17 - The Ultimate Guide to Building a Prepared Parenthood

In this episode of Doula Talk: Postpartum, Babies, and the Battle for Sleep, Deb pulls back the curtain on what preparing for parenthood really looks like—and spoiler alert, it’s about way more than picking out cute onesies and designing the perfect nursery.

Deb dives deep into the parts of parenting most people forget to plan for: postpartum recovery, emotional connection, your circle of support, day-to-day logistics, and newborn prep. With her signature blend of warmth and no-nonsense sass, she reminds listeners that a postpartum plan isn’t just about logistics—it’s about aligning expectations, setting yourself up for healing, and ensuring everyone feels supported in those tender early weeks.

From recovery hacks (yes, she shares the Penny Simkin “five days in bed” wisdom) to practical prompts for staying connected with yourself, your partner, and your wider community, Deb walks you through how to build a safety net that keeps you from drowning in dishes, diapers, and exhaustion. She even gets into the nitty-gritty details most people ignore, like assigning laundry duty, pet care, and mapping out your feeding and sleep preferences before your baby is in your arms at 3 a.m.

This episode is more than advice—it’s an invitation to step into parenthood feeling prepared, supported, and a little more confident in your ability to handle the messy, magical ride ahead.

✨ Preparing for Parenthood Workbook: Deb shares how to use her Preparing for Parenthood Workbook—a powerful guide packed with prompts and worksheets to help you map out your plan and keep all your ideas in one place. Get yours here!

💡 Extra Support: For parents who want personalized guidance, Deb also offers prenatal consults where she walks you through the workbook alongside a customized binder filled with 175–200 pages of worksheets, templates, and resources she’s curated over years of supporting families. Learn more here!

If you’re pregnant and craving less chaos and more confidence in your postpartum journey, this episode is your must-listen roadmap. Tune in, grab your workbook, and let Deb help you build the foundation for a smoother, saner transition into parenthood.

Transcript

Hey there, this is Deb. I'm your host, your go-to expert for all things birth, postpartum, and sleep. Today we're gonna talk about something every expecting parent needs to hear.

you need to prepare to become a parent. Yep, I'm talking about the magical all-important planning phase that ensures that you are not left scrambling when your baby finally arrives. Now, I know you've probably got your baby names and nursery Pinterest boards on lock, but I want you to listen closely because what we're diving into today goes beyond the cute onesies and the cribs, which are all great, you know? But I'm gonna talk about the real stuff.

postpartum care, support systems, and making sure that you have your day-to-day life together so that you can actually enjoy those newborn snuggles without drowning in laundry and dishes and endless to-do lists and feeling like you're so behind. So buckle up because we're about to get into the nitty-gritty of preparing for parenthood. And trust me, it's not as boring as it sounds.

Okay, first things first, let me say this. Parenting is such a wild ride. You're about to have a little human on your hands and while it's beautiful and amazing, it's also really messy, chaotic, and sometimes frustrating. all of that can be true all at the same time. But here's the thing, pre-planning for your postpartum period is gonna make everything so much smoother.

I can't promise that everything will be perfect, but you're gonna be thanking yourself when you are sleep deprived and knee even baby bottles that you did this planning.

You might be thinking, Deb, isn't the planning all about baby gear and nursery decor? Well, yeah, but it's about so much more than that. It's about your recovery, your self-care, and more importantly, your support system. we're gonna dive in today with the help of the Preparing for Parenthood workbook.

trust me, you'll wanna grab a pen and paper for this one because we're about to get real about how to handle those early days after your baby arrives.

All right, let's start with something that's often overlooked but super important, your postpartum recovery. I'm talking about the first few weeks, and let's be real, sometimes months after birth.

You'll be going through a huge physical and emotional shift, not to mention hormonal. And if you're not planning ahead for that recovery, you are setting yourself up for unnecessary stress. In the postpartum recovery prep section of your workbook, you'll be getting prompts that help you plan everything from asking your doctor the right questions to setting up your nutrition and self-care. like a map for your body's healing process because guess what? You will need to heal.

Whether it's from a c-section or a vaginal birth Giving yourself time to recover is crucial and don't forget to ask about follow-up care.

you have an appointment with a pelvic floor therapist or a lactation consultant, these are all part of your postpartum plan to find local providers that make sure that you have all of that already looked up so you can get the help you need as soon as you know you need it.

You can't be the best parent if you're running on empty. So plan ahead for the rest and care you deserve. And you've got a lot of work ahead of you. But self-care is not optional.

a famous quote from Penny Simkin is, spend five days in the bed, five days on the bed, and five days around the bed. I like to extend that to a week, and if you need to make it a little shorter, then great.

Okay, now let's talk about something that's just as important, staying connected. This is on the emotional side. We're gonna be talking about staying connected to yourself, your partner, and your outside support network. When your whole world revolves around this little bundle of joy, it's so easy to forget that you matter too, right? You need to carve time out for yourself. Even if it's just a five minute quiet moment in the bathroom,

Trust me, those exist. So in the staying connected section of your you'll be getting prompts about how to keep that connection alive with your partner.

Parenthood changes relationships, but that doesn't mean it's all chaos. You have to make time for each other, even if it's just a quick, how's your day? between diaper changes. And don't forget your friends and family. You don't have to go through this alone. Make sure to stay connected to the people who have your back, whether it's a friend who will bring you a meal or your mom who just gets it. Your support system is key and you need to lean on them when the things get tough. This again is not optional.

You have to have people coming and surrounding you with the support that feels helpful. Speaking of support, let's dive straight into that. Let's, how do you create your circle of support? I can't stress this enough. You do not have to do this alone. We were never meant to do this alone.

Let's break it down. Who can help you in the first weeks? Is it your mom, a postpartum doula, your best friend who knows you need a break? Write them down in the workbook. This section helps you identify who is available and willing to help, whether it's helping with meals, doing the grocery runs, or giving you that much needed mental health check-in. And hey, if you haven't lined up some professional support yet, like a doula, a lactation consultant, this section has got you covered with a

list of professionals that you may call upon when they're needed and why you would reach out to those particular professionals.

There's so many different professionals that can support you in this time. There's a space for every one of them and a space for you to write the local provider with their phone number. I highly suggest you take this sheet and put it on your fridge so that you have an easy access to all of the professionals you may need at a moment's notice.

You've got to build your team before your baby arrives. It's not just about the people who will hold your baby while you can take a nap, though that's amazing. It's about building a group that'll keep your household running, help you recover, and support your emotional well-being.

Alright, let's get into the stuff you're probably dreading. The day-to-day logistics. I know, I know, this isn't as fun as picking out your cute baby clothes, but trust me, this part is so important. You don't want to be staring at a pile of laundry in a sink full of dirty dishes when you're trying to figure out how you're going to get any shred of sleep with your newborn.

In the day-to-day logistics section of the workbook, you'll plan out everything from laundry schedules to pet care. Who's doing the dishes? Who's walking the dog? Who's going to be picking up the groceries? You'll map out who's responsible for what. So when you're recovering and figuring out your new baby routine, you're not also managing a household meltdown. But...

And last, but definitely not least, newborn prep. Okay, it's finally time to talk about the fun baby stuff. Where is your baby gonna sleep? Are you gonna be breastfeeding or bottle feeding or pumping or a combo of both? What is your diapering plan? These are things that you need to know before your baby comes home so you don't find yourself lost in the middle of the 3 a.m. feeding with no idea what's next. In the newborn prep section of the workbook

helps you write down all of your important care decisions. And the earlier you make them, the less stress you'll feel when your baby arrives. Trust me, you'll be so much more confident when you know exactly where your baby is sleeping and what kind of diapers you'll be using.

Alright folks, well there you have it,

quick and dirty explanation of the Preparing for Parenthood workbook so you have a place to write down all your thoughts, get everything combined from all of the research you've done in your pregnancy, all in one place so that you and your partner, if you have one, are all on the same page about what your life is gonna look like postpartum.

It's not just about buying cute baby clothes or putting together a fancy nursery. It's about making sure you are ready emotionally, physically, and logistically for this amazing adventure ahead. So grab your preparing for parenthood workbook, start working through all these sections and set yourself up for a smoother, less stressful postpartum period. Because at the end of the day, you deserve to feel supported and ready for whatever comes your way. I can't promise you're not going to get some messy chaotic

times, but when those happen, you'll know exactly how to handle them when you do this work upfront. Parenthood is not easy, but with the right plan and the right support, I know you're going to rock it.

You've got this and I'll be right here with you every step of the way.

And if you need a little bit more support while you're going through your workbook, please feel free to reach out to me at www.douladeb.com and we can have a Prenatal consult going over this workbook and the binder that I make customized for client that has close to anywhere from 175 to 200 pages of worksheets, templates,

all kinds of information that I have gathered over the years of being a doula. So if you're interested in that, feel free to reach out.

for another episode of Doula Talk. if you loved what you heard today, leave me a review, subscribe, and...

until next time, I hope you get some sleep and all the support you deserve.