Building a Postpartum Care Team: Your Guide to Feeling Fully Supported After Birth
Are you already imagining the chaos of those first few weeks after birth? The exhaustion, the physical recovery, the emotional ups and downs—all while figuring out how to care for a newborn. The reality is that the postpartum period can be as overwhelming as it is beautiful, and you deserve to have support set up just for you.
What exactly is a postpartum care team? Think of it as your personal support system—a group of professionals dedicated to guiding you through every aspect of your recovery and helping you feel capable, prepared, and (dare I say) confident. Here’s a guide to building a team that meets your needs so you don’t just survive but thrive in postpartum.
What You Will Learn in This Blog Post:
Why a Postpartum Care Team Matters: See how having dedicated support can make early postpartum smoother and more manageable.
Key Roles for Your Support Network: Meet the essential experts—like doulas, lactation consultants, and sleep coaches—who can support your well-being.
How to Build Your Team: Get tips on choosing and connecting with the right professionals to create a support system tailored to you.
1. Postpartum Doula: Emotional and Practical Support
A postpartum doula brings calm, expertise, and practical help right into your home. Imagine having someone there who’s trained to help you with newborn care, offer tips on feeding, or just listen as you process your birth experience. A postpartum doula can be a lifeline in those early, hazy days.
What they do:
Help with infant care and soothing techniques
Offer emotional support to help you navigate postpartum ups and downs
Assist with breastfeeding or formula feeding
Take on light housekeeping tasks so you can focus on rest
2. Lactation Consultant: Support for Your Feeding Journey
Whether you’re breastfeeding, formula-feeding, or a mix of both, a lactation consultant is there to guide you through any feeding challenges. They’re experts in all things feeding-related and can provide practical strategies, encouragement, and troubleshooting for everything from latch issues to milk supply concerns.
What they do:
Offer guidance on positioning and latch for breastfeeding
Help with pumping strategies if you’re going back to work
Provide reassurance and solutions for feeding concerns
Educate on bottle-feeding techniques, no matter your feeding choice
3. Perinatal Nutritionist: Fueling Your Recovery
Your body has just been through an incredible transformation, and nourishing it properly can speed up healing, boost your energy, and even support milk production. A perinatal nutritionist can help you find a practical approach to nutrition that keeps you fueled for the demands of new motherhood.
What they do:
Create personalized meal plans to meet your postpartum needs
Offer tips on easy, nutrient-dense snacks
Help you manage any dietary restrictions or concerns
Support nutritional needs for breastfeeding moms and beyond
4. Sleep Consultant: Prioritizing Rest for You and Baby
Sleep deprivation is no joke, and lack of sleep can make everything feel ten times harder. A sleep consultant helps create a plan for both you and your baby to maximize rest. They can help you set up realistic sleep routines, troubleshoot night wakings, and work on techniques for better sleep.
What they do:
Create sleep schedules tailored to your baby’s needs
Offer guidance for sleep training (if and when you’re ready)
Provide solutions for common sleep disruptions
5. Chiropractor: Physical Healing and Alignment
Pregnancy and birth can leave you with aches, pains, and alignment issues. A chiropractor trained in postpartum care can help relieve discomfort and get you back to feeling comfortable in your body. They work to realign your spine and pelvis, easing tension and pain that may linger post-birth.
What they do:
Relieve postpartum back, hip, and neck pain
Restore alignment after pregnancy and birth
Provide exercises to support posture and overall comfort
6. Pelvic Health Therapist: Reclaiming Your Core and Pelvic Floor
After birth, the pelvic floor can be weakened or strained, leading to issues like incontinence or pain. A pelvic health therapist can help you safely restore strength and function in this area. They’re a key part of long-term recovery, addressing core stability, posture, and pelvic health.
What they do:
Assess and treat pelvic floor dysfunction
Guide you through exercises to strengthen core and pelvic muscles
Offer support for returning to exercise safely
7. Perinatal Fitness Expert: A Safe Return to Movement
Ready to regain strength but not sure where to start? A perinatal fitness expert provides safe, tailored exercises that support your recovery, strengthen your core, and respect your body’s healing process. They’ll help you feel empowered and energized as you gradually get back to movement.
What they do:
Create customized exercise plans based on where you are in postpartum recovery
Guide you through exercises that support core and pelvic floor healing
Help you gradually regain strength, confidence, and mobility
8. Mental Health Counselor: Caring for Your Emotional Well-being
Postpartum is a huge adjustment, and it’s normal to experience everything from mild blues to more serious challenges. A mental health counselor specializing in perinatal care can help you process this life change, manage anxiety, and cope with any overwhelming emotions.
What they do:
Provide therapy for postpartum depression or anxiety
Offer coping strategies for stress and overwhelm
Help you process your birth experience and new identity as a mother
Ready to Build Your Postpartum Care Team?
Building a postpartum care team isn’t about asking for too much—it’s about ensuring you have what you need to feel strong, supported, and prepared. Identify the areas you’d love help in, and reach out to these professionals to give yourself the gift of support and healing.
Ready to dive deeper? Download my guide, POSTPARTUM ON PURPOSE: A GUIDE TO TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR WELL-BEING, and start building your personalized postpartum plan. You deserve all the care and support to make this journey as smooth and empowering as possible.
Before you leave, make sure to download your free guide!
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