Practical Ways to Prepare for Postpartum
Some advice I received, plus what worked for me in the fourth trimester π
Hi friends! This newsletter is (usually) a monthly-ish round-up of life things - what I'm enjoying, reading, learning, buying, doing, thinking about, and more. Sometimes, itβs a bit more vulnerable and personal, like discussing how to handle rejection and feeling left out. Sometimes, itβs a deep dive into a specific topic, like travel or back to school. Today, Iβm sharing some valuable postpartum advice I received and ways that specifically helped my recent postpartum go a little more smoothly. π
Todayβs newsletter is from the drafts folder! I originally drafted this in August 2024 before Daisy was born, but here I am, almost nine months later, finally sharing it. The upside to sharing it much later than expected is that I can add in my own two cents about my postpartum experience with baby Daisy.
I shared my postpartum essentials last fall in this post and years ago, I shared about how to support new parents, but this newsletter is all about advice I received from other parents about how they prepared themselves for the postpartum season and a new babyβs arrival. Hereβs what I asked:
What are some ways you βset yourself up for successβ before your baby arrived?
Things you planned, prepped, or purchased, ways friends and family supported you, things you specifically asked for help with, mental/emotional prep, etc.
And here is some of the I awesome advice I received, plus a few of my recommendations from my recent postpartum/new baby season with baby Daisy!
GENERAL POSTPARTUM ADVICE
OUTSOURCE: If there is something you can outsource and have the resources to do so, DO IT. Whether thatβs meals, cleaning, errands, school pickups, night doula, etc., itβs helpful to have things taken off your plate during this season. We have a house cleaner 2x/month, but specifically for the postpartum season, I hired a hybrid babysitter/house assistant to help with school pickups, drives to swim or gymnastics, and running general errands for me. I knew specifically that afternoon school pickups would feel very daunting with a newborn, and
SIMPLIFY: Do what you can to make your life EASIER, and that often means simplify. Setting up simple systems and routines to make things run more smoothly, get rid of excess stuff beforehand, etc. Now is not the time to add more to your plate, but instead, (much) less!
ACCEPT HELP: One way that Iβve grown in the last few years, and specifically from having a third child, is saying YES to help. Iβm usually a capable, I-can-do-it kinda gal, and it can feel easier to just do something myself. So many friends offered to help in big and small ways in my recent postpartum season, and I just said yes, yes, yes. Yes, Iβd love you to take Lucy to school. Yes, Iβd love a coffee. Yes, you can hold the baby so I can shower. Yes, Iβd love the girls to have a playdate at your house. Yes, yes, yes. What a gift to receive help and learn to accept it. π
FOOD & MEALS
SET UP (OR ASK FRIEND TO ORGANIZE) A MEALTRAIN: I had MealTrains after Lucy and Winnie were born, and it was nice not to think about dinner a couple of times per week. Also, if you have a pregnant friend, offering to set up a MealTrain is such an easy way to help them. It takes ~5 minutes to set it up!
STOCK YOUR PANTRY WITH SNACKS BEFORE BABY COMES: Postpartum is NOT the time you want to run out of your beloved peanut butter pretzels or protein bar. I made sure our pantry had alllll the snacks that I could easily grab at all hours of the day/night when needed.
CONSIDER A POSTPARTUM MEAL SERVICE: I treated myself to my dear friend and local holistic chef Megan of Happy Belly Nashvilleβs postpartum package and, OMG, it was such a delight. It was so nice in those early days to know I had healthy, nourishing meals and snacks already in the fridge for me. If youβre local, 10/10 recommend this!
HAVE PAPER PLATES ON HAND: great tip and something we had in the house when Daisy was born! Way easier than doing dishes.
MEAL PREP FREEZER MEALS: this was a popular recommendation of something to do before the baby comes! Iβve never really done this, but I know itβs beneficial for many new moms!
PREPPING THE HOUSE
WEEKLY CLEANING SERVICE: This was a popular recommendation and something we continued to do (every other week). Absolutely worth every penny, in my opinion!
SET UP A βBABY STATIONβ IN EACH ROOM: Many people also recommended this! Rather than moving baby gear from room-to-room, have baby stations (a cozy place for them to lay down, diapers + wipes, etc.) in different parts of the house. We didnβt really have room for this when Lucy was a baby (650 sq. ft. apartment!) but something we did when both Winnie and Daisy were babies! Most recently, we kept the Moses basket in the living room as Daisyβs hangout and eventually had little baskets of toys and baby things (pacifiers, diapers, wipes, burp cloths, etc). in most rooms.
ORGANIZE A NURSING BASKET / BEDSIDE BASKET WITH SNACKS & NIGHTTIME ESSENTIALS: Iβve had this same white basket for seven years now and use it for all the baby things. In the very early postpartum days, it would hold snacks, nursing supplies (nursing pads, nipple cream, pump, etc.), diapers, wipes, and more. The same cart is now in Daisyβs room next to her changing table, pictured here!

SERVICES & SUPPORT
CONSIDER STARTING THERAPY WHILE PREGNANT AND/OR SOON AFTER THE BABY IS BORN. Iβll give a plug for Ready Nest Counseling in Nashville - I started going when I was 2-3 weeks postpartum with Winnie and found so much value and support in having therapy in my postpartum phase of life (and especially during the insanity of 2020).
HIRE A POSTPARTUM DOULA/NIGHT NURSE: This wasnβt something we did, but many friends have raved about their experience with a night nurse and that it was the best postpartum investment.
PLAN AHEAD FOR VISITORS: Plan ahead for how you want to handle visitors, whether thatβs local friends popping in, out-of-town family members coming to visit, etc. We were very clear with our family (who all live out of the state) about when to come, how long to visit for, ways they could be helpful during this time, etc. Being clear about your wants and needs ahead of time is very important. :)
HIRE PELVIC FLOOR PT: I booked an at-home session with Nashville Pelvic PT while pregnant and it was SO beneficial! I had some really horrible lower back/tailbone pain, and the session helped me tremendously. She also shared a bunch of resources with me, like pregnancy and postpartum stretches/exercises and breathing techniques for labor.
FIND LACTATION RESOURCES: Make sure to look up what options are available to you! Likely the hospital or birthing center you deliver at will have resources, both when the baby is born AND afterwards.
HAVE BABYSITTER LOCKED & LOADED FOR OLDER KIDS: I shared about this a little earlier under βOutsourceβ but yes, we definitely leaned on babysitters to help with the girls for random weekend support, school pickups, date nights, etc.
PERSONAL
STAY IN BED 2 WEEKS TO HEAL: Totally, totally, totally know this is so important! Postpartum is NOT the time to push yourself. Many people recommend doing something like 5/5/5 where you spend 5 days in bed, 5 days on the bed, and 5 days around the bed. You can and should absolutely listen to your body and rest as much as possible. See more below:
OR DONβT, BUT LISTEN TO YOUR BODY :) But for me, I feel better and more myself when Iβm not in bed all day, every day postpartum. I did daily afternoon naps with Daisy for several weeks, which was so sweet and special. But again, for me, getting out to take walks, spend a little bit of 1:1 time with the older girls, going to coffee shops, etc. was good for me. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that last time I was postpartum the world shut down and we couldnβt do much of anything except be at home. This time around, it was healing for me to be out and about and take the baby with me. Idk if that makes sense! I need to write more about this specific topic/experience soon I think π
PREP NURSING & POSTPARTUM RECOVERY SUPPLIES BEFORE BABY COMES: You can, of course, order all of this stuff after baby comes, but I was happy I had stuff set aside and ready for me beforehand. I had the FridaMom Postpartum Recovery Kit and also made sure I was stocked up on nursing bras, nursing pads, nipple cream, etc. The hospital will give you A LOT of postpartum recovery supplies (undies, peri bottle, wipes) too! I brought a lot home with me and used those too. Hereβs some of the recovery supplies I had and used!
BUY YOURSELF CUTE POSTPARTUM LOUNGEWEAR: YES AND AMEN. I loved wearing this STORQ Lounge Set (use code LUCKYANDI for 10% off) and still wear it eight months later. I also bought myself some new sweatpants, oversized t-shirts, and other cozy but cute things to wear postpartum - I shared a bunch of them in this post.
Hereβs something I wrote in those early weeks postpartum:
And hereβs a couple kind messages I received with good advice:

READ MY POSTPARTUM ESSENTIALS POST HERE AND ALL PAST NEWSLETTERS HERE!
Thanks for reading! I love hearing from you, so always feel free to shoot me a note!
I would add my evergreen/all-seasons parenthood mantra: "It's not hard because I'm doing it wrong. It's not hard because I'm incapable or incompetent. It's hard because it's hard." Parenting young children, esp 3 kids, it just hard. That doesn't make it bad, or wrong, or make you bad or wrong. It's just hard and for me there had been tremendous freedom in not trying to fix/solve everything but instead recognize and enjoy the ease and joy too, because I now know that hard is to be expected at times and it's all part of the journey.