5 ways to budget for postpartum care

When you’re pregnant, it can be easy to get swept up in the excitement of preparing for your baby’s arrival. When else do you get to buy a teeny tiny onesie with koala feet?! And the nesting… ohhh the nesting. You don’t think that’s a real thing and then one day you find yourself hanging a print of a beautiful Kate Baer poem in a cozy corner of this person’s room who’s not even out here in the world yet. 

Pregnancy has a way of loading your mind with all the sweetness that’s to come when your baby is born, and while there absolutely will be sweetness, the reality is that postpartum can be quite tough. That’s why prioritizing and budgeting for your postpartum care (including hiring a postpartum doula!) is something you definitely won’t regret.

If you’re working with a limited budget (let’s be real, we all are these days), here’s how you can plan ahead to make sure that you are cared for just as much as your newborn… because your well-being is foundational to their’s.

1. Create a Postpartum Fund

This one’s at the top for a reason. If you truly want to set yourself up for the most supportive postpartum experience you can get, you need to make it clear to those around you that this is important to you. Adding a “Postpartum Support Fund” to your baby registry (or in lieu of a registry!) is a great way to do this and is becoming more popular as people recognize the importance and impact of postpartum support. Because as I’m always shouting from the rooftops: YOU matter just as much as your baby does! This fund could include:

• A postpartum doula

• A lactation consultant

• Meal delivery services

• Pelvic floor therapy

• House or yard cleaning help

• Childcare for older siblings

These investments directly impact your emotional, physical, and mental well-being in the fourth trimester.

2. Skip the Excessive Newborn Clothes and Swaddles

Babies grow fast… some are out of newborn clothes within 2-3 weeks (and some skip the newborn size entirely!). You truly don’t need 20+ outfits, and inevitably you’ll wind up having a couple favorites (usually the extra soft ones) that you rotate them in and out of even if there’s 18 more. Consider spending less here so you can spend more where it really matters.

**A doula tip on swaddles: 
Babies don’t actually need to be swaddled in a blanket. They do need plenty of skin-to-skin contact, and just general closeness with you. If you are swaddling, it’s mostly just for sleep during their first couple weeks. 2 swaddle blankets should be plenty. The market has really exploded with tons of these in all patterns and textures in recent years… making it very hard to resist getting another and another and another!

3. Buy Secondhand or Borrow from Friends

It can be very tempting to register for every baby product you know exists (and the ones you didn’t know existed until their ad targeted you!), but you honestly don’t need most of them. SO many baby items are barely used before babies outgrow them, making them one of those things you later determine was actually unnecessary and is now taking up all your closet space (guilty here…). Check out local secondhand stores, Facebook Marketplace, and parent groups for gently used gear, baby clothes, and maternity wear. Borrow items from friends and family with kids that have outgrown them, especially things that don’t carry sentimental value to you. 

4. Be Strategic About Maternity Clothes

Instead of buying a whole new maternity wardrobe, consider sizing up in regular clothes that you’ll still wear postpartum. This saves money and reduces waste! It can help you feel a bit more like a “normal” person when you pull on regular pants instead of pants with the special maternity bands or stitching that make you feel like you’re living in your pregnancy era again. Nursing-friendly tops, joggers/stretchy pants, and cozy loungewear can all double as postpartum staples (trust me, comfort will matter more to you than ever in that fourth trimester). Your body will fluctuate throughout that first year postpartum anyway due to hormone changes, breastfeeding, your cycle returning, and the general ebb and flow of weight during a time of such drastic change. 

5. Focus on What You Truly Value

This one is important as far as anything goes in your life as a parent. Think about what you truly care about and what is actually going to bring you a sense of calm, and perhaps joy. Is it having a peaceful, cozy home environment? Register for one or two meaningful nursery items (even better if they can grow with the room/your home as your child grows). Is it dressing up an adorable little mini-me in fun outfits? Choose a couple that you really love, plus a few basics for them to live in on the regular. 

The truth is that your baby will not care what they’re wearing—but they will benefit from a parent who feels nourished, supported, and rested. By intentionally setting aside money for postpartum support—especially a postpartum doula, who can facilitate support from many angles—you’re investing in your recovery, your peace of mind, and your ability to truly bond with your baby.

You deserve to feel held, not just during pregnancy, but especially afterward. Let your budget reflect that truth.

What’s the value of a postpartum doula?

To learn more about how a postpartum doula can contribute to your well-being in the fourth trimester, click the button below. If you’d like to gift postpartum doula services to someone expecting a baby, email me here to get that set up.