How to Prepare for the Postpartum Overwhelm: My Favorite Three Lists — Episode #046

3 Essential Postpartum Lists

The first days and weeks after bringing home baby are tough. Postpartum You may seem all peaceful and serene to friends and family who stop by, but they don’t have the slightest idea just how overwhelmed you really are on the inside.

People want to help, but they don’t always know what to do. And it’s no fun for you as a new parent to explain your needs over and over again. That’s where the 3 Essential Postpartum Lists come in.

Today, I’m walking you through three simple documents that will protect your time and energy and communicate your boundaries and expectations. Listen in for insight on creating House Rules, How to Help, and Favorite Foods inventories and learn how to convey your need to refuel and recharge during the postpartum period.

The Startup Pregnant Podcast Episode #046

Some quotes from the episode

• “Those first days and weeks [postpartum] is a challenge not only in rest and recovery—and also getting to know a brand new human being—but it’s also a challenge in communications and boundary-setting.”
• “On your front door, before people even walk in, have a short, sweet [list] … that tells people what to expect when they walk in.”
• “I like to be explicit about what I expect because frankly it saves me a lot of time and energy in having to tell everyone over and over again what they need to do to be in our household.”
• “People really love helping, but they don’t always know what to do or how to help.”
• “From the outside looking in, new moms and new parents can look really peaceful and serene and sweet … and yet on the inside it can feel terrible and overwhelming and hormonal and rough and hard.”
• “People don’t know how hungry you are. I was surprised by how hungry I was. It’s like after a marathon, you eat for a week or two, just to recover.”
• “It’s like an old iPhone … when your battery just constantly runs out quickly. You need to recharge all the time.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Three Lists Every Postpartum Mama Needs
• Seamless
• Grubhub

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCAST & HOST

• Startup Pregnant
• Startup Pregnant on Facebook
• Startup Pregnant on Twitter
• Sponsor the Podcast
• Email hello@startuppregnant.com