Trish: [00:00:00] Hey there mamas, welcome back to The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama. I'm your host Trish and today we're diving deep into a topic that's super close to my heart, especially after having six newborns. Preparing your home for your postpartum and embracing what I like to To refer to as the five, five, five booty recovery guide.

I know firsthand how overwhelming it can be to bring your baby home and adjust to all those changes. And I see you. I know you're out there prepping for the birth, thinking about all the cute little baby stuff and supplies you need, but I want to help you set up your space. Base and create an environment that supports your healing both physically and emotionally.

So grab a cup of tea, get comfy, and let's talk about it.

So the first thing we're gonna talk about is setting up your postpartums. [00:01:00] We're going to talk about getting your home ready. Your home should be your sanctuary. It's your cozy space. It's your safe space. This is where you can heal and bond with your baby. Now, we're not going to talk about boundaries, but remember it's your sanctuary.

And what's the thing about sanctuary? We claim sanctuary because we're, we're staying safe. We don't want people inside that boundaries, inside the sanctuary per se, that are going to make you feel uncomfortable. So, You know, think about that. That's a whole nother podcast topic. We also have, episode 132, I believe is preparing for newborn sleep.

Cause that's really going to affect your experience and everything you need to know about breastfeeding and getting prepped that way. You should definitely be prepping for breastfeeding. You need to be ready for all of the things. All of the things. And I really recommend that on top of that, you create a list of what [00:02:00] you might need if you end up having a cesarean, because you guys, there are legit reasons Transcribed For cesareans now episode 120 talks about navigating those early days of breastfeeding, and it's really, really good.

But I want you guys to be ready for all the things, all the things, okay, all of the things. You don't want to be blindsided. This is why inside of my birth classes, we break it all down from trying to conceive all the way to taking care of a baby and your booty at home. Okay, so the first thing we're going to talk about is we're going to talk about setting up your postpartum space, preparing your home.

I've already said, this is your sanctuary. This is your cozy space. This is where you'll heal and you'll bond. So here are some steps to make that happen. Number one, stock up on your essentials ahead of time. [00:03:00] I will link in the show notes to our list on Amazon, but girl, you need to have a postpartum. plan where you've listed out what you need and you have it in your home.

You don't want to be running around like a chicken with your head cut off after delivery. So here's what I suggest. I'm obsessed with those three level carts that you can have. You can get them at like Target, Ikea. They're not very expensive. If you have two stories, put one up, put one down, go ahead and just do it.

Stock them both up. You can have a level for baby, a level for mom and booby, and then a level for your booty. Now, if you have a basket in your bathroom, you don't necessarily have to have the level for your booty. But the things that you want to have in there are like pads and nipple cream and snacks and water bottles, baby care, like diapers and baby wipes, a couple of changes of outfits.

Cause those babies like to have blowout diapers, girl, you just [00:04:00] wait for that. And you won't be running around looking. And even worse, you won't be trying to tell your partner who, if your partner is like Steve Ware, he may not know where anything is. So you want to make sure that you have these essentials ready to go.

Ready to go. Now, I did forget to say, when I'm talking about setting up your home, I also want you to set up your, your immediate sanctuary area. This is going to be a space where you can heal. Most of us, most women, have a really hard time healing if our space is chaotic. Messy stuff everywhere. So that might be the area of your house that you want to focus a little more time on.

Make it your little sanctuary. Buy some really beautiful candles, some twinkle lights. Make sure you have a dim light that you can breastfeed with. Mom Cozy has one that I really love. I'll link to it in the show notes. It's also in my postpartum essentials list, but [00:05:00] you really want to create a space space that, that sets the vibe for healing and recovery because emotionally and physically you're going to be, you're going to be rough.

It's going to be rough. Okay. So I want you to be ready for that. Now for your stocking up on your essentials, if you have the carts, you can just roll them from one room to the other. And this is why I say, So if you have an upstairs and a downstairs, you want to put one in each area. And again, if you're, if there's, you know, there's always a potential, you could have a C section.

Now, if you do have a C section, ask your postpartum nurse for a, an abdominal binder. You can ask for one for, for a vaginal delivery as well. They're actually pretty amazing at helping that uterus heal, but have all those things ready. Have some healthy snacks, have some list of important numbers. in there, add a Kindle in there, add some entertainment, a charger, whatever it is, so that you're not running around unnecessary.

The biggest thing [00:06:00] that I'm going to say, girl, is especially if you're breastfeeding, you're going to be so freaking thirsty. So maybe even two water bottles. All right, let's talk about your spot again. I want to remind you, I've already said, set it up, get it organized, make sure it's cozy and it's your vibe.

And for each of us, that's different. I know for myself, if I see a pile of laundry or garbage or even dog toys all over the floor, which drives me insane, especially Remy, because she tears them up all over the house. I, I have to have my vibe nice and organized, at least what is in my eyes line and what I can see.

So designate a specific spot for yourself, maybe even by yourself, like a, a nice little fuzzy blanket and make sure it's comfy. With plenty of pillows, blankets, and maybe even a heating pad. Like you could put that in your rolly cart as well and keep it that area with your rolly cart [00:07:00] or keep at least your area stocked with things like your prenatal vitamins, any of your medications, ibuprofen, Tylenol, your peri bottle, your phone, a good book, all of those things for when you're sitting a little bit longer.

The other thing I want you to really focus on before baby comes is your body just went through something insane. Incredibly insane. Amazing, but don't forget to have healthy nourishment ready. Have things like granola bars and trail mix and fruit and stay in hydrated. So even if you buy some like liquid IVs, Some Powerade, some Gatorades or whatever the healthy versions are.

Some coconut water, make sure you have those things ready. Get some easy meals. One of the things that my friends do when we're not having our first baby, we do a diaper and a frozen meal, baby shower. But if people are asking you, Hey, what can I [00:08:00] do? Tell them to bring you a frozen meal, like, or a meal for you.

But don't feel like you can't be specific with your dietary needs. And once girl, if you do not like casseroles, like my daughter can't handle things all mixed together like that, tell them, cause there's no point in them bringing it if it's not healthy, I love soups and casseroles after my baby, and I love apple juice and juices, but just really remember that you need to feed you to heal.

You have to have that to heal. The other thing that I want to talk about is organizing help. If you have family or friends who have offered to help, make a list, get those efforts organized, but you do not want the people who come over and cause you more work. So you know who I'm talking about. If they're going to come over and only want to hold the baby, that is not going to work.

You can hold the baby. So [00:09:00] set up a schedule and don't feel guilty. Maybe even use an app. a meal train to coordinate meal deliveries, help with laundry. And here's the thing, when they come over and they say to you, what can I do to help you already have a list of things that you're going to have a hard time asking and go ahead, put it on the fridge and say, you know what?

I feel really uncomfortable asking. So labor nurse mama told me to make a list. And it's on the fridge and you can look at it and pick if there's anything you want to do or nothing. It's up to you. And that just takes it that that weight off your shoulders. The other thing I want to say is your sleep space.

Make sure now y'all I'm just going to say this out loud. I slept with all my babies, but they recommend that you use sleep safety and co sleeping isn't always recommended. So that is not my medical advice. That's my advice as a mother. I did it. [00:10:00] If it's not for you, it's not for you, but set up a safe sleeping area for both you and baby.

If you've had a C section, it might be a recliner. So you may find yourself sleeping sleep in a recliner for a little while because getting out of bed is hard. You want to have a bassinet or something near your bed. Girls, y'all do not need a crib in those first early months. So don't worry about that.

Have something that you can have that's handy and easy. I like some sort of bassinet or crib or a sleeping thing, whatever you want to call it, for the baby that is on wheels so that I can move it with me. But having it near your bed is going to make your life so much easier during those nighttime feeds.

And you know, your partner's going to get their sleep disturbed too. They just will. So don't worry about that, but minimizing them out. You have to move around, especially at night will really help with your recovery. So now I want to talk about my five, five, five booty recovery guide. And this is for all of you guys.

[00:11:00] Okay. Once you've set up your home, what this is. is a simple framework to keep you from overdoing it. Okay. Really, you should be resting for 40 days. Like that is the traditional in most countries, but here in America we get like five minutes. So what I want you to do is break this down for your first 15 days.

Minimal. Okay. There's three phases, five days in the bed, five days on the bed and five days near the bed. So let me break it down. The first five days you, this is your full on rest. No guilt about asking for help. No guilt. Even if you have to say, Hey, can you get my drink? Oh shoot. Can you go get my phone?

Oh shoot. Can you get me a pad? That's fine. Don't worry about that. You should literally be in bed as much as possible. Your body has just gone through something and the rest is crucial for healing sleep, which you're going to get little love. But if you're [00:12:00] laying in bed, just caring for baby, that's all you have to worry about.

Surround yourself with comfort items, your blankets, your pillows, your three level cart, your cozy socks, and let People take care of you. If that's hard for you, this is not the time to be worrying about asking too much. I'm giving you permission. Your main job is to snuggle the baby and recover. The next five days are on the bed.

That is all about moving from in bed to on the bed. That might mean you're sitting up a little more. You're getting dressed in some nice Soft, comfy clothes that make you feel good, but you're still not overdoing it. You might move to your couch or recliner, but keep your activity minimal. Allow yourself extra time to bond, feed and rest.

It's gradual. You have no pressure. There's no expectations, whatever works for you. Now, I know one of our students, Jennifer, this was extremely hard for her. She wanted to be out and about doing all the [00:13:00] things, but there's going to be a point when you can start doing some pregnant or postnatal fitness and stuff like that.

If you listen to episode one Oh one, I'm talking to Kim Perry fit and it's awesome, but you guys need to be really. Recovering. This is a life changing event. This is so important. Okay. And then I do, I know there's an episode, I think it's episode 86, where I talked to Melissa Fernandez. She was like an acrobat turned doula and she talks all about your postpartum recovery and it's really good.

Okay. The last five days near the bed. This is your final set of five days. It's all about expanding your range a little bit where you can get away from the bed, but come back to the bed, start moving around the house, go for a little walk, but keep your focus still on recovery. You can step outside for fresh [00:14:00] air.

That's very healing, but remember you're slowly reintroducing your normal self. Let's see, while still prioritizing rest and recovering and letting your body dictate the pace. Now, I know every one of you has a different situation and rest can be hard to prioritize. But remember your postpartum recovery is just as important as pregnancy and birth.

The 555 rule ensures your body's healing. You're preventing complications. you're not overdoing it. If you overdo it, you're going to start bleeding more. Just going to tell you that and you're honoring this thing that your body did. It's incredible. So a couple of more tips to make all of this work is one, communicate with your partner and your support system.

Tell them about the five, five, five booty plan and why it's crucial. Have open conversations about the help you need. Whether that's cooking, cleaning, or simply holding the baby so that you can rest. [00:15:00] Number two, honor your journey, ladies. Don't feel guilty about needing this rest. We live in a culture that like really glorifies bouncing back, but bouncing back is not your goal.

Your goal is to step into this new role and to heal fully and feel good. Number three, listen to your body. No matter what I just said, remember there isn't a hard and fast timeline. If you need more than 15, if you need a little less, listen to your body. Each recovery is unique. So there you have it, ladies, setting up your home for postpartum recovery, embracing the 555 Booty Recovery Guide can make all the difference in your journey.

These first few weeks are about you and your baby and your new little family. unit. So give yourself space, give yourself grace, be easy on yourself. And I hope these tips help you guys feel a little more prepared and confident about your postpartum period.