Postpartum tips for the first month: a warm, practical guide for new moms
Congratulations on your new baby. The first month after birth is a time of healing, learning, and big emotions. Your body is recovering from pregnancy and birth, and you’re getting to know your baby and yourself as a parent. The tips below are evidence-based and gentle, with step-by-step instructions you can follow when you’re tired. Trust your instincts, ask for help, and take things one day at a time.
What to expect in the first month
It’s normal to have vaginal bleeding (lochia) for several weeks, shifting from red to pink/brown to yellowish-white; cramping as the uterus shrinks; fatigue; night sweats; breast fullness or engorgement; and mood changes as hormones shift. Most people have a routine postpartum visit around 4–6 weeks, but call sooner for concerns—your needs matter now, not just at a scheduled check (ACOG; NICE; WHO).
Create a simple daily rhythm
Keep it basic: nourish, rest, move gently, and connect. A helpful daily rhythm is to aim for four “S’s”: Sleep (protect a stretch of rest), Sustenance (eat and drink regularly), Shower (a quick rinse can lift your mood), and Steps (short, frequent walks). Try a 5-minute morning check-in: How is my bleeding, pain, mood, breasts, and incision/perineum today? If anything worsens suddenly, call your clinician (CDC).
Body recovery and comfort
Vaginal birth: perineal care
If you had a tear or episiotomy, or even without one, the area can feel sore for a couple of weeks. To reduce pain and swelling and support healing (ACOG):
Step 1: Wash your hands. Step 2: After peeing or pooping, use a squeeze (peri) bottle with warm water to rinse front to back. Step 3: Gently pat dry with a clean towel or let air-dry. Step 4: For the first 24 hours, apply a cold pack wrapped in cloth for 10–20 minutes at a time; after 24 hours, warm sitz baths (10–15 minutes) can soothe. Step 5: Consider witch hazel pads for hemorrhoid or perineal comfort if they help you. Step 6: Take pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen as directed by your clinician; both are compatible with breastfeeding (ACOG; ABM Protocol #15).
To avoid constipation, use stool softeners if recommended, drink fluids, and eat fiber-rich foods. When having a bowel movement, support your perineum with a clean pad and exhale—don’t strain (NICE).
Cesarean birth: incision care
Plan extra help at home for the first 2 weeks. To care for your incision (ACOG):
Step 1: Wash hands before touching the area. Step 2: Shower daily; let soapy water run over the incision, then rinse and pat dry—no scrubbing. Step 3: Keep it dry; use a clean, dry gauze if your provider advised. Step 4: Wear high-waisted, breathable underwear and loose clothing. Step 5: Support your belly with a pillow when coughing or laughing. Step 6: Avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby and a full diaper bag until your clinician clears you. Call if you notice increasing redness, warmth, pus-like drainage, fever, or separation of the incision.
Bleeding and cramping
Use pads (no tampons or douching for about 6 weeks). Expect bleeding to gradually lighten; it may increase temporarily with activity or breastfeeding due to uterine contractions. Call urgently if you soak a pad in an hour or less, pass clots golf-ball–sized or larger, feel dizzy or faint, or have severe abdominal pain (ACOG; CDC).
Pelvic floor and gentle movement
Early movement helps circulation and mood. Start with short, frequent walks and deep diaphragmatic breaths. To begin pelvic floor rehab (ACOG):
Step 1: Lie down, place a hand on your belly, inhale to expand ribcage and belly, exhale and gently engage the pelvic floor as if stopping gas, then fully relax. Step 2: Do 5–10 gentle contractions, 1–2 times a day, building gradually. Step 3: Add “functional” pelvic floor engagement when you stand up, lift your baby, or cough.
Many people benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy, especially with pain, leakage, heaviness, or cesarean scar tightness. Ask your clinician for a referral (NICE).
Feeding your baby while caring for your breasts
Breastfeeding: getting started and staying comfortable
Newborns typically feed 8–12 times in 24 hours in the first weeks. Offer the breast when you see early hunger cues (stirring, hand-to-mouth, rooting). A deep latch prevents soreness and supports supply (AAP/HealthyChildren; CDC).
How to latch deeply: Step 1: Get comfy tummy-to-tummy with baby well-supported. Step 2: Line baby’s nose with your nipple; wait for a wide, gaping mouth. Step 3: Bring baby to you swiftly—chin and lower lip touch first, then upper lip—so baby takes a large mouthful of breast, not just the nipple. Step 4: You should feel strong tugging but not sharp pain. If painful after a few seconds, break the seal with a clean finger and try again.
Engorgement relief: Step 1: Feed frequently; avoid long stretches. Step 2: Soften the areola with a minute of hand expression before latching. Step 3: After feeds, apply cool compresses 10 minutes for swelling, and take ibuprofen if approved by your clinician. Step 4: If you skip a feed, pump or hand express to comfort—not to empty completely if you’re trying to reduce oversupply (ABM Protocol #36).
Mastitis warning signs include a painful, red, firm area on the breast, fever, chills, and feeling unwell. First steps: keep breastfeeding or pumping to keep milk moving, rest, hydrate, use anti-inflammatory pain relief if approved, and apply ice after feeds. Call your clinician promptly—antibiotics may be needed, and continued milk removal is recommended (ABM Protocol #36; ACOG).
If nursing is painful, your nipples are damaged, or baby isn’t having at least 6 wet diapers by day 5, seek help early from a lactation consultant or your clinician. Most latch issues are fixable with support (AAP/HealthyChildren).
Formula feeding: safe preparation and feeding
Your baby can thrive with formula feeding. Prepare it safely (CDC): Step 1: Wash hands and clean all equipment; sterilize bottles and nipples before first use and for babies under 3 months. Step 2: Use safe water; if directed or water safety is uncertain, boil and cool to no less than 70°C/158°F before mixing powdered formula. Step 3: Measure water and formula exactly per the label. Step 4: Test temperature on your wrist. Step 5: Discard any formula left at room temperature after 2 hours, or within 1 hour after baby starts feeding. Step 6: Refrigerate prepared formula and use within 24 hours.
Paced bottle feeding can reduce spit-ups and mimic breastfeeding flow: Hold baby upright; keep the bottle horizontal; let baby pause frequently; switch sides halfway to support head and neck balance (CDC).
Nutrition, hydration, and medications
Eat regular, balanced meals and snacks with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and iron-rich foods. If breastfeeding, you may need an additional 330–400 kcal/day. Continue your prenatal vitamin unless told otherwise, and aim for adequate iodine, choline, and DHA through diet or supplements if advised (Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025; CDC).
Drink to thirst; keeping a water bottle nearby at feeds helps. For pain, acetaminophen and ibuprofen are generally compatible with breastfeeding; avoid aspirin unless specifically advised. Always check medications with your clinician, especially if breastfeeding (ACOG; ABM Protocol #15).
Rest and realistic routines
Sleep in the newborn phase is fragmented. Try shift sleep with a partner or support person. Protect one longer stretch: for example, your helper handles diapering and soothing after an early-evening feed while you sleep with earplugs and a mask, then you take over later. Daytime 20–40 minute naps can help. Lower the bar for chores; if you have energy, use it for rest, feeding, and nutrition first (NICE).
Mood and mental health
Baby blues are common—tearfulness, mood swings, and overwhelm—peaking around days 3–5 and improving by 2 weeks. If low mood, anxiety, irritability, intrusive thoughts, or hopelessness persist beyond 2 weeks or interfere with functioning, reach out. Urgent help is needed for thoughts of self-harm or harming your baby. In the U.S., you can call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746). Early treatment works and is compatible with breastfeeding for most people (ACOG; CDC).
Sex, contraception, and spacing
Resume sexual activity when bleeding has stopped, tissues have healed, and you feel ready—often around 4–6 weeks, but timing is individual. Lubrication can be lower postpartum, especially during breastfeeding; use water-based lubricant and go slowly. Pelvic discomfort or pain is a reason to see your clinician or a pelvic floor therapist (ACOG).
Ovulation can return before your first period. Discuss contraception early. Highly effective, breastfeeding-compatible options include progestin-only pills, the implant, IUDs, and injections; condoms and diaphragms are also options. Combined estrogen-containing methods are usually delayed for several weeks postpartum because of blood clot risk, especially if breastfeeding or with other risk factors (CDC US MEC). If exclusively breastfeeding, with no menses, and your baby is under 6 months, the Lactational Amenorrhea Method can be up to 98% effective, but any change in feeding pattern reduces effectiveness (WHO; CDC).
Appointments and vaccinations
Schedule your postpartum visit and any earlier check-ins your clinician recommends (some need a 1–3 week visit). Ask about anemia screening, blood pressure checks, and mood screening. If you were not immune during pregnancy, you may be offered MMR or varicella vaccines postpartum. Stay up to date on Tdap, flu, and COVID-19 per current guidance; these are safe during breastfeeding (CDC).
When to get urgent help
Call emergency services or seek urgent care if you have any of the following: chest pain; shortness of breath; severe headache with vision changes; one-sided leg swelling, redness, or pain; heavy bleeding soaking a pad in an hour or passing large clots; fever 100.4°F/38°C or higher; severe abdominal pain; worsening incision redness or pus; seizures; or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby (CDC; ACOG).
Build your village
Ask three people to take a role: meals, errands, and emotional check-ins. Post a note on the fridge with “How to help” tasks like folding laundry, loading the dishwasher, or holding the baby while you shower. Your job is healing and bonding; let others do the rest.
Final encouragement
You are learning a brand-new job on very little sleep, while your body heals from a major event. That is hard—and you’re doing it. Small, gentle steps add up. If something feels off, you deserve care now. Reach out; you’re not alone.
References
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). After Childbirth: What to Expect. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/after-childbirth
ACOG. Postpartum Pain Management. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/postpartum-pain-management
ACOG. Exercise After Pregnancy. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/exercise-after-pregnancy
ACOG. Cesarean Birth. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/cesarean-birth
ACOG. Postpartum Birth Control. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/postpartum-birth-control
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hear Her: Maternal Warning Signs. https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/maternal-warning-signs/index.html
CDC. Proper Storage and Preparation of Infant Formula. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/formula-feeding/infant-formula-preparation-and-storage.html
CDC. Vaccination Considerations: Pregnancy and After. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pregnancy/vacc-considerations/pregnant.html
CDC. U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use. https://www.cdc.gov/contraception/hcp/usmec/
World Health Organization (WHO). Recommendations on Postnatal Care of the Mother and Newborn (2022). https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240045989
WHO. Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM). https://www.who.int/tools/elena/interventions/lactational-amenorrhoea-method-lam-for-contraception
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Postnatal Care (NG194). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng194
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM). Clinical Protocol #36: The Mastitis Spectrum (2022). https://www.bfmed.org/assets/ABM%20Protocol%20%2336.pdf
ABM. Clinical Protocol #15: Analgesia and Anesthesia for the Breastfeeding Mother. https://www.bfmed.org/assets/ABM%20Clinical%20Protocol%20%2315.pdf
American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Breastfeeding FAQs: How Much and How Often. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/How-Often-and-How-Long-Should-You-Breastfeed-Your-Baby.aspx
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov