We have heard of a birth plan, and even a newborn care plan, but the most often neglected aspect of having a baby is making a plan to take care of yourself. Having a straightforward schedule of who's making dinner, who can help, how to practice self-care can help exhausted parents get through the day. Making a plan of rest, self care, and lots of support is a great way to prevent postpartum depression & expedite recovery from birth. Plan on taking it easy on your postpartum self for at least 6 weeks.
SLEEP
Newborns wake up to eat every 2-3 hours. Just because you have a baby, doesn't mean you now deserve less sleep! On the contrary! Your body is recovering from birth and making calorie-rich food for your lil bub around the clock. Make a plan to start your bedtime routine a little earlier (maybe 3 hours to start?) to make sure you're getting all 40- winks. This is a BIG part of self-care. Don't skip it.
If you can't get an aggregate total of 8 hours every night (or however many you usually need), schedule yourself a daytime nap. Everyone says "sleep when baby sleeps" which is sometimes easier said than done. If you need a nap, but can't sleep, let your body rest and recover and do something intentionally relaxing with your mind. (NOT social media) I like to do a guided meditation, watch nature shows narrated by David Attenborough, or fall asleep to the soothing commentary of Bob Ross-- now on Netflix.
SUPPORT
Also important on your postpartum plan: you'll want to include a quick list of nearby helpers with their contact info and rough schedule. Check out my postpartum care plan pdf here to see how I've laid it out. We've got some great tips to get the support you need at our new parent workshop (free).
You may also want to put some handy websites to help your sleepy future selves make food happen, or get the dog walked:
www.Grubhub.com, www.Ubereats.com - Food delivered to your door
www.Care.com - Babysitters, elder care, maid and pet services here
www.FoodTrain.com - Coordinate friends, family, coworkers, church members etc to help you out
www.TaskRabbit.com - Get someone to come over and assemble that Ikea crib you never got around to
EAT WELL
You're taking great care of your body while it does the amazing job of creating a human being, but what about after baby is born? Your body is still recovering from birth and it needs a nutritive, toxin-free environment to heal at its best. Guidelines for postpartum care are similar to avoiding toxins during pregnancy, so you may want to think twice about going back to your pre-baby shampoo and household cleaners. Your hormones are learning to regulate themselves again, and the last thing you need is endocrine disruptors getting in the way of that.
Making a list of your favorite healthy easy-to assemble snacks is a great idea. You can also stock your pantry before baby arrives. In the month leading up to birth, many parents will cook a doubled portion of family dinner, and freeze half for after birth. Pinterest.com has a ton of freezer-friendly slow cooker meals you can set and (nearly) forget for easy postpartum dinners.
Ask your care provider what kind of vitamins and supplements you should be taking now. Make sure whatever you're ingesting doesn't inhibit breastfeeding, if that is a goal of yours.
SELF CARE
You might want to include a list of low-stress self care activities, that your partner can help make sure you are doing. Something like a warm herb-infused bath, tea with a supportive friend, or a postnatal massage. I would also recommend meeting up with your local parenting groups before baby is born-- break the ice and make some friends before you're in sweatpants mode.
Writing a simple outline of this should give you a rough postpartum plan. Stick it on the fridge next to your emergency numbers. I'm sure you'll change and adjust the plan as you go, but at least having a guideline to start from can make the difference for those 3am zombies in your future.
I also co-host a FREE new parent survival workshop with postpartum doula & warrior mom Lucy McEwen that covers this subject more in depth. Join us!
As always, let this be a starting point to inspire further research. I encourage you to discuss this subject with your medical care provider, and see what they recommend for you.