Our Story
Postpartum Plan is revolutionising post-birth care by offering a comprehensive program that addresses the emotional and physical needs of new parents. It brings together a team of experienced postpartum experts, including women’s health physiotherapists, yoga and breath-work instructors, nutritionists, postpartum doulas, and more.
Postpartum Plan offers what society doesn’t; 24/7 postpartum support; unbiased resources on everything from infant feeding to prolapse recovery advice; weekly live sessions for real-time access to professionals; a community of like-minded parents who share stories and support on the live sessions.
This is me after the birth of my first baby. Jude had to spend three days in neonatal being ‘cooled’ as there was a risk of brain damage.
Don’t worry, he was fine and is now a thriving 6-year-old. I, however, was not fine. Whilst all my – and the doctors’ – love and care poured into Jude’s wellbeing, I was left with undiagnosed PTSD, postpartum anxiety, insomnia and diastasis recti (the splitting of the abdominal muscles, that affects 30% of all pregnant women). Whilst everyone was there to hold the baby, no one was there to hold me. And I am not alone. Every day, the needs of new parents go widely ignored because our society does not think about postpartum recovery. I was left alone to deal with my emotional and physical needs whilst also caring for a newborn and my health suffered.
After a long four years of seeking out my own emotional and physical support (plus another baby later), lockdown struck. I could not stop thinking about all the new parents who really were truly alone during this time. This, coupled with the 45% increase in rates of postpartum anxiety during lockdown, inspired me to launch Postpartum Plan in May 2021.
I recently had my third baby – my first baby with Postpartum Plan beside me – so I got to become a member myself. This taught me a few things. Firstly, that Postpartum Plan works. My recovery this time has been better than ever and I have felt calmer and stronger than I did before. Secondly, postpartum does not end after the six-week check (when society tells us we stop being postpartum). We are postpartum for life; our hormones, our brains, and our bodies will never be the same again. This means that Postpartum Plan is for life and I am planning additional services like back-to-work coaching that give members the support they need in that first year and beyond. Finally, emotional recovery is the foundation of all postpartum recovery; if you focus on your body before dealing with your trauma or mental health then you are building your body back on rocky foundations. Our Mindset pillar is growing and I am training in breath-work to add more services to support our members.
