After your baby is born, good support can reduce postpartum depression and anxiety, and helps you recover from birth. It is especially important if you have a caesarean birth.
Support people can include your partner, extended whānau members, friends, or outside support services. Talk to your midwife if you are struggling to find good support – they will have ideas, and connections to outside support services if you need them.
Support people may live with you, or they may pop in for an hour here and there – all of them are valuable! If someone offers to help, and you feel safe with them, take them up on the offer.
In the first few weeks and months post-birth, the birthing parent needs to focus on caring for their baby and themselves. Support people can help by taking on housework, helping care for any older kids, and baby cares.
It’s good to have clear conversations with support people about what support the birthing person needs and what things that the support person can do to help, as this looks different for every whanau.