How to Rest Better with Baby- Part 1 in our What to Expect in the First Week After Birth Series

Part 1: New Parents 101: Welcoming Your Baby & Prioritizing Rest

You've Birthed Your Baby: Now What?

You did it! You birthed your baby (or babies)! How are you doing? Newborn care and the arrival of a new baby is overwhelming, beautiful, and intense all at once. Just know we're here in your circle of support. As Mr. Rogers wisely said: "Look for the helpers. There are always helpers."

There are countless books about babies, newborn care, and postnatal recovery. I could write an entire chapter book about just the first 6 days (or the sacred first 42 days!). Fitting this into a single blog post is ambitious—which is perfect, because many parents are over-ambitious about this first week home with baby.
You might be envisioning: "Great! Tiny bundle of joy arrives. I shower at the hospital, walk out in my pre-pregnancy jeans looking ready for newborn photos, then friends and family visit to meet the baby while we sip tea in the living room."

Let me gently adjust that plan with a huge dose of compassion.

The First Six Days: Rest to Recover Postpartum

Whether you had a cesarean or vaginal birth, the first week with your baby is a time to focus on slowing down, resting, and getting to know your new family. As an Ayurvedic postpartum doula, I'd love it if every family could slow down, rest, and bond as a new family for the first 42 days (the "sacred window" in Ayurveda), but the first 6 days are a really great starting point.

In this series we are covering basic needs during your first week postpartum and potential challenges. And since new parents often wonder, "Am I doing this right?", remember this is just one perspective—there are many valid approaches to early postpartum care.

Note for families with birth complications or extended hospital stays: Apply these principles when possible, but consider restarting your "first six days" clock once you and baby are home together.

First Things First:

Your Postpartum Body

Don't bring your pre-pregnancy jeans to the hospital! Thanks to more authentic sharing online, we're becoming more familiar with real postpartum bodies. Bellies don't "bounce back" right away—you birth a baby and placenta, but your belly remains somewhat large and firm after birth.When you are packing for birth, pack your favorite pregnancy leggings and a nursing or maternity top for going home.

As a longtime postpartum doula, when I gave birth I knew I'd need pregnancy pants to get home after, but thought my husband's oversized flannel shirt would suffice. It was no match for my engorged breasts and still-full belly! I squeezed into it to get home, then immediately changed back into pajamas.

A Basic Timeline After Giving Birth

• If you gave birth at home - you are already home, no need to go anywhere.

• If you gave birth in an independent birth center, you'll be home within 24 hours after birth - and typically closer to 6-8 hours after birth.

• If you gave birth in a hospital, you'll typically stay one or two nights depending on when you checked in, gave birth, and whether you had a cesarean or vaginal delivery. If you had complications during labor or postpartum you may stay longer.  

Prepare to be regularly interrupted! A lot of this immediate post birth time is covered in our “first 6 hours” blog, so I’ll be skipping to the part where you are bringing baby home and getting settled.

When you arrive home, you'll have a new baby, round-the-clock wakings, and some* level of physical discomfort. This means setting clear priorities.

*birth really varies which means discomforts range from feeling a bit sore and slow > to you just had stitches in one of the most tender parts of your body - your perineum > to a major abdominal surgery 

First Week Postpartum Priorities

Rest

Food

Water

Connection

Sleeping After Baby - New Parent Rest is More Than Just Sleep

As adults, when we think of rest, we think of sleep. While incredibly restorative, sleep is often elusive with a newborn.

When considering rest this first week, think about everything you can do to make your body work less:

• Set up your bedroom with essentials nearby: a table for food, water, tea, baby supplies

• Stay on one floor level as much as possible

• Prioritize reclining rather than sitting upright

• Take short walks as needed (bathroom, water refills, diaper changes)

• Stay in bed or reclined on the couch to help your pelvic floor recover—these muscles have supported your growing uterus throughout pregnancy and need time to heal whether you birthed vaginally or by cesarean

Rest your emotional body too. Keep family and friend visits brief, sweet, and supportive during this first week. We’ll get into this more in Part 3. 

Practical Tips for Resting after Birth

• Sleep in shifts: One parent (or helper) watches baby while the other sleeps for a few hours, then switch

• Consider a caffeine break so you can rest whenever the opportunity arises

• Put a sign on your doorbell: "Please don't ring or knock, baby sleeping" (good if you have dogs that bark)

• Create a door sign with baby's arrival details and visitor guidelines (hand washing, keeping visits brief, or inviting practical help)

Rules of Rest

Establish clear "Rules of Rest" with your partner:

• Are interruptions welcome or discouraged?

• Should the house be quiet or is normal noise okay?

• Should baby be kept away from the resting parent or nearby?

• When should help be requested?

As a postpartum doula, I've noticed that breastfeeding parents often struggle to rest if worried their baby might be showing feeding cues while their partner tries to soothe them.

Some birthing parents rest best with their baby out of earshot, while others can only relax with their baby nearby. Remember—after being carried in the womb for nearly 10 months, being outside the body is already a significant change!

For those who can’t rest with a baby nearby, scheduling a rest time when your partner or a friend can take the baby for a stroll is great.

So remember, when it comes to early postpartum sleep and rest:

• Postpartum rest is about finding moments to sleep, but it’s also about using less energy for everything else you do as you recover from birth. 

• I shared a few practical ways to set up your space and coordinate with your partner so you can both rest and get time with the baby.

• The balance of support and rest varies depending on the makeup of your household, your birth experience, and how you are feeding your baby. Do what serves YOU and your family best in the moment and change it as needed.

Now that we’ve got a little bit of postpartum rest planned, let’s get to the hungry babies and parents 😉

Part 2 - Feeding Baby, Feeding Parents, and Staying Hydrated Postpartum

Read the full What to Expect in the First Week after Birth Series:

What to Expect in the First Week After Birth - Part 1: How to Rest Better with Baby - just read :)

What to Expect in the First Week After Birth - Part 2: Postpartum Nourishment for Yoga and Baby

What to Expect in the First Week After Birth - Part 3: Connection and Support During Your Postpartum Journey