Prepare for meals, rest, visitors and everyday support after birth. Make space for your emotional needs, personal comforts and boundaries as well as the tasks that need doing.
12-page planner · Printable and fillable · A4 and US Letter · Start Here guide
Plan care for you during the first 14 days after birth.
SUPPORT FOR THE WOMAN
Start small. Make care easier to share.
Begin with the one-page care plan on page 12. Choose up to three essentials; use the other pages for more detail only when useful. The first 14 days are a planning window, not a deadline for recovery.
1. Choose your essentials
What would make the biggest difference now—food within reach, protected rest or someone handling messages? Start with up to three needs.
2. Agree who will do it
Discuss who can take responsibility, what each task involves and when it will happen. Record an agreed backup or fallback where possible, and leave uncovered needs visible.
3. Date and share your plan
Share the arrangements and personal preferences you want others to know. Keep private reflections private. When plans change, send an updated copy; there is no need to repeat every detail on every page.
PRACTICAL SUPPORT, WITH ROOM FOR YOU
How you are cared for matters, too.
Alongside meals and everyday help, optional prompts make room for the care that feels right for you. Use what matters and leave the rest.
Emotional needs and boundaries
Name the kind of listening, company or reassurance you would welcome. Reflect on receiving care, the expectations you want to set aside, and what would help you feel more like yourself.
Personal comforts and meaning
Quiet company, familiar music, a meaningful object, a cultural practice or prayer can have a place in your plan. These prompts are optional, with no religious belief or particular birth experience assumed.
Start here with up to three essentials. Date the plan, name agreed responsibilities and fallbacks, and include only the personal care details you choose to share.
The planner also covers your available support, food and drinks, protected rest, household needs, other children and pets, visitors, messages and professional-care contacts.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
Five PDFs. Choose print or fillable.
You receive the same 12-page planner in four editions, plus a Start Here Guide. Choose the paper size and format that suit you; you do not need to complete every edition.
Start Here guide — 2 pages
A4 printable planner — 12 pages
A4 fillable planner — 12 pages
US Letter printable planner — 12 pages
US Letter fillable planner — 12 pages
Write by hand in a printable edition, or type into a fillable edition using a compatible PDF reader. Save and reopen a short test before completing the plan. Test one printed page before printing the whole planner.
Digital files for personal use. No physical item is shipped.
Begin during pregnancy, while there is time to discuss care arrangements. If your baby is already here, start with your current needs. Revisit the plan whenever timing, location or available support changes.
Does someone need to help me complete it?
You can begin on your own. Where another person will take on a task, discuss and agree that role with them. Recording a name does not itself create an agreement.
Can I share the plan with my support people?
Yes. Share your completed summary or relevant pages with the people supporting you. Choose which personal details to include; private reflections can stay private. The blank files may not be redistributed or used commercially.
Do I have to use the reflective or spiritual prompts?
No. They are optional. You can use the practical sections on their own and choose whether any personal reflections are shared.
Is this a medical recovery programme?
It is a planning and reflection tool for organising support. It does not assess your recovery or replace individual advice from your care team.
This is a support-organising resource. Follow your own care team’s guidance and contact a qualified healthcare professional when care may be needed.
ANOTHER PART OF YOUR PREPARATION
Choose support for what matters next.
Each resource stands on its own. If another part of your preparation needs attention, you can explore it here.
