positive postpartum checklist - steal my one!
chapters:
why bother?
my positive postpartum checklist!
what I considered
my checklist in real life!
why bother?
Postpartum experiences are different for everyone, but if you have been on Instagram or Tiktok AT ALL, then you will see how much of abad reputation the postpartum stage gets (partly the reason why I chose to DELETE social media before birth, for the time being).
A lot along the lines of feeling low, depressed, sad, lost with self and life, and all just very dark overall.
Now, I am not saying this isn’t valid since:
I am a first-time mum-to-be, so have never been through it
NATURALLY, it is a complete life change with dips in hormones, sleep deprivation, not knowing what to do, and not having a schedule of any sort
However, if you’re not new here, then you know our mission is all about
Taking control of our narrative, and living as much of a fulfilled life as possible (in whichever way that MEANS to you).
So, I am going to propose an offer and say…
What if we try to change that narrative (if we already know postpartum can be a tricky time) and try to make it as much of a positive one as possible?
Of course, it won’t be all roses, and like anything there may be HARD moments, but maybe NOT BAD ones?
In this blog post, I share with you HOW I AM PLANNING to have a positive postpartum experience, by creating my personal positive postpartum checklist:
A CHECKLIST of things I know will make me happy, target different elements of my life and self, and may help me feel better in harder moments
I have already written two previous blog posts on how I am planning to have a positive postpartum experience:
mentally, and
This blog post aims to provide you with a straight forward LIST of specific actionables that I can easily follow, and set-up for myself from before birth.
Feel free to steal mine or tweak to make your own!
I am currently 39 weeks pregnant, writing this blog post (baby coming any day now…) and WILL come back to update you on how this checklist, and my postpartum experience ACTUALLY WENT - have a look on my blog posts here to see if I have already released.
Now, let’s get into it.
my positive postpartum checklist!
Let’s start with the BEST chunk, and already share my ultimate positive postpartum list, personalised to myself.
In no specific order:
A SELF-CARE bedside set-up
Coffee station with Vanilla Syrup and fully-stocked cupboard of coffee capsules
MY VERY OWN Positive Postpartum Menu Binder (I created a sort-of “dopamine” menu for my postpartum to tackle any potential risk factors that are known to make postpartum a bit harder, generally, with personalised solutions for what makes ME happy. I have this as a physical copy, bedside, and as a digital copy on my phone. And OF COURSE, it had to be a super aesthetic girly design to make everything that much prettier and intentional)
Postpartum body-friendly fashion bits (few but stylish, cheap, and versatile to mix-and-match)
Postpartum waist binder (I got mine in baby pink to be extra cute with it)
Plan a post-birth takeaway meal I will be excited for (mine’s chicken noodles from Rosa’s Thai, and fruit bubble tea!)
Red-coloured nails (a fiery red; painted at home myself, hands and feet)
Delete social media apps from my phone (best decision ever - I share it all in the blog post here)
Lean-on my loved ones as much as possible (family, partner - not being afraid to ask for help)
Have a fun postpartum project planned (I still am yet to TEST this one, but my idea with this is to have something you can do for fun in postpartum, with or without baby, whether that’s exploring your city, content creation, learning to bake. Something you can be excited for and stimulated by, OUTSIDE of postpartum and motherhood)
here’s my positive postpartum moodboard below!
The MOST IMPORTANT element of this positive postpartum checklist is that it is personalised to ME.
When I look at this list, it makes me feel good, and it makes me feel supported by VISUALLY having a list that can be ready-to-use and ready to pick-me-up in moments where I might need some extra self-loving, self-soothing, or reminding of who I am and what makes me ME.
Feel free to STEAL MY CHECKLIST ABOVE for yourself, so you don’t even need to spend ANY time thinking.
But remember to make it your own! If you don’t like coffee, replace it for matcha (for example).
what I considered
When creating my positive postpartum checklist, I wanted to make sure it ticked the following boxes (roughly, as a guide):
✔ not TOO long (10 points for me is a good amount)
✔ easy-to-follow and accessible (already-at-home or nearby)
✔ filled with pick-me-ups (for example, having my coffee of the day excites me and picks me right up!)
✔ would HELP me feel better about myself in a girly way (like, aesthetic fashion staples that would fit MY style - not “typical mum style” - AND would be stretchy for changing postpartum body
✔ anything that would promote protecting my peace or promote my wellbeing further
These are very generic guidelines that make sure this became an easy-to-follow, and non-overwhelming way to pour love on my future, postpartum self.
Easier to create this now, than figure it out when sleep deprived after baby was here!
FOR ME, this covers the bases of:
fashion and beauty
coffee
self-care
loved ones
But this can be completely shifted and played about to what MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD.
my checklist in real life!
For those girlies who are curious as to how EXACTLY my checklist looks like in real life, here’s what it looks like to me!
(in the same order as the checklist earlier on)
self-care bedside set-up: I have 4 minimal, cute storage boxes on my bedside stand, for my 4 different levels of self-care. 1 - my everyday self-care / night routine, 2 - my everyday main, select-few beauty products, 3 - my everything shower products, and 4 - my special treat pamper session self-care kit (extra goodies to feel good in this one)! BEDSIDE: so it is easily-accessible, and where I will spend a lot of time in the newborn phase so it is a hand-away, and makes it MORE likely for me to do.
coffee station: to me, this mean’t having Vanilla syrup at-home (for the first time ever!) as my go-to sweetener for my coffees, and a fully-stocked cupboard of coffee capsules. I could take it an extra step and buy a cute coffee mug SPECIFIFCALLY for postpartum, but I would only do this if I had some extra money.
My Positive Postpartum Menu Binder! I printed a physical copy since I wanted something tangible, that I could see everyday as a reminder if I ever need to pick myself up but don’t know how! It takes away the thinking from the process, and is on my bedside table so I can always reach for it if I need. ALSO, it just looks proper cute, aesthetic and GIRLY, so it doubles as gorgeous room décor and a visual sign of self-love from my past self.
Postpartum-friendly fashion bits: for this, I established already that it would be best to go with basics and oversized looks to fit my changing-body during postpartum but WITHOUT sacrificing my style, and looking good. SO, then I went to Pinterest to look for inspiration and created a fashion moodboard for postpartum, WHICH YOU CAN SEE BELOW! After doing this, I could visibly see repetitive styles of images I was being attracted to, that ALSO FIT the ”postpartum-friendly” criteria. I then went to SHEIN, and did a shop of these fashion pieces, so I wouldn’t spend too much money but still GET THE FIT. (I had a good experience with shopping here after my first pregnant holiday to Egypt - blog post here- so thought it would be a go-to option for affordability with postpartum too!).
Postpartum waist binder: I got this to help support my body’s organs with getting back to where they need to be, and help with the swollen appearance of our bellies postpartum. And it’s an effortless act that will make me feel like I am doing something for MYSELF, I just out it on and go about my day, so very easy! I got mine in baby pink to be extra girly, and make me that much happier than a regular black one. I got mine from Amazon, after seeing the many good reviews, and am happy with the quality so far! It doesn’t feel too restricting or uncomfortable, but is adjustable to make it tighter if you wish. I got mine in a size Large, and is perfect since I can tighten it (my size was a S/M pre-pregnancy).
Planning a post-birth takeaway meal: THIS ONE is a very spontaneous one, and I hadn’t really given it much thought until very last-minute! I had seen quite a few videos of the “first meal postpartum” and “how good it will feel” but it has never clicked to me. Why not treat myself to a meal I will be excited about after childbirth, as a treat to myself after something so HARDWORKING, CHALLENGING, and MIRACULOUS? To me, this was an easy pick since I have been non-stop thinking about this SPECIFIC takeout I had recently from Rosa’s Thai, and I have been loving BUBBLE TEA in this warm weather, so it was a no-brainer for me!
Red-coloured nails in a fiery RED: this is ALL about the red-colour nail theory on Tiktok about how having red nails makes you more attractive and confident! And to be honest, I had already put this to the practice last year, in 2024, and having those fiery red nails REALLY DID make me feel so much more empowered! I can’t explain it, maybe it’s a placebo effect, but it works! It’s also that common girlhood experience of looking at your nails and this just making us happy!
Delete social media apps: to me this was the act of deleting the most-draining types of social media platforms that were taking away from my wellbeing, which were Instagram and Tiktok (for all the reasons I mention in the blog post here). I kept Pinterest, since that social media type actually makes me feel inspired and excited.
Leaning on loved ones: accepting help, not being afraid to ask for help, making use of my village, and being grateful that I have one.
Having a fun postpartum project in-mind: to me this would look like exploring London (which I can do with or without baby, and can be cheap or even free, depending on what it is), and maybe even combining that with content creation and sharing my city explores on Tiktok. Now, this to me would look like: visiting cafes and bakeries, and wholesome spots in London and sharing this on Tiktok, but not USING Tiktok for personal scrolling, since that would go against my point no.8. (Even though I will reinstall my social media apps again, but maybe not so soon).
These are the SPECIFICS of how my personal positive postpartum checklist is coming to LIFE!
And, I have to say, there is something so self-loving and heartwarming about doing this for my current, and future, self.
Knowing that I am putting in effort and time into preparing for the postpartum stage for MYSELF, instead of ONLY focusing on baby, really brings me a level of empowerment and already feels like I am entering this motherhood era with the right foot and the right intention for how I want to live my life, in AND OUT, of motherhood; which is:
Always making sure I AM ME, and I AM TAKEN CARE OF, to make sure I am in control of my narrative, happy, and fulfilled with my life as a girlie in my 20s and beyond…
And with that, there we have it girlies.
Take this is as a SIGN to invest in a few minutes to show your future, postpartum self some LOVE and steal my positive postpartum checklist (or make it your own!).
Own your Womanhood. Own your Time.
♡
I’ll be logging updates throughout this whole journey as a mother-to-be, working to be an entrepreneur, but to also still preserve the girlhood within, to try and be her best self, and live her happiest life, so keep-up with me through the blog!
I release a new blog post every Friday at 1pm! (UK-time)
Let me know if you’re in a similar headspace (pregnant or not), being in our 20s is confusing, and taking control of our story is the only way we can take ownership of our happiness and live out our dream life.
I document my unwanted pregnancy journey at 25, taking control of my narrative, figuring out being a girl in my 20s, chasing my dream life, and conquering my boss babe dream of becoming a self-employed, entrepreneur / Blogger!
