11 Resources for your Postpartum Care Team
Plus some you may not have thought about!
I am SO passionate about preparing for your postpartum period here at The Baby Planner. We do so much as expecting parents to take care of ourselves during pregnancy and prepare for birth and breastfeeding - and we often underestimate how difficult the postpartum period can be.
The length of this period is defined differently depending on who you ask. But for the purposes of this article, we will define it as the first 6-12 weeks after your baby is born. I define it this way because that’s how much time many are taking off work for maternity leave in the US. I coach my clients through this time and also into the next transition of returning to work or your “new normal.”
So how do you prepare for Postpartum and who should be supporting you? My philosophy is that Mom, or the birthing parent, should rest as much as possible. Everyone should be supporting the mom and her only job should be to take care of the baby, rest, eat, and shower. Now if you have adopted or a baby has arrived in a non-traditional way, you will have more options for balance since there isn’t a birthing parent who needs to heal from labor. However, don’t underestimate the effects of sleep deprivation and the adjustment to the changes of having a whole human to care for.
When it comes to getting support during this time, I recommend getting as much support as you can reasonably afford. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of postpartum care that is covered by insurance but I’ll point out the average costs of each type of care if it isn’t typically covered by insurance. You may be able to fill some of these roles with members of your friends and family at least some of the time.
Options for your Postpartum Care Team
1. OB, Midwife, and L&D Nurses
For the birthing parent, Your OB or midwife should be taking care of your physical health. They and the L&D nurses will care for you during labor and for the first few days after birth and will give you the tools to heal your body. Some will check in with your mental state for signs of Postpartum Depression (PPD) and Postpartum Anxiety (PPA), but I’d still recommend having a therapist in addition to your medical team.
Cost: All postpartum checkups should be covered by your insurance plan.
2. Pediatrician
You should be researching and finding a pediatrician in your third trimester or about a month or two before your baby arrives. You will most likely get your baby checked by a pediatrician in the hospital or 1 to 2 days after birth. Then check-ups again at 1-2 weeks, 1 month, then quarterly for the first year. I’d recommend finding a reputable pediatrician that also has some kind of on-call service so you can call the nurses outside of working hours if you have a health question.
Cost: All pediatric checkups (well visits) should be covered by your insurance plan. Sick visits will be your copay rate.
3. Lactation Consultant
If you plan to breastfeed I recommend having a lactation consultant on call. There will most likely be LCs available in the hospital but many parents still need support once they are home. I recommend finding an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) before you give birth to have on call as soon as your baby is born.
Cost: This is often covered by insurance and may even cover home visits. Without insurance, a session with a lactation consultant can range from $100-$300 per consult. Some will offer free or inexpensive group classes.
4. Postpartum Doula
You’ve probably heard of doulas but did you know there are postpartum doulas? They will visit you during the day after you arrive home with your baby and are capable of helping with so many things like caring for your baby while you take a shower, babysitting older children, consulting you on feeding and babywearing, light chores, meal prep, and many are also lactation consultants!
This is one of those types of support that you can definitely get a friend or family member to help with. So think about who in your life may be able to come by and help with light household tasks, laundry, and watching older kids, maybe once or twice a week for those first 4-6 weeks.
Cost: Postpartum doulas are generally not covered by insurance and can cost between $25-$55 per hour, depending on where you live and their certifications. Some will have a minimum number of hours you will be required to commit ahead of time.
5. Night Nurse
Nighttime can be really difficult with a newborn. You are exhausted and it’s your body’s normal time to need rest but you have a little bundle of joy who still needs to eat every 1-3 hours, even through the night. A night nurse is a GREAT option to help with this. They will stay in the room with your baby overnight and care for them, feed them, diaper them, etc. If you are breastfeeding they will bring your baby to you to feed and then get your baby changed and back to bed while you go straight back to sleep. During this time, ANY extra sleep is amazing. Once your baby is age-appropriate, they can also assist in getting them to sleep longer stretches during the night. If you can afford it, I highly recommend hiring a night nurse.
Cost: Night nurses are generally not covered by insurance and can cost $25-$45 per hour. Night nurses will typically cost slightly more than the regular babysitting/nanny rate in your area since they are working at night and need extra certifications, like a Newborn Care Specialist.
6. Therapist
I highly recommend having a therapist established for both parents before your baby is born. Your mental state is challenged in so many ways with a newborn and it is so important to get help adjusting to this new lifestyle. You will have more responsibilities, less time, more tasks, and it’s overwhelming. Sleep deprivation and hormonal fluctuations can have a serious impact on your mental state as well, causing many new moms to have PPD or PPA.
Cost: Some insurance covers therapy. Without insurance, therapy can cost $65-250+ per hour.
7. Pelvic Floor Therapist
If you’ve given birth vaginally, there may be some work to do to get your pelvic floor back to normal, or at least close to it. If you are struggling with incontinence, constipation, urgency, pain, or sexual dysfunction, talk to your OB or Midwife about a referral to a pelvic floor therapist. There are also apps, online classes, and devices out there as well that help train your pelvic floor.
Cost: some insurance covers a set number of sessions (usually 4-8 sessions) for the specialist rate (more than your normal copay) and some don’t cover at all. Without insurance, the cost of a pelvic floor specialist will most likely range from $75-$100+ per session.
8. The Baby Planner
Did you know I can help you after your baby is born too! With many of my clients, I’ll do a virtual or in-person check-in and see how you are doing, if there are any questions you have, if I can refer you to any experts, and generally support you. I also do a second check-in closer to your return to work and help create a work-life balance plan to create custom routines and coaching for your new normal. See the baby planning services here.
Cost: $125+
9. House Cleaner
If you have a house cleaner already, it may be good to ask them if they can come more often for the first couple of weeks and help with any additional things like dishes and laundry. Otherwise, it may make sense to hire a temporary house cleaner or ask friends and family to help out for the first 4-6 weeks. Anything you can get off your plate so you can rest and take care of your baby is worth it if you can reasonably afford it!
Cost: House cleaners can range from $75-$250+ per cleaning
10. Meal Delivery Service
We spend a LOT of time meal prepping and eating. If you are breastfeeding, it will be especially important for you to always have meals and snacks on hand because you will be HUNGRY… maybe even more hungry than you were when you were pregnant because your body is working hard to create those nutrients for your baby. I recommend setting up a meal delivery service or getting your friends and family to create a meal train. You can set one up for free at www.mealtrain.com - they can also gift you gift cards to meal delivery services as Uber eats. some cities have companies that specialize in making meals just for postpartum so check if that’s available in your area!
Cost: $12-$25+ per meal
11. Other
I encourage you to think through all the daily and weekly tasks you typically need to get done and see how you may be able to outsource them for a short period of time. Have pets? Maybe a dog walker is a good option. Can a neighbor grab your mail and take down your trash bins for you? Is one of you a stay-at-home parent to an older kid who isn’t in school yet? Maybe a nanny makes sense for the first 4-6 weeks. Make a plan or reach out to me to help make one, so you are utilizing all the good people in your life to support you and everyone is clear on how to do just that.