Your Postnatal Recovery Plan: Rest, Repair, and Rebalance

Because preparing for birth is only half your story.

You’ve probably packed your hospital bag, pre-washed the baby clothes, and sorted the car seat. But have you planned for you?

Postnatal recovery isn’t just about your body bouncing back—it’s about caring for the woman who’s just grown and birthed a human being. It’s giving yourself permission to rest, heal, and adjust to your new normal.

Pregnancy and birth are enormous physical and emotional experiences. We spend so much time preparing for the big day itself that the after often catches us off guard. The truth is, the weeks following birth can be tender, messy, and full of surprises—but with a bit of preparation and kindness to yourself, they can also be peaceful, restorative, and even beautiful.

Why Planning Ahead Matters

Think of your postnatal recovery as your fourth trimester—a continuation of pregnancy, just with your baby on the outside. Your body is still working incredibly hard: healing tissues, producing milk, regulating hormones, and adjusting to new routines.
Preparing ahead means you’ll have what you need when it really counts—less scrambling, less stress, and more space to focus on what truly matters: rest, recovery, and bonding with your baby.

A little forward planning goes a long way. Having your feeding spot set up, meals prepped, and essentials within reach can turn chaos into calm.

The 5+5+5 Postnatal Plan

This is one of my favourite frameworks for new mums (and dads) - a simple, gentle way to pace your recovery without guilt or pressure.

The idea is simple:

• 5 days in bed

• 5 days around the bed

• 5 days around the house

Let’s unpack what that really looks like.

5 Days In Bed – Rest and Heal

Your only job for these first five days is to rest, feed, and recover.
Let others bring meals, snacks, or the baby to you. Stay horizontal as much as you can—this helps your body heal faster and supports uterine recovery.

Set yourself up with a “snack station” beside your bed:

• Water bottle (aim to drink every time you feed)

• Nipple balm

• Peri spray

• Breast pads

• Phone charger

• Healthy snacks you can eat with one hand—think snack bars, fruit, nuts, or dried fruit etc

If your partner asks how they can help, this is a great start: ask them to keep your station topped up and bring you meals. Their job is to look after you while you look after the baby.

5 Days Around the Bed – Move Gently

When you start to feel ready, begin moving between your bed and nearby spaces—perhaps the couch, bathroom, or nursery.
You can start showering daily (even if it’s just a two-minute refresh) and spending short periods upright, but avoid chores and long walks just yet.

This is also a good time to start using tools that soothe your body:

• Sitz baths: A shallow, warm bath designed to gently cleanse and comfort your perineal area. You can fill your bathtub - add warm water and a handful of Epsom salts or healing herbs to soothe swelling and encourage healing.

• Peri spray: A gentle, all-natural spray that cools, calms, and supports healing after birth. (You can grab one from my store—it’s a postnatal essential and pairs beautifully with padsicles!)

Keep nourishing your body with protein-rich snacks, water, and fibre-filled foods. Your body is still doing big work -healing takes fuel!

5 Days Around the House – Ease Back In

By now, you may feel more like yourself, but go slow. This is the “soft re-entry” phase, not a return to full speed.
Do little things that make you feel human again: make a cuppa, sit outside, fold a few baby clothes—but resist the urge to “catch up” or entertain visitors.

Move your snack station in your go-to spot where you’ll spend most of your time.
Stock it with:

• A big water bottle

• One-handed snacks: muesli bars, fruit, yoghurt pouches, cheese sticks, or trail mix

• Burp cloths, muslin wraps, and a phone or book - Ask your partner to keep it topped up. Small gestures like this can make the long feeding days (and nights) feel more manageable.

Emotional Recovery – The Part We Don’t Talk About Enough

Your body isn’t the only thing healing—your emotions are too.
It’s completely normal to feel a rollercoaster of feelings after birth: joy, pride, love, tears, exhaustion, frustration, guilt, and everything in between. Hormones, sleep deprivation, and constant feeding can turn even the simplest moment into an emotional mountain.

In my blog “The Truth About Newborn Sleep”, we talked about how important it is to manage expectations. No baby sleeps perfectly. No mum has it all together. If your baby wakes often, needs contact naps, or won’t settle unless you’re holding them—that’s normal, not a reflection of your parenting.

So please, let go of the pressure to have a “good sleeper” or to “bounce back.”
Focus on connection, not perfection.

Support Starts With Communication

Partners often want to help but don’t always know how. Be specific.

• “Can you make me some toast while I feed?”

• “Could you take the baby for 20 minutes so I can shower?”

• “Please keep my water bottle filled.”

This isn’t asking for favours—it’s teamwork. Postnatal recovery isn’t meant to be done solo. Let your partner, family, and friends step up.

And if you find yourself feeling teary or unlike yourself beyond those first couple of weeks, reach out to your midwife, GP, or a support service. You don’t have to wait until things feel “bad enough.”

Final Thoughts – Recovery is a Journey, Not a Race

There’s no medal for rushing your recovery.
You won’t remember how quickly you got back to housework or how soon you fit into your jeans—but you will remember how supported, rested, and loved you felt in those early weeks.

Here are a few reminders as you navigate this time:

• Rest is productive. Healing requires stillness. Let the washing pile up - it can wait.

• Eat, drink, repeat. Keep snacks and water within reach at all times. You can’t pour from an empty cup (literally).

• Accept help. Meals, laundry, baby cuddles - say yes. Let your village in.

• Check your expectations. Your baby isn’t meant to sleep like a textbook, and neither are you.

• Move gently. When you’re ready, start with short walks and stretches. Listen to your body - it’s the best guide you’ve got.

Remember, recovery isn’t linear. Some days will feel amazing, and others might feel like you’re back at square one. Both are normal.
The most important thing?

Give yourself grace.

You’ve done something extraordinary - now it’s time to let yourself be cared for, too.