Motherhood is a personal and unique journey.
Self-care and wellness reminders to help ease the transition post-delivery and set you up for a positive postpartum experience.
STEP 1: Care for Self
- Hydration (at least 6-8 glasses/day)
- Nutrition (healthy balanced meals or snacks)
- Vitamins
- Medications (as prescribed, consistently)
- Sunlight (at least 10 min/day)
- Restorative Sleep (at least 5 hrs at a time–when your baby allows)
- Mood Check-In (3-4 times/day)
- Physical Activity (at least 10 min/day)
- Relaxation Activity (at least 10 min/day)
STEP 2: Watch for Symptoms
Common symptoms of anxiety
- Increased agitation & irritability
- Obsessions, worry, and racing thoughts
- Hard time with sleep (when given the opportunity)
- Decreased appetite
Common symptoms of depression
- Sadness and/or crying
- Mood swings
- Anger
- Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, or loss of interest
Symptoms requiring immediate attention
- Disturbed thoughts; nonsensical speech
- Delusions, paranoia, hyper-religious references (that are out of the norm)
- Thoughts of self-harm or harm to others
STEP 3: Ways to Cope
- Identify symptoms
- Ask partner/family member for help
- Call a close friend and ask them to come visit or schedule an activity with them
- Increase self-care tasks (step 1)
STEP 4: Contact Providers
- Call your doctor or healthcare provider
(OB, midwife, therapist, psychiatrist,
nurse practitioner) - Schedule an appointment/have an
evaluation - Be open to new medication or an
increase/change in current medication
STEP 5: Follow Through
- Attend appointments (medication and/
or therapy) - Have a support person during hard times
- Remind myself that what I am feeling is
common and treatable, and that I will
get better with the right help
