After a baby arrives, the parent's recovery and the baby's care happen together. Find resources for getting through the first days, sharing responsibilities and knowing where to turn with health or emotional concerns.
Keep the care team's discharge instructions and contact details close at hand. Ask about follow-up, symptoms that need attention and help between appointments. A relative or friend can organize transport or care for another child while the parent attends a visit.
Read about recovery after birth · Prepare postpartum visit questions
For urgent maternal warning signs, follow CDC's Hear Her guidance and seek medical help promptly. A website contact form cannot provide urgent care.
Begin with food, a safe place for the baby to sleep, contact information and enough practical help for the parent to attend to their own care. A simple plan is easier to change than a detailed schedule that assumes every day will go as expected.
Prepare for the first week home · Set up a safer sleep space
Taking on dinner can include planning, shopping, cooking and clearing up. Taking on an appointment can include transport and care for siblings. Agree on the complete responsibility so the recovering parent does not have to direct each step.
Find guidance on formula preparation and pumping, or use the feeding support guide when you need individual help. Pain, growth concerns or a question about a baby's intake belong with the baby's health care team and an appropriate feeding professional.
Find infant feeding support · Read formula preparation guidance · Explore breastfeeding and pumping support
You can ask for help without having a name for everything you are feeling. Our resources explain ways to start a conversation and find support. If you are concerned about your own safety or someone else's, seek urgent help through local emergency services.
Read about postpartum emotions · Find support after pregnancy or infant loss
Make an offer that removes work: bring a meal at an agreed time, manage an errand or coordinate a few helpers. Check visiting preferences and accept a request for space.
Find ways to support a new parent · Turn an offer into a support plan
