Planning for your baby’s arrival is usually part and parcel of your pregnancy journey. We are encouraged to make birth plans by our midwives, you might be thinking of decorating a nursery, not to mention making a list of things to buy for when your baby arrives.

But, often we stop there.

Planning for your own recovery after birth is one of the most useful things you can do during your pregnancy. Not only will it impact your immediate experience of motherhood, but could also affect your life for many years to come. Your ability to care for a newborn will depend on your own health and wellbeing and so it’s worth investing some time into.

Postnatal Recovery — Here’s some simple ideas to help simplify the process of planning for your postnatal recovery:

Meal planning.
During those first few days and weeks it’s easy to fall into the trap of grazing on snacks, ordering takeaways and relying on sweet treats and caffeine to help you through.
Nobody expects you to be cooking 5 star meals while you navigate exhaustion, new routines, feeding the baby and adjusting to your new role. But, eating good nutritious food can be vital in helping your body to heal and recover, replenishing your energy levels and for milk production if you choose to breastfeed.
If at all possible during the last few weeks of pregnancy it’s really worthwhile batch cooking some healthy, nutritious meals that you can keep in the freezer. Even better - if family or friends offer to help, give them the task!
Aim for food that you’ll look forward to eating after a tiring day. Our nutritionist Chloe has a number of blogs with recommendations for what to eat for postnatal recovery. Our online postnatal recovery programme also includes a whole nutrition booklet to guide you if you’re unsure about what to eat.

2. Start your pelvic floor exercises now!

Pelvic floor 360 Mama — Evidence shows that women have a decreased risk of developing urinary incontinence postnatally if they begin pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy.

3. Plan with your partner or support network, how you will cope in the first few weeks after you bring your baby home.

For example, will your partner be able to take some parental leave to assist you for the first few weeks?

Consider that if you have a C-section delivery you will be advised to be cautious of doing too much lifting (think car seats, buggies, shopping bags), it may be uncomfortable to use the stairs at first and you’ll be instructed not to drive for 6 weeks after your surgery.

4. Think about how you can organise and arrange your home to make things easier for yourself.

Simple ideas such as having a changing station set up both downstairs and upstairs can stop you from rushing to another room each time a poo explosion occurs.

You’re likely to find yourself spending more time in bed while you recover, and because it’s advisable to try to sleep when your baby sleeps. Spend some time thinking about having things accessible to you. Once your partner returns to work they can help by making sure you have water, drinks and snacks nearby so that you're not forced to keep going downstairs.

While you establish a feeding routine, you might find yourself stuck in one spot for a while and having a bottle of water or snack nearby can save you some discomfort.

5. Make plans with family and friends about visiting times.

Although they mean well, and it’s impossible to resist turning up for cuddles with a newborn, it’s not always convenient and can leave you feeling even more exhausted.

Being able to explain this, or have your partner on board to support you with this can make it so much easier at the time. It can avoid offending anyone, and most importantly giving you the essential time to rest, recover and bond with your new baby.