts), a silicone breast pump, cotton breast pads, a wet bag, a Muskoka tallow soak, a calming oil blend and Lake & Oak tea. A perineal spray add-on is available.

Buying for someone else? See what to put in a postpartum care package, or the Birth & Postpartum Bundle if she hasn't given birth yet.

This article is general education from The Midwife Box and is not a substitute for individualized medical or midwifery advice. Every pregnancy and recovery is different. Always follow the recommendations from your own midwife, doctor or care team. If you believe there is an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.

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