Clients Ask: How Much Postpartum Support Do I Need?

Whether you count your postpartum period as twelve weeks or twelve months, everyone agrees that a new baby’s arrival is a time of profound change. Between physical recovery, sleep deprivation, and learning to care for a new baby (often with older siblings in tow), it’s no surprise that new parents often feel overwhelmed and need support from family, friends, and postpartum doulas. 

So how much support do new parents really need? The truth is that every family’s needs are different, and our team at Metropolitan Doulas can help you find your perfect balance. Here are some factors that we consider when building the postpartum care plan that is tailored to your family. 

Physical Recovery 

Whether someone has a vaginal birth or a cesarean, their body is healing from extreme physical stress and hormonal shifts caused by pregnancy, labor, and birth. After birth, everyday tasks like lifting (baskets of laundry, grocery bags, toddlers, etc.), bending, driving, or being on one’s feet all day can be hard. If overdone, they can delay or even reverse healing.

While every birth and postpartum recovery looks different, conventional wisdom in the U.S. suggests at least 6-weeks before the birthing parent can resume most normal physical activities. Though some parents may not feel fully recovered for months, while others “bounce back” in weeks, Metropolitan Doulas recommends a minimum of 6 weeks (and up to 12 weeks if possible) of daytime and/or overnight support. These are the pivotal weeks for physical recovery and having an extra set of hands during this time is crucial.

Emotional + Mental Health and Sleep

Postpartum emotions are a mixed and complicated bag, ranging from joy to anxiety to overwhelm – sometimes all within the same hour. Add weeks-long sleep disruption, and anyone would struggle. (For more on newborn sleep patterns, read our blog on Newborns and Sleep Training.) 

Sleep is a key ingredient for everyone’s emotional and mental health and getting good sleep is paramount to getting through the stress of the fourth trimester. Many families like to schedule postpartum support for a few nights each week over the course of their care, so they have some planned restful nights between more restless ones. Others plan for consecutive nights of coverage, for a predictable block of sleep, and taper off as their baby develops a routine. 

If you or your partner thrive on consistent sleep for your mental well-being, Metropolitan Doulas recommends having a plan in place in advance. Between 3-5 nights per week for the first 8-12 weeks is a good balance between getting optimal rest and trying some nighttime parenting of your own.

Family and Practical Support 

Another consideration is available family support. If you have a robust support system of friends and family eager to lend a hand, you could forgo professional postpartum support for a couple of weeks while they are available.

Relying on friends and family may not work for all new parents. Helpful friends and family may not have the most current, evidence-based information on postpartum recovery and newborn care. Postpartum doula support – especially during the day – can be key to new parents getting answers to their infant care questions and learning safe and efficient newborn care routines.

Whether it’s early days alone at home with a newborn or after your family leaves or returns to work, having professional doula support you can count on to help with your physical recovery, your emotional and mental well being, your baby’s growth and care, and daily practical tasks (laundry, cooking, etc.) can be a huge help.

Metropolitan Doulas can help you determine what will work best for your. (Read more about our daytime and overnight services.)

So… How Much Postpartum Support Do You Need?

As you can see above, there’s no universal number, but here’s a guideline for you to consider:

• Daily support during the first 2 weeks
• Frequent help (a few times a week) from weeks 3–6
• Continued check-ins and practical support up to 16 weeks

During your discovery call, our scheduling professionals will talk through these choices to help you determine what works best for your family. We want your postpartum support to be tailored to your specific needs and that starts with optimizing the amount of support you will receive.

And most importantly: You need as much support as it takes for you to heal, rest, and feel emotionally held – without burning out. That amount will be different for everyone, and that’s okay.