Why planning early can help you protect your mental health
Planning for life after birth is just as important as preparing for delivery. In this guide, we’ll walk through how creating a postpartum plan can support your mental health during pregnancy and after delivery—especially for women navigating this transition in Atlanta and across Georgia.
You’re expecting a baby! Congratulations! Throughout pregnancy, you get a lot of information and education. Each week is a milestone, and moving toward delivery can be both exciting and scary. Moms often talk with their partner or significant other about a birth plan. Should you have a birth plan? There are many different birthing experiences, and talking with your provider about your fears, concerns, and preferences is an important part of the pregnancy journey.
What Happens After Delivery?
But what about after delivery? In reality, this is when many new challenges begin. The golden hour, rooming in, breastfeeding, bottle feeding, diaper changes, decisions about circumcisions, middle-of-the-night feedings, sleep, help, other household chores, and oh yeah—time to feed yourself.
What’s a postpartum plan? Why does it matter? And how do you create one? You’re in the right place—let’s dig in.
Why Postpartum Mental Health Planning Matters
The postpartum period begins immediately after delivery. Talking about this phase early is vital because more knowledge leads to better decision-making abilities. Research shows that 1 in 5 women experience a postpartum mood disturbance or anxiety, making postpartum mental health planning an important part of overall perinatal care. Postpartum Depression (PPD) can affect any and all women, regardless of age, marital status, economic status, educational background, race, or ethnicity. There is no way to predict who will experience PPD. However, there are some identified risk factors.
The Purpose of a Postpartum Plan
The purpose of the postpartum plan is to help you prepare for what to expect after delivery. Additionally, it gives you time to talk about your fears, list your resources, and explore coping strategies to help you as you navigate this time in your life. When you make a plan and explore resources that are available to you with your psychiatric mental health provider or therapist, you have the opportunity to process your feelings and feel more prepared for what to do and what to expect after your delivery.
There are known risk factors for postpartum depression and/or anxiety:
• Past episode of PPD
• Depression during pregnancy
• Past history of depression or bipolar disorder
• Recent stressful life events
• Marital problems
• Inadequate social support
While there is no way to completely prevent perinatal mental illness, creating a postpartum plan can help you prepare for the major life change that the birth of a little human can bring! Postpartum Support International (PSI) is an organization that provides support, education, and resources to those in the perinatal period. This organization offers free education, support groups, resources, and a directory that includes perinatal mental health certified practitioners and therapists. PSI offers a postpartum planning guide! I will link it here at the bottom of this post.
What to Include in a Postpartum Mental Health Plan
Let’s dive into what is included in a postpartum plan. After delivery—whether spontaneous or induced, vaginal or cesarean—a mom faces the pressure of a new baby, her own recovery, excited friends and family, learning how to feed baby, and so much more. Let’s start an outline for the plan.
Topics to include in your postpartum plan:
• What is your biggest fear, concern, or uncertainty about the postpartum period?
• Sleep – everyone tells you to sleep when baby sleeps. Sometimes it’s just not that simple.
o How many hours of sleep do you need to feel rested and like yourself?
o Where will baby sleep?
▪ The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends rooming in for the first six months.
o How can you use some of your daytime hours to get additional rest?
o Do you have someone to help you with baby in the middle of the night?
▪ Someone to bring you baby or change a diaper after a feeding?
o What can you prepare ahead of time to help you during the night?
▪ Diaper changing supplies in a basket by the bed
▪ Extra pair of pajamas
▪ Preparing bottles ahead of time to keep in the fridge
• Visitation – how do you want to handle visitors? This is important to consider ahead of time and communicate your wishes clearly.
o Should visitors call you or your significant other to “schedule” a time?
o Is there anything specific you want visitors to have or do prior to visiting?
o Is there a specific amount of time you want visitors to wait before visiting?
• Support
o How do you feel most supported?
o Do you struggle asking for help?
o Do you wish to have someone stay the night with you for a few nights?
o Support does not have to be just with baby—support can also be someone you trust helping out with household responsibilities while you care for baby.
o Name 3–5 people that you trust to be there for extra support.
• Household Responsibilities
o Who will cook and clean up?
o Who can help with laundry?
o Should you adjust your normal standard of clean during the newborn phase?
• Mental Health & Wellbeing
o How do you usually cope with stress or anxiety?
o How do you normally cope with fatigue or exhaustion?
o What does it feel like in your body when you get anxious?
o How can you tell you are getting overwhelmed?
o What if you find yourself crying more than usual?
o Who do you normally lean on when you feel anxious or overwhelmed?
▪ Name three people with their contact information
o What if I start feeling not like myself?
o When should I call my doctor?
o What do you do for self-care now?
o How can you fit 5–10 minutes of mindful self-care into your day?
Importantly, if you’re in Atlanta or anywhere in Georgia, working with a provider who understands perinatal mental health can make a meaningful difference during this transition.
If you’re navigating pregnancy or the postpartum period and want support with your mental health, I would be honored to work with you. I offer psychiatric care for women in Atlanta and virtually across Georgia, with a focus on anxiety, mood changes, and perinatal mental health. You are not alone—there is help, and you can be well.
Elizabeth Hortman, PMHNP-BC, MSN-Ed, RN, CNE, PMH-C
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Resources and Education
PSI Postpartum Planning Guide → https://postpartum.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Postpartum-Planning-Class-Plan-26_3.pdf
PSI → https://postpartum.net/get-help/help-for-moms/
Mass General Maternal Health → https://womensmentalhealth.org/specialty-clinics/postpartum-psychiatric-disorders-2/
