Most of the support that shows up after a baby arrives, like appointments, meals and people checking in, clusters in the first few weeks. But the changes in your body and your life don’t stop after those first weeks, and while some things may feel easier, you likely still need support.
By three months, the formal follow-up on your recovery has usually wrapped up, with the focus shifting to the baby’s development. Many of the people who showed up with meals and check-in texts have started to move on with their lives. The mismatch is real: support often tapers early, but for a lot of parents the hard parts have not.
This is also a time when new challenges might pop up for the first time. More often than not, there’s no way you could have known how this stage would look, or that you could have prepared better for it, despite what social media and people around you tell you.
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If you are experiencing any of these things at this stage, start a conversation with your provider soon, rather than waiting:
- Pain or incontinence that has not eased
- Distress (not just a slower return) around intimacy
- Anxiety that has grown rather than settled
- New or returning depression or anxiety symptoms lasting more than two weeks
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:
Ojomo, O., et al. "A Scoping Study of Postpartum Mental Health Problems and Associated Factors: Opportunities for Research and Practice." Discover Mental Health 5 (2025): 136.
Public Health Agency of Canada. "Your Guide to Postpartum Health and Caring for Your Baby." 2023.
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.
Vesting, S., et al. "Surprised by the Transition to an Unknown Body: Quantitative and Qualitative Aspects of Activity Limitations and Physical Changes During the First Year Post-Partum." BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 25 (2025): 1002.
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