We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Whether this is your first baby or not, planning for the postpartum stage is crucial. You can read all the books about pregnancy and delivery, but the real work begins postpartum. As an experienced mom of three, I have developed 10 best hacks for moms postpartum to help with healing and recovery.
First-time moms are often surprised by what they don’t know when they have a baby. In addition, moms who have multiple babies regularly say that they forgot what it was like postpartum. Our brains have a funny way of blocking out the things we don’t want to remember (it’s Mother Nature’s way of tricking us into having more babies!).
If you are getting ready to welcome a sweet baby into your arms, now is the time to use these hacks for moms postpartum. You want to make sure to plan ahead instead of trying to figure it out when you’re in the weeds.
Related: 13 Breastfeeding Tips for the Early Postpartum Days
10 Best Hacks for Moms Postpartum Healing and Recovery
The following are tips I’ve found to be the most helpful after having three postpartum experiences. Use the ones that best fit your needs.
Hire a Postpartum Doula
One of the best hacks for moms postpartum is to hire a postpartum doula. A postpartum doula is someone who is trained and knowledgeable in postpartum care and recovery. This person can come into your home day and/or night to assist you in caring for your baby, helping you get sleep, and preparing nutritious meals for you.
Your postpartum doula is another set of hands who can help you recover. Each postpartum doula offers different services. Therefore, it is important to understand the services offered by the postpartum doula you are considering.
Meal Prep or Meal Train
If you plan to prepare meals ahead of time, it is important to get started sooner rather than later. There are many frozen meal ideas that you can prep. Ensuring you have enough meals for your recovery is important. The last thing you will want to do is cook. Pro tip: Consider meals for breakfast and lunch as well.
In addition, you can ask friends and family to sign up for a meal train to help you after birth. Each person can drop off a meal at your doorstep on a specified day and time. This is not the time for hosting people over for dinner, rather, you receive meals like you would a meal delivery service.
Related: Postpartum Nutrition: What Mothers Need After Giving Birth
Stay Hydrated
I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay hydrated postpartum. Your body will be depleted following birth and for months after. It will require hydration to heal and keep you going each day. If you are breastfeeding, hydration is necessary to help boost and maintain your milk supply.
Hydration also helps keep headaches away, which can lead to discomfort and feeling unwell overall. It’s a simple thing that can get overlooked, but it can create havoc if it’s missed.
Ask for Help
Best hacks for moms postpartum include asking others for help. This could be family members, friends, neighbors, church support, and more. It takes a village to raise a baby, but it also takes a village to raise a mother.
Don’t shy away from asking others for help. You aren’t meant to do motherhood alone, and that starts with your postpartum journey. Make a plan for others to help you and don’t be afraid to reach out before things become overwhelming. You need a lifesaver before you start drowning. It does you no good if you are given one once you have drowned.
Related: Things that Happen Postpartum that Aren’t Talked About Enough
Accept Help that is Offered
On the flip side of asking for help is also to accept the help that is offered. Maybe you’re like me and you feel that you are burdening others by asking for help (which isn’t true). If someone offers to help you postpartum, let them! They want to do what they can to lessen the weight on you. Let them.
Rest
This one seems to be the hardest for postpartum women. For some reason, we feel like we have to prove our worth right away and get back to doing things as soon as possible. Many women praise themselves for walking around immediately after birth when they should be focused on rest. If you aren’t sure how soon is too soon to get out of bed after birth, consider using the 5-5-5 postpartum rule.
Resting doesn’t just apply to the first few weeks after birth. You will need time to rest throughout the first year of your baby’s life. Your body will take time to heal. Rest is the best medicine. Don’t push yourself and don’t set expectations for yourself during those first 12 months. Bonding and resting are the top priorities.
Keep Snacks and Water Close
Instead of having to get up and down for snacks and hydration, consider keeping a basket of your favorites nearby. This is one of the best hacks for moms postpartum. Encouraging yourself to eat and drink will help you heal and recover. Your body needs the fuel and hydration. If these items aren’t easily accessible, you are likely to deplete yourself without knowing it.
If you are breastfeeding, you can keep these items near your rocking chair. Wherever you spend the most time, keeping that area packed with easy-to-grab snacks and water can make all the difference. Pro tip: make sure your snacks aren’t just sugary treats, but items that have protein and healthy fats in them as well.
Related: 7 Ways Your Partner Can Help You Postpartum
Make a Plan With Your Spouse/Partner
Have a conversation with your spouse or partner before your baby arrives about any expectations or areas that need a plan. This could look like talking about who will be responsible for night feeds and daytime diapering. You might also consider topics like when to allow friends and family over to visit with the baby.
Whatever you can do and plan for ahead of time will help tremendously postpartum. This is especially important to help avoid any postpartum relationship challenges that can pop up.
Plan for Older Sibling(s) and/or Pet(s)
If you have older children and/or pets in your home, make a plan for them before your baby arrives. You will be resting and recovering. Therefore, someone will have to help tend to the others who rely on you regularly.
Ask friends and family to help get your kid(s) to/from school, and ask a neighbor to take your dog on their daily walks. Your focus will be on the new baby and on yourself; let others step in to help care for the rest.
Allow Yourself Time
Probably one of the most overlooked hacks for moms postpartum is allowing yourself time. It takes a full year to adjust to a new baby. Expecting yourself to “have it all together” at two months postpartum is unrealistic and sets you up for disappointment.
The best advice I can give is to just take it one day at a time. If that feels like too much still, then focus on one hour at a time. The days and nights are long, but the years are short. There will be a time when you forget the hard stuff and miss these early days. Give yourself time to enjoy it, time to rest, and time to care for yourself.
Related: Postpartum Resources: How to Help Yourself Heal
Maximize Recovery with the Best Hacks for Moms Postpartum
Your postpartum journey will go well if you focus on rest, nutrition and hydration, and planning ahead. Using these best hacks for moms postpartum will help you reach that goal. While postpartum is challenging no matter what, you can lessen the stress on yourself by using these ideas.
The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone. As isolating as it feels when you’re cooped up in the house resting, nursing, and changing diapers, you are not alone. You are connected by a network of mothers who are in the trenches with you just trying their best. That is enough.
Reach out to friends and family before things get overwhelming. Remember to take care of yourself, too. You are just as important as that sweet new baby. You’ve got this!
