5 Ways to Smoothly Adjust to Postpartum Life

There is great pressure to “bounce back” to your pre-baby life as soon as your baby enters the world. Social media, celebrities, and television perpetuate the idea of a perfect postpartum period, where your body is immediately the same as before, your house is perfectly in order, and you’re back to work within a few weeks.  
 
But the reality is that establishing your new life with a baby can take time. What was once a familiar regimen of life is now completely altered. Adjusting to the new way of life after giving birth to your beautiful baby is a process that does not happen overnight as we’d sometimes like to believe.  
 
Amidst the pressure you’re probably experiencing to return to “normal” at the drop of a hat, we want to encourage you with a realistic list of ways to successfully manage your new life with your baby. Here are five tips for a smooth adjustment to postpartum life:  
 

1. Create a family calendar.  

 
• Compiling your family activities and appointments onto one family calendar will help to manage the stress of daily life. Simply writing things down on a calendar is helpful so that you have one less thing to think about. There is no more worrying about missed appointments when everything is in one place.  

• You can keep a calendar on your fridge for easy accessibility and frequent viewing. If you like to keep things digital, create a shared calendar on Google or via family organizer apps such as TimeTree or DigiCal.  

  

2. Keep your routine consistent.  

 
• Creating a daily routine that you can stick to is essential for your new life with a newborn. Your routine will help keep chaos at bay.  

• Creating a routine also gives you one less thing to think about. If you stick to your routine consistently, it will become muscle memory.  

• Be sure to create a routine for yourself, your baby, and other family members. In your evening routine, you could incorporate preparation for the next day by packing lunches, laying out clothes, or getting your baby’s diaper bag ready. By preparing the night before, your morning will go smoothly.  

  

3. Get the support you need at work.  


• If you work outside the home, be sure to ask your employer before having your baby what the policies are for maternity leave, staying home with sick children (sick leave), and breastfeeding. If your employer has a handbook, you can check the details of each policy there. If you’re unsure, you can ask your employer.   

• For your reference, the average unpaid maternity leave in the United States is ten weeks long. About half of moms take at least five weeks of leave, while 25% of moms take more than nine weeks. According to a 2018 Mercer survey, 40% of employers offer paid maternity leave in some capacity. 80% of these employers offer paid maternity leave for the entire leave period.  

• Many employers allow paid time off to be used to care for immediate family members, such as parents, children, and spouses. Other companies do not allow paid time off to be used to care for a sick family member, so you’ll want to clarify your company’s policy before your child becomes ill.  

• According to womenshealth.gov, “the federal Break Time for Nursing Mothers law requires employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to provide basic accommodations for breastfeeding mothers at work”. Among these accommodations are a time to pump and a private space to pump that is not a bathroom.  

• It’s important to note that not every company has a lactation support policy, so you may need to start a conversation about pumping breaks during the workday.  

  

4. Maintain a strong network of support.  


• It's important to maintain a quality support system when making the transition back to work. You can join mommy support groups virtually or in person. There are plenty of mommy support groups to ease the transition into motherhood. Knowing that you’re not alone on your journey can be very helpful!  

• Ask your friends and family to help when they visit. Although managing visitors so that there’s not too much overlap will probably be necessary, you can coordinate with family and friends to have people with you at different times. Spreading the visits out will allow you more time to have assistance in small tasks, such as preparing dinner or cleaning the kitchen.  

  

5. Go easy on yourself.  


• Life is not perfect, and you don’t need to be perfect either. Adjusting to a new schedule with your brand-new baby is tough work. Be sure to celebrate the small victories and give yourself grace as you develop a new pace of life.