With the birth of a new baby, your life can change in an instant! Getting ahead of the game and planning for your postpartum support during pregnancy can set you up for success during this major transition.
Embrace your journey
Your postpartum is unique to you and only you. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need from who you need even if it looks different than your mom’s or, aunt’s, or sister’s journey. What one mom excels in, another mom may struggle with. This is the time to explore your village, and look to who might be willing to share their talents. There might be a pre-teen neighbor right around the corner who’s been looking to start babysitting, perhaps they could sit with your older kids while you’re breastfeeding your newborn after school. Or enlist that sweet mom friend around the corner for morning school drop off. Who knows, you may just find connections you didn’t even know were there!
Lean on your partner
Delegating anything that isn’t feeding to your partner can lighten your load and involve dad in this new little life. Diaper changes, cooking, laundry can all be done by someone else in this early season, so you can maximize your time for rest. Dads and partners are often eager to bond with baby but haven’t had the 10 months of time growing inside to get to know them. Support their relationship so simple things like diaper changes and wardrobe switches can all become opportunities for play and connection. This helps you start to learn the lifetime-long skill of working together to care for your little one.
Support for feeding baby
Arming yourself with a team that is familiar with breastfeeding can be extremely helpful. Feeding on demand in early weeks is important for milk supply and growth. Well-meaning family and friends may share the information they have about breastfeeding in an attempt to help, but what they know isn’t always accurate or biologically correct. That’s where we come in! IBCLC’s are trained to identify problems and solutions that support your feeding goals, and know what’s normal feeding behavior for different stages of babyhood. Reach out to an expert if you’re having problems!
Support for everyone else
While partners and older kids can certainly help, this is a huge shift for everyone. A rest is in order for the whole household. Now is the time to consider outsourcing things like cooking. Ask a trusty friend to set up a meal train website so friends and family can drop dinner off at the door. Pay a service to walk the dog, or send laundry out for even just a few weeks. This can make a world of difference in everyone’s lives as you transition into a new era of family life.
Need more help? Book a visit with Wisco Lactation! We offer home & office visit in SE Wisconsin and NE Illinois. We also offer virtual visits worldwide.