Postpartum To-Dos - Day-to-Day After Baby

Wonder what you can expect during the days and weeks after your baby is born? In some ways, postpartum can be a simple time, and in other ways, utterly exhausting. It's hard to imagine what adding a tiny human, plus a huge bodily change, can do to the everyday task list!

The following is what postpartum is like in its the most basic form, a list. Why a list? When you see it all in front of you, it can help put into perspective the major change coming your way. More importantly, if you are partnered, it will help you sit down together to go over the upcoming to-dos and delegate responsibilities. Humans weren't meant to recover from childbirth and care for a baby alone, though culturally that's what we've come to expect of parents. If you're unpartnered, this list will help you understand what's involved during postpartum so that you can hopefully arrange for support from others.

For more detailed information about the reality of and preparation for postpartum, check out the book The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality by Kimberly Ann Johnson. 

• Sleep (yours)
• Eat (you)
• Showers (you), at least occasional!
• Wound care (vaginal or c-section)
• Doctors' appointments (yours and baby's)
• Maintain some physical movement
• Manage rest and mental health
• Keep taking your vitamins
• Running errands
• Stay hydrated
• Feeding baby
• Diaper baby
• Change baby's clothes
• Bathe baby 
• Hold and sooth baby
• Time for yourself
• Time with your partner
• Time with friends
• Getting out of the house
• Additional laundry, plus normal laundry
• Routine pick up
• Routine cleaning
• Field phone calls (from friends & family)
• Begin pumping (if returning to work and away from baby)
• ASK FOR HELP, arrange for help, accept help