Feathering Your Postpartum Nest

Driving home on a rainy Atlanta night as the temperatures slid toward freezing, my mind turned to visions of home and ... groceries.  I asked myself: should I stop for supplies on the way home?  Most of us prepare for storms and special occasions by gathering provisions, planning meals and preparing for guests.  But what happens when a new baby comes home? 

 

For Moms today it isn't enough to have a healthy successful pregnancy.  Many professional mothers feel pressured to run on all cylinders until the moment they skid into their labor bed.  They are expected to create magazine ready pregnancy announcements, have television worthy baby showers and personalized signs for their hospital doors.  And don't forget the custom matching hospital gowns and baby blankets.

 

But in the hustle and bustle of modern motherhood, moms forget to prepare for the most important part of bringing a new baby home: preparing for rest and recovery.

 

Birth is hard. Babies are hard.  They are unpredictable in every way except one: living with a new baby is guaranteed to be exhausting.

 

So put yourself at the top of your to-do list.  Arrange for help with housework, grocery shopping, meal preparation and caring for other children for the first 1-2 weeks after your delivery.  If you know you'll have a surgical delivery, arrange to have an adult with you for the first two weeks.  In these uncertain days, you may need to make a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C!  Do whatever you need to do to be sure that you can spend your first two weeks getting acquainted with your new baby, healing from your delivery and getting your breastfeeding launched.  You deserve it.