Postpartum Care | Helping Mothers Recover

Oftentimes, mothers aren’t truly given the support or amount of time needed to fully recover from what you’ll continue to hear me refer to as the beautiful, traumatic experience of childbirth. Below are a few ways that one’s significant other can be super supportive during the sore, achy, often painful, recovery process:

  1. Take time before delivery to understand what your partners body will go through following labor and delivery.   It’ll help you to be more understanding.  Also know the signs of baby blues and postpartum depression and keep an eye on how she’s feeling.
  2. If you’re able to take leave then do so.  Additional hands and support around the house is critical, especially during the first week or two. 
  3. Whether you can take leave or not, make yourself available.  When you’re not at work make it a point to be home as soon as you get off during those first few weeks.  She needs as much help as possible.   
  4. Remember that she needs rest, both during the day and at night and needs a break from the baby at times.
  5. Ask her how you can help her each and every day if you’re uncertain.
  6. Also, take the initiative to do what you know needs to be done (especially if you know she’ll try to do it herself if it doesn’t get done). 
  7. Make sure that she takes it easy. Many moms start trying to get back into a normal routine too soon. They need someone to tell them to rest, to let things go, to let others handle this or that. 
  8. Remember that six weeks is just the average recovery time.  Every ‘body’ is different. She may need more time to heal and recover. Be patient (especially sexually) and be understanding. 

Know that this season of your lives will pass more quickly than either of you realize when you look back on it!

Is there something you’d add to this list?
Please share in the comments.

Be Intentional,


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Photo by Natasha N Smith Photography

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6 Comments

  1. August 5, 2016 / 6:38 pm

    Oh man, I was still a hot mess after 6 weeks 🙂 I'm 6 months postpartum and finally feeling pretty back to normal!

  2. August 5, 2016 / 11:38 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing this! We moved three weeks after we had our little one and my hubby expected me to do all the housework at week 4, on top of unpacking! Wish he would read this!

  3. August 7, 2016 / 7:28 pm

    Thank you for this post! I'm due in December, and I know I'll need my husband to be there for me. He's going to be using his vacation time from work and taking a week off to help me out.

    -Katy
    skinstuffbykaty.blogspot.com

  4. August 8, 2016 / 2:56 am

    I think postpartum care is super important. I was thankfully able to take two weeks off to help my sister when she needed it a few years back. It was great because for me it bonded both her and I as well as the last week I was there I was able to help establish a working schedule for both her and her husband…

    If I have a kid – I really want my husband to know and understand this as well. Having a unit right off the bat is super important.

    Thanks for the post. Wonderful read and very informative.

  5. August 31, 2016 / 9:36 pm

    loved this post! I think men and women who haven't had a child yet (i.e. me) don't realize how much having a child takes a toll on your body.

  6. October 24, 2016 / 7:57 pm

    Thank you for using "partners" and being inclusive of non-traditional family units. Great tips!

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