You’ve probably heard this question many times throughout your pregnancy. “Have you written a birth plan?” “What’s in your birth plan?” “What kind of birth experience do you want?” “Are you bringing a birth plan with you to the hospital?”

While the birth experience is a life altering, mind-blowing, incredibly transformative event many consider to be the start to motherhood, it is by no means the end-all be-all.

Think of it like your wedding day.  We prepare for months upon months to be sure we have an incredible experience to look back on for the rest of our life.  But what good is it without preparing for the marriage?  While planning the wedding day can be exciting, only focusing on that without thinking about what comes after can come as a shock once the honeymoon period ends.

This is where a postpartum plan comes into play.  Focusing solely on the one day you birth your baby, while still vitally important, can mean we lose track of the fact that once it is over, there is a whole new event to focus on: life with baby.

Picture this: Night after night, the exhaustion becomes greater.  You realize that your husband needs sleep since he’s back at work and you’re losing hope.  You start to doubt yourself. “I have no idea what I’m doing. I can’t keep up with the laundry. We’re running out of groceries. I feel like I need to entertain everyone who comes over. She won’t stop crying. Am I making enough milk? She won’t. stop. nursing. I haven’t showered in 4 days. Did I eat this morning?”

Let’s be honest. How many of you went through that?  We hear this a lot.

It sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? Here’s our little secret.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Promise.

Sitting down prenatally and discussing a postpartum plan and putting systems in place can help you feel confident & secure during the postpartum period.  This can include things like:

– Who will make us meals for the first 2 weeks?
– When will we get groceries? Can husband do it on his way home from work on Wednesdays?
– When friends ask, “Is there anything you need help with?”, what specific tasks can we give them instead of responding with “We’re doing okay. Thanks though.” (Can they fold a load of laundry? Throw the freezer meal in the oven? Wipe down the bathroom? Hold the baby for an hour while you shower?)
– Do we hire a laundry service for the first 3 weeks?
– What support systems do we have in place?
– What do we do when XYZ goes wrong?

And here’s the beautiful thing. A postpartum doula can do all of these things!

She can provide nighttime care so you can sleep between feedings. She can do some light house cleaning. Meal preparation. Folder of laundry. Expert swaddler.  She’ll tell you you’re doing amazing when you feel like you aren’t.  She’ll support you on your breastfeeding journey.  She’ll help you sort through your formula options. Want to learn to calm your baby through babywearing? She’ll show you how! Need a shower?  She’ll watch over your sweet little one so you can relax, fully knowing everything is taken care of.

She’ll help you where you need it and she’ll provide non-judgmental support throughout all of it.

So, what’s your postpartum plan?