Not Sure What You Need After Baby Arrives? Start Here
The Quiet Overwhelm No One Talks About
You’ve packed the hospital bag. Folded the tiny onesies. Set up the bassinet.
But then the baby comes… and suddenly the real question hits you:
What now?
What do I need? Not for the baby but for me?
Unfortunately most mums aren’t told how to prepare for the fourth trimester, the raw, tender, and transformative time after birth. You might feel sore, sleep-deprived, disconnected, or emotionally all over the place. And that’s completely normal.
But it doesn’t mean you have to go through it alone.
This blog is your gentle starting point, a guide to the kinds of support you may need (and deserve) after baby arrives.
Postpartum Is Real (And Support Is Essential)
The time after birth, also known as the fourth trimester, is just as important as pregnancy or labour. However, it is often overlooked in the excitement of a new arrival.
Your body is recovering.
Your hormones are shifting.
Your identity is evolving.
Your nervous system is overloaded.
And while you’re caring for a tiny human, you might also be silently asking:
“Who’s caring for me?”
That’s where postpartum support steps in, not as a luxury, but as a form of basic human care.
5 Types of Support You Might Not Know You Need
Let’s break it down into five core areas where support can make a profound difference in your recovery, wellbeing, and confidence as a new mum.
1. Physical Recovery
After birth (vaginal or C-section), your body deserves healing not hustling.
- Pelvic floor physiotherapy can aid in post-birth recovery, bladder control, alleviating discomfort, and improving core strength.
- Postpartum massage eases tension, supports lymphatic drainage, and relieves the aches of feeding and holding a baby.
- Chiropractors can support recovery, ease discomfort, and improve alignment after birth, and also assist your newborn.
🔗 Explore: Pelvic Floor Recovery Services | Postpartum Massage Near You
2. Feeding Support
Whether you’re breastfeeding, pumping, or formula feeding—support matters.
- A lactation consultant can help with latch issues, supply, or painful feeding.
- Bottle-feeding families also benefit from feeding guidance and reassurance.
🔗 Explore: Lactation Consultants & Feeding Help
3. Emotional Wellbeing
Mum guilt, overwhelm, and identity loss can creep in silently.
- Postpartum psychologists and counsellors help you process birth, relationship shifts, and mental load.
- Support groups (online or local) reduce isolation and normalise your feelings.
🔗 Explore: Emotional & Mental Health Services
4. Practical, Hands-On Help
You don’t have to cook, clean, and care for a newborn all at once.
- In-home postpartum doulas can support you physically and emotionally.
- Meal delivery, home help, and sibling care reduce pressure and decision fatigue.
🔗 Explore: In-Home Postpartum Support |
5. Connection & Identity
You are not just a mum.
- Motherhood coaching and matrescence education can help you reconnect with your sense of self.
- Mum & baby groups offer safe spaces to share, vent, laugh, and be witnessed.
So… How Do You Know What You Need Most?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
If you’re feeling physically fragile, start with body support.
If you’re emotionally drained, seek a mental health check-in.
If you just want a hot shower and someone to make you food, start there.
Ask yourself:
- “What feels hardest right now?”
- “Where do I feel most alone?”
- “What would make me feel even 10% more supported?”
Whatever the answer, there’s help available and you deserve it.
You Weren’t Meant to Do This Alone
At Not Another Onesie, we believe every mother deserves a modern village, a place to find the care, expertise, and connection that should be standard, not rare.
Whether you’re navigating sleep deprivation, identity loss, feeding struggles, or just wondering “Is this normal?” you are not alone, and you are not failing.
There are professionals across Australia who are here to walk beside you and hold you as you hold your family.
💛 Start here. Gather your village today.
You may also be interested in...
Mikaela Duffy Naturopath & Bodyworker
Hi! I’m Mikaela, a degree trained naturopath & nutritionist, and bodyworker specialising in supporting women & families in key transitional life stages. My aim is to help create the village of care for your individual needs. I offer confinement techniques for a variety of home visit packages including those who have experienced pregnancy loss.
Perfect for –
* new mums who would benefit from visits that gently support the healing process post birth
* those wishing to receive traditional post partum treatments &/or massage
* any woman from 1 day to 1 year after birthing that needs nurturing & care
* mums who are struggling emotionally or physically with their parenthood journey
* those who have birthed naturally or via C section (various tailored treatments available)
* women who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss
Using science & traditional wisdom combined, and over 17 years of clinical experience, I provide a gentle caring presence in your home, and can offer from a range of services –
* Naturopathy consult and advice for recovery, healing & lactation support
* Nutrition support, recipe ideas, supplement reviews
* Herbal body treatments – relaxing belly wraps for birth recovery, body swaddling, yoni steams, herbal baths/foot soaks, moxa
* BodyTalk/Reiki treatment (helpful for new mum anxiety, settling & birth trauma release, pregnancy loss)
* Massage techniques for recovery & relaxation – including C section scar work
* Blood test reviews/referrals to ensure wellness, healing and optimum mental health
* Closing of the bones ceremony (rite of passage)
Packages available – individually tailored to your needs, & timed to suit you over weeks or months
Dr Edna Lekgabe
About Dr Edna Lekgabe
Dr Edna Lekgabe is here to support you through every stage of your journey to motherhood and beyond. Dr Edna is a caring psychiatrist with a deep passion for helping women and families navigate the emotional ups and downs of pregnancy, birth, and new parenthood. Her experience bridges both private practice and her role as a consultant psychiatrist at The Royal Women’s Hospital.
Dr Edna believes every woman deserves a safe place to talk openly and feel heard. She understands that becoming a parent is a unique adventure, filled with both joy and uncertainty, and she welcomes conversations about whatever is on your mind—from planning for pregnancy and infertility struggles, to birth worries, trauma, grief, and the challenges of new parenthood. No concern is too small.
Her care is truly holistic. Dr Edna listens deeply to understand not just your medical needs, but your emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual life too. She emphasises early support and welcomes family and loved ones into decision-making, especially when considering medication before, during, or after pregnancy. She offers guidance on mental health treatments, and also supports you with practical lifestyle approaches like nutrition, gentle exercise, mindfulness, self-compassion, and building your support network.
Dr Edna holds a medical degree from Monash University, a Master of Psychiatry from the University of Melbourne, a PhD, and a Diploma from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. She has trained at several leading hospitals, including The Royal Melbourne, Royal Children’s, Royal Women’s and Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospitals.
If you are seeking someone gentle, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in your wellbeing, Dr Edna is here to help you find clarity, comfort, and confidence as you move through each chapter of motherhood.
Learn about the support you didn't know you needed.
We have cherry picked the most useful resources for your fourth trimester so that you don't have to waste precious hours searching.
eBook - Jaclyn Carlson (Jaclyn Carlson)
Emotional Toolkit – For Back to Daycare & School
Sending your little one off to daycare, kindergarten or back to school brings up all the feels—relief, pride, grief, sadness, and maybe even a little anxiety. This transition can be even trickier when there is a new baby in the family. You’re not alone in this.
Article - Louise Barton & Elisha Wildblood (Not Another Onesie)
Why Motherhood Feels So Hard
Dear Mama, We see you. We see the way you pour yourself into motherhood, the way you carry the weight of the world while still showing up with love and strength, even when you feel like a shadow of yourself. As a society, we sit here adding to the pressure, adding to the load and, let's be brutally honest - failing you miserably every step of the way. We owe you an apology.
Article - Ana Ristov (Lively Lifestyle Psychology)
Conversations to Have With Your Partner Before Baby Arrives
Most people plan for birth with a detailed birth plan, but what about a postpartum care plan? Talking openly before your baby is born about expectations, responsibilities, and emotional support can make the adjustment smoother. From who’s doing the night feeds to how you’ll support each other through exhaustion, these conversations are essential for protecting your partnership, strengthening your mental health, and laying the foundation for a connected family.
Article - Claire Dicarlo (From Rad Parents)
Every New Parent Should Have The Gift of A Birth Debrief
A birth debriefing allows you to reflect on and honor your birth experience, whether it was joyful or challenging. This supportive process provides a safe space to process emotions, gain clarity, and find closure as you step into parenthood with confidence. Your birth story deserves to be heard. This post shows how a compassionate birth debriefing session can help you process your experience, find closure, and step into parenthood with clarity and support.
Article - Alice Mason (Align with Alice)
Human Design for Motherhood: Understanding Yourself, Your Child, and Your Parenting
At first glance, you might wonder how Human Design is relevant to your motherhood journey, but I want to share with you the incredible wisdom that this modality offers. The way I see it, this support comes in three powerful ways. It provides guidance and understanding of yourself — how you’re wired and what your needs are. It offers insight into your child and practical guidance to parent in accordance with their unique nature. It strengthens the bond between you, helping you foster a relationship built on understanding rather than expectation.