My Postpartum Plan To-Do List

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Checklist and Shopping List  🙂

Get Organized…

  • Fill out this FREE postpartum plan worksheet with your partner during your third trimester. Don’t wait too long in case baby comes early!
  • Schedule a time to go over the postpartum plan with your partner and come up with your postpartum game plan.
  • Read this post to understand your need for postpartum recovery.
  • Do you have older children or pets? Plan on finding help to care for them during the first couple weeks.
  • Hire temporary postpartum help: postpartum doula, cleaning service, temporary nanny or childcare help or ask friends and family to help.

 Food:

  • Stock your freezer with extra meals that can be thrown into the crock pot or oven. If you need ideas, here is a great meal planner that makes short work of meal prep. during pregnancy! This planner comes complete with 100+ healthy recipes, shopping lists, freezer labels and much more! Get your healthy freezer meal planner here. 
  • Ask friends to set up a Meal Train or have people bring freezer meals as part of your baby shower!
  • Stock up on snacks that are high protein and easy to grab, such as yogurt, cheese sticks, trail mix, protein bars, muffins, etc. Breastfeeding makes you sooooo hungry!
  • Make sure that you have a water bottle or large cups with straws for easy drinking during nursing. You will need to drink LOTS of water!
  • Set up a breastfeeding station with snacks, water and other essentials that you will need while “camping out” with your baby.

My Favorite Nursing Products:

My Favorite Healing Supplies for Mom:

  • Rice bag or heating pad for after pains.
  • Maxi pads for postpartum bleeding. You will need the thick ones. I prefer these chemical-free, organic maxi pads.
  • Cooling pads for your perineum. Check out my diy recipe for natural witch hazel cooling pads HERE.
  • Lavender essential oil. Add to the Peri bottle when you rinse, and the oil will help to heal any tears and help prevent infection.
  • A boppy pillow or hemorrhoid ring. If you have stitches down under, this will make sitting much more comfortable!
  • Earth Mama Organics have some great postpartum products and breastfeeding products that will be extremely soothing for you! I highly recommend them for sore bottoms, stitches and nipples!
  • Padsicles! Ice packs feel awesome in those first swollen days and a padsicle can help with both swelling and irritation. Make them ahead and stock your freezer with them! Here is an easy, chemical-free padsicle recipe: HERE
  • Extra large panties, in dark colors, because leaks are bound to happen. It’s helpful to have a larger size to accommodate the large pads and ice packs in the early days after birth.
  • Comfortable pajamas or lounge clothes
  • Postpartum herbal sitz bath.  HERE is my favorite DIY healing sitz bath salts recipe to make ahead!
  • Waterproof bed pads to protect your bedding from baby and mama leaks 😉

 For Baby:

  • Shop for baby clothes and supplies.
  • Start a baby registry. Check out this post for ideas for a baby registry or how to start a shopping list for your baby supplies.
  • Plan for baby’s sleeping arrangements such as a co-sleeper, bassinet, or pack n play. Keeping baby close by at night will make night feedings much easier during the postpartum time.
  • Pre-wash baby clothes and bedding.
  • Set up the nursery or baby’s space.

For the Home:

  • Get Netflix, cable, internet TV or borrow some DVDs. There will be times where you will be nursing the baby non-stop on the couch. This is called “Cluster feeding.” Binge watch and rest!
  • Set up a few baby changing stations around the house: your bedroom, nursery, living room, family room, etc. You won’t want to be doing stairs during the early weeks! Even a basket and towel will do.
  • Make sure that you have a camera that is ready to go! You’ll want to take lots and lots of pictures of this precious time!
  • Declutter, clean and spend time organizing your home, especially the areas that bug you most!

Do-Ahead Postpartum Recipes

Easy Padsicle Recipe HERE

Postpartum Bath Salts Recipe HERE

Homemade Witch Hazel Cooling Pads Recipe HERE

**Learn more about how to prepare your postpartum personal care kit HERE and how to avoid harmful chemicals and toxins during your 4th trimester.

 

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