Let’s be honest, there’s no way to know exactly how much postpartum support you will need before you have your baby, but there are some ways to help you make the best guess you can. Over the years I have done so many interviews where the biggest question I get is, “How do I know how much postpartum support I will need?!” After working with these clients talking through their unique family dynamics, strengths, areas that might need more support, and all the other factors we have to consider, I’ve come up with a list of questions that will help you decide how much help you should plan for and where!

• How much sleep do you (and your partner, if applicable) need to feel functional during the day? Are you a 10-12 hour a night kind of person or a 4-5 hour and you’re good to go?

• What is your current routine like now? Is one of you a night owl and the other an early riser? This may be in your benefit! If both of you are one or the other, how will you split up the parenting responsibilities so each of you can get at least 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night?

• What is your mental health history like? If either parent is experiencing or has experienced anxiety, depression or other mood disorders, there should be extra sleep support for the first 3-4 months as there is an increased risk due to fatigue and physical and social transitions for BOTH parents.

• Often times a pregnant person needs 3-4 weeks of recovery in or around the bed, what responsibilities do they have that will need to be covered while they heal?

• Who will be doing the household chores, like grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc while the birthing person is recovering?

• What kind of support do you currently have around you now in regards to family, friends, community and/or paid help? What kind of help is helpful and not helpful? How do you set healthy boundaries with visitors who are not so helpful?

These are just a few prompts to get you thinking about what your unique postpartum will look like and how you can start planning for that now. Of course, with pregnancy, birth, and your new addition there is so much uncertainty, but one thing can be certain: Make sure you surround yourself with loving, helpful support in the areas that your family needs most!

This is just one of the exercises we cover together in my postpartum prep and preparing for parenthood sessions. I have found families who do this exercise are much more prepared when entering postpartum and tend to recover more easily because they allowed themselves the support and recovery that is truly needed in postpartum!

For more information about my postpartum prep and preparing for parenthood sessions and other current services, please click here: www.DoulaDeb.com/how-I-can-help.