Postpartum recovery checklist

The first six weeks, week by week. What to have at home and what to expect.

Have at home before delivery

• Peri bottle and cooling pads
• High-waist disposable or soft underwear, sized up
• Stool softener as advised by your provider
• Nursing pillow and a water bottle at every feeding spot
• Easy one-handed snacks
• A support belt or belly band if your provider is fine with one

Week 1

• Sleep when you can, in shifts if you have help
• Short walks inside the house, nothing more
• Track feeds and diapers on paper or an app so you can answer the pediatrician
• Accept every offer of food

Weeks 2 to 6

• Gentle walks outside once you feel up to it
• Keep the 6-week appointment; ask about pelvic floor physio
• Do not lift more than the baby until cleared
• Say yes to visitors who bring food and leave in an hour

Call your provider if

• Heavy bleeding that soaks a pad in an hour
• Fever, foul-smelling discharge, or a hot painful area on the breast
• Headache with vision changes or swelling
• Feeling hopeless, panicked, or unable to sleep even when the baby sleeps. Postpartum mood changes are common and treatable.

This is a checklist, not medical advice. Your provider's instructions come first.