Week 31: Postpartum Planning
Think beyond delivery — the first weeks at home matter most
Everyone plans for the birth. Few people plan for coming home with the baby. Week 31 is about postpartum preparation: who's helping, what's in the freezer, how you're handling visitors, and what your first weeks at home will actually look like. This planning will save your sanity.
What's happening this week
The baby can turn its head from side to side. All five senses are functional. The brain is processing information, forming connections, and developing at an incredible rate. The baby is gaining about half a pound per week. She may be experiencing back pain, insomnia, and frequent urination as the baby presses on her bladder.
Your checklist
0 of 5 completeCook and freeze meals now: soups, casseroles, burritos, pasta bakes. You won't want to cook for the first 2–3 weeks postpartum. Aim for 10–15 meals. Label everything with the date and reheating instructions.
Discuss together: Who visits in the hospital? Who visits at home, and when? How long do visits last? What are the rules (wash hands, don't come sick, don't just show up)? Communicate boundaries in advance. You are the enforcer.
If family is coming to help, coordinate arrival dates and sleeping arrangements. If you're hiring a postpartum doula or night nurse, book now — they fill up fast. Even a few nights of professional help in the first week can be transformative.
She'll need: peri bottles, oversized pads, witch hazel pads, ice packs (or frozen padsicles), stool softener, nipple cream if breastfeeding, and comfortable loose clothing. The hospital provides some of this — ask what they supply vs. what you should bring.
Who does what at night? How are you splitting feeds? Who handles diapers vs. laundry vs. cooking? Having an explicit conversation now — even if plans change — sets better expectations than winging it.
Recommended products
Postpartum Recovery Kit — Frida Mom
Includes peri bottle, cooling pad liners, disposable underwear, and witch hazel pads. Everything she'll need for the first two weeks of recovery in one box. Hospital-grade essentials without the hospital markup.
Postpartum planning is arguably more important than birth planning, yet it receives a fraction of the attention. The first two weeks at home with a newborn are physically and emotionally intense: sleep deprivation, hormonal shifts, breastfeeding challenges, and the adjustment to 24/7 responsibility for a tiny human.
Dads can dramatically improve this period through advance preparation. Freezer meals eliminate the daily question of what to eat. Pre-set visitor boundaries prevent social exhaustion. Having postpartum recovery supplies (peri bottles, pads, witch hazel) stocked at home means no emergency pharmacy runs. And discussing the division of nighttime feeds and diaper changes beforehand — even if plans change — creates a framework instead of resentment.
Related weeks
Get notified when we publish the next week
We write each week in real time. Drop your email and we'll let you know when new content goes live.