Planning for Postpartum Checklist

Before You Are Expecting

• Identify 2–3 trusted friends or relatives who could be part of a support team and brainstorm how they could support you. Practice by asking for help now.

• Research local postpartum doulas, support circles, and parent groups.

• Make a list of services you might want help with (i.e. cleaning, meals, errands, sibling care).

• Start a self-care habit you can easily continue postpartum (daily walk, morning journaling, etc.)

• Start testing and saving easy freezer-friendly meals you’d enjoy postpartum.

• Start a monthly meal ritual with a friend (or set of friends) that can continue before and after baby arrives

This next section is broken down into trimesters — however, if you are not pregnant, just view these lists as a three-phase prep while you are waiting for your baby to arrive!

First Trimester

• Begin building a care team: OB/midwife, therapist, pelvic floor PT, massage therapist, yoga class, etc.

• Ask friends who've had babies what support helped most—and what didn’t.

• Create a doc or note to start collecting postpartum resource contacts (e.g. lactation consultants, doulas, night nurses).

• Start researching your leave options and partner’s leave options.

• Choose your Meal Train platform (GiveInKind is my fav) + start planning logistics. You don’t need to wait for baby to arrive to ask for meal support!

• Make a short list of people to update after birth who can help organize support.

Second Trimester

• Draft and start communicating about your postpartum plan: who will check in, bring food, help with pets, etc.

• Set up a GiveInKind/MealTrain page (or draft it to launch later).

• Make your "freezer meals for hard days" list and begin batch cooking. Before baby arrives is hard too! Meal prep isn’t just for postpartum!

• Keep looking into local support groups or classes to help support you postpartum.

• Identify one or two people you trust to be point-of-contact for coordinating help. Talk to them about your plan.

• Have a conversation with your partner or co-parent about sleep shifts and emotional support needs. How will you get support for these?

Third Trimester

• Finalize, launch and share your GiveInKind or Meal Train, if you have not already.

• Schedule or confirm postpartum doula visits (or support friend/family visits).

• Print or save important contact info for lactation, postpartum mental health, newborn care, etc.

• Fill out a postpartum planning workbook (check out my website) or checklist with your partner.

• Organize household tasks and delegate/outsource in advance where possible.

• Keep practicing asking for help. Challenge yourself to ask for help you could do without once a week.

• Communicate clear visiting expectations and boundaries with family/friends.

After Baby Has Arrived

• Ask your point-person to update your GiveInKind/Meal Train with new needs. If you do not have one, start one or have someone start one for you.

• Take time to reflect weekly: What do I need emotionally? Practically? Who can help?

• Reach out to your support circle or professional help if you're feeling overwhelmed or isolated.

• Lean on the people who said "Let me know what I can do"—give them specific tasks.

• Join a postpartum support group or community circle (online or in-person).

• Keep freezer meals stocked (even if it is something easy like meals from Trader Joes)—invite others to contribute.

If you are already postpartum, it is not too late to get support from friends/family or from a postpartum doula. Check out this blog post about Planning Postpartum After Baby Has Arrived!