Before the baby arrives (or this week, if they’re already here), pick one person and ask them for one specific thing. That could be a meal dropped off, an hour to sleep or a daily check-in text.
Planning for a baby can feel really exciting: picking out nursery items, choosing a stroller and thinking through birth preferences. All of that matters. But one piece that often gets overlooked is what happens after the baby arrives: the postpartum period, and the support you’ll actually need during that time.
What you can plan for
Choose a topic to read more.
References
This article was developed using sourced educational content from Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Trainings (CPMHT), and informed by the collective knowledge and expertise of CPMHT professionals and Karen Clarke, BA, MSW, RSW, Doula (Open Book Doula, Counselling and Consulting Services), as well as the following cited research and clinical practice guidelines:
Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT). Seeds of Hope: Nurturing Mental Health and Managing Perinatal Mood, Anxiety, and Related Disorders — A Patient and Family Guide. Toronto: CANMAT, 2024.
Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Trainings (CPMHT). "What Protects Postpartum Mood?" 2025.
Shea, A., et al. "Guideline No. 454: Identification and Treatment of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders." Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada 46, no. 10 (2024): 102696.
Statistics Canada. "Maternal Mental Health in Canada, 2018/2019." The Daily, June 24, 2019.
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