Coming home with a new baby is so exciting! But without adequate support, it can also be so overwhelming. Preparing in advance of baby’s arrival will go a long way to making the postpartum period (and beyond) that much more enjoyable. So, how do you prepare for support? Take inventory of who is available to help you — not just for child care or parenting questions, but for things like listening to your birth story, talking about new parenthood, and calling in the middle of the night with a question. Use the inventory tip sheet below as your guide.
For been-there parents, did you arrange support before baby arrived? How did it help?
Reprinted with permission from Passion for Birth®.
Who Ya Gonna Call (Text/Email/IM)? Support Inventory
(Think of friends, family, neighbors, work or school contacts, health care providers, faith-based connections or others. List name and contact information.)
1. To share good times
a.
b.
2. To talk about concerns (feeling blue, process the birth, relationship issues)
a.
b.
3. To provide child care
a.
b.
4. To run errands or provide transportation
a.
b.
5. To share parenting advice
a.
b.
6. To provide breastfeeding support
a.
b.
7. To provide meals or help with household tasks if asked
a.
b.
8. To ask medical questions (about the baby, about you)
a.
b.
9. Who can you call at 3 am for whatever reason?
a.
b.
10. To help in crisis (housing, food, domestic violence, money)
a.
b.
11. To exercise with
a.
b.
12. When you think you may have postpartum depression
a.
b.
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