Spread the love

What You Need to Know Before and After You Give Birth! Let's Get Prepped!

The big day is almost here. You’re probably feeling anxious, excited, a little uncomfortable, and maybe even a little unprepared for what happens after baby’s big debut. Don’t worry, I got you, girl!

There are a few things that you’ll want to know about/prepare for after your baby is born including what paperwork needs to be done, tips for recovery, what to expect in the first two weeks, and the cou de Gra, maternity leave.

I know you’re on a time crunch, so let’s just get to it.

What You Need to Know Before and After You Give Birth! Let's Get Prepped!

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. The information in this post is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice in any way. I am not liable for any damages resulting from using the information in this article. Please consult a doctor for your medical advice.

What Needs To Be Filed

Benefits/Short-Term Disability 

This list may vary depending on what you do for work and what (if any) benefits your company offers. My company offered one month paid maternity leave and Short Term Disability(STD).

Short Term Disability pays you a percentage of your pay for up to 6-8 weeks depending on the type of delivery you have (6 weeks for vaginal birth, 8 weeks for a c-section). This really ends up being 5-7 weeks because it takes a week for them to process your claim.

I would recommend getting in contact with the provider of your STD and giving them a heads-up that you will be submitting a claim and when you are due. That way they can open the case and be ready to submit it when you call them after you give birth (sometimes it can help to process the claim more quickly).

You will want to connect with your HR department if you haven’t already, and get the full rundown on what you have included in your benefits for maternity leave. They should also provide you with information and instructions on what you need to do. I suggest doing this by at least 6 months, so you have time to get all your ducks in a row.

Birth Certificate 

The hospital that you deliver at should provide you with all the information to fill out and file for the birth certificate. It’s pretty convenient actually. 

They have a whole packet of information and forms for you to fill out while you are in the hospital. They will submit everything for you too (at least that’s how it worked at the hospital I delivered at).

You will need to pay to get a physical certified copy of the birth certificate. You can get this from your local county office or the State Office of Vital Records.

This can be done in person, via the mail, or the most convenient method, ordering online. The price may vary by state, but you should be able to get as many copies as you feel you need.

I had dragged my feet on getting this certified copy for the first few months, but I had some trips planned that were going to be happening when my son was about 5 months old, so I started looking into what I’d need legally for him to travel.

Turns out that in order for an infant to fly on a plane, a copy of their birth certificate is required. So, I made sure to get that ordered a couple of months before our first trip, just in case there was any unexpected delay.

I actually got three copies, just to be safe. I figured if anything happened to the copy we travel with, I would still have a backup at home to replace that one and one to keep in our secure important files. You know me, I like to be prepared (or over-prepared, you know, whatever).

I have flown with my son now three times and have yet to be asked to see his birth certificate, but I continue to bring it with me every time, just in case.

Adding Baby to Your Health Insurance Plan

If you have health insurance, you’ll want to get your baby added to your plan. This can be done while you are still in the hospital if you want to get on top of it right away, but you do have up to 30 days post-birth to add your child to your health insurance (baby is covered by your insurance plan for those first 30 days).

You also have up to 60 days post-birth to change your Marketplace coverage if you want to adjust your plan once baby is here. Your health insurance covers them without being on your plan for that 30 to 60-day window.

 
First Two Weeks with Baby

The first two weeks with your newborn are basically all a learning curve. You’re figuring out your routine, learning about your baby, recovering from birth, and trying to get as much sleep as that little being will allow you to.

Be sure to have some support lined up, especially if you have a c-section. Like I said, those first two weeks will be a whole new world for you and it won’t hurt to have some extra help on hand.

This is especially true if you have a c-section because you will not only be figuring out how to care for your newborn baby but also be recovering from major surgery which only allows you to lift up to 10 pounds and prohibits you from using your lower abdomen. Those tissues are trying to fuse and heal during that time and you don’t want to tear your stitches or cause any further discomfort.

The Baby Cart

I highly recommend having a baby cart on wheels in your common living area. Chances are that’s where you’ll be spending most of your time and it’s super convenient.

I’d double down on that advice again if you’ve had a c-section. You’ll want to have most things at arm’s length because the ups and downs will be difficult and exhausting.

Here’s a list of things you’ll want to include in your cart:

Meal Prepped Items

This is when all that meal prepping you did prior to the baby’s arrival comes into play. You’re going to be exhausted and not have the time or probably energy to cook. 

Dig into those prepared meals. Try to plan this out in anticipation of when you’ll need to eat next because most of those items will probably be frozen.

You’ll want to pull what you want the day before and pop them in the fridge to defrost. You’ll also have to preheat the oven, which can feel like forever when you’re already starving, so try to plan out a feeding schedule for yourself as well.

You’ll also want to have an abundance of snacks on deck. Breastfeeding burns through calories and those will help to keep your energy level up as well as your milk supply.

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Breastfeeding also depletes your body’s water supply quickly, so have a big water bottle on hand. The hospital typically provides you with one, or you may prefer your own, just be sure to keep that filled up.

Check out my homepage for a quick-links to my Pinterest boards for Meal Prepping for Baby’s Arrival, Breastfeeding (which includes a section on breastfeeding foods that help with milk supply, healthy diet, etc.), and other helpful Pregnancy Prep tips!

Recovery from Labor/Delivery

Now, as you know, I had a scheduled c-section for my son’s birth and there are different instructions for recovery and tips that are handy to have for each.

C-section

For a c-section recovery, as I mentioned above, you’ll have a weight restriction for lifting, which is typically no more than 10 pounds. So basically I was able to lift my son (who was 9lbs 15oz when he was born). 

You’ll also be provided with pain meds that you can safely take while breastfeeding. Trying to stay ahead of the pain is typically the golden rule.

I had a spinal block and an epidural for my C-section. The spinal block typically wears off when you are in recovery and the epidural stays in and is attached to an IV that delivers pain meds when you click a button when you start to feel pain.

It’s pretty cool because it puts the control in your hands. What wasn’t cool was that my port had somehow become disconnected while I was in my room the first night. 

They typically remove the epidural 24 hours after birth and switch you over to oral pain meds. Mine must have gotten jostled free from moving around in bed.

I didn’t notice until I was clicking that button but the pain just kept getting worse. They ended up having to remove the epidural and just switch me over a little early to the oral pain meds, but that in between wasn’t fun, so again, try and stay ahead of the pain.

They will also encourage you to stand and take a few steps around the same day you deliver to get you up and moving. It’s supposed to help speed up the recovery process.

I’m not going to lie, that part is a little rough, but trust me, it does help your recovery. Do your best to increase the amount you walk each day (I’m talking steps, not miles), don’t overdo it. Listen to your body.

Try to get as much rest as you can with having a newborn. It may not be easy, but sleep and rest also help the recovery process.

Just make sure to take it easy, listen to your body, and accept help when it’s offered/ask for it when you need it.

Vaginal Birth

I don’t have firsthand knowledge to offer for this kind of delivery/recovery experience, but I did do my due diligence of research prior to knowing I was going to have a scheduled c-section.

I would highly recommend taking a birthing and delivery class at least a few weeks before your due date. They offer a wealth of knowledge on what to expect and how to handle the recovery.

I actually took this class with a friend of mine who just had her baby last November. It was super informative and I learned so much from that class that I did not learn in doing my own research when I was pregnant.

The one thing that I did find over and over again as a super helpful tip for recovery after vaginal birth is padsicles. There is a lot of “wear and tear” that happens with a vaginal birth. 

Also, I wouldn’t recommend the tear option. From what I learned from that class, an episiotomy (where they cut instead of letting you tear naturally) is the way to go because it can be controlled and easier to stitch back up.

The result of the recovery to a vaginal birth includes a good amount of discomfort and burning down there, especially when you have to pee. This is where the padsicles come in.

They help to alleviate some of that pain and discomfort, as well as help the healing process. Essentially, they are a cold pack for your tender lady parts.

They are homemade from pads, aloe vera, witch hazel, and lavender oil. There are several DIY blogs on Pinterest devoted to making these. There is a helpful video that I pinned along with other great resources in my Pinterest Postpartum board.

 

Maternity Leave

Last, but certainly not least, is your maternity leave. This is a very special time for you to be able to bond and spend time with your precious little one.

My advice is to take as much time as you can financially and what your work will allow you to take. It never feels like enough and goes by so quickly.

Between the paid time off through my work and STD, I was able to take 3 months and I am so grateful that I was able to do that. My poor friend only got 6 weeks after her daughter was born.

Taking 3 to 4 months off for maternity leave may seem like a lot (or at least it did to me at first), but when you’re in that bubble with your babe, you won’t want it to pop when it comes to the end. I thought I’d get bored or miss work, but I had an absolute blast and started to see why some moms choose to be stay-at-home moms.

I, unfortunately, didn’t have that option and had to go back to work, which actually wasn’t as hard of a transition as I thought, but that was also partially due to the fact that I work from home and kept my baby home with me. But, we’ll get into that another time.

Cheers, Warriors!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and found it entertaining, educational, inspiring—hopefully, all three. Please be sure to leave any comments or questions you have in the Comments section below. 

Don’t forget to sign up for my email list and claim your FREE template for Organizing Your Fertility Information that includes documents to track your appointment notes, fertility notes, financial planner, journal page, and more!