Postpartum Guide: Maternity Leave, Postpartum Depression and the Months After Birth

If you’ve lost yourself in motherhood, there’s a name for what you’re feeling

Close-up of mom with her two friends using a photo booth prop and taking a goofy selfie together

The fourth-trimester friendship gap: how to rebuild your social life kindly

The fourth-trimester–the weeks after birth can feel isolating, even with a baby in your arms. A realistic plan to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and protect your energy while you heal.

Life, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum

Baby wearing bonnet and laying on stomach on a blanket while looking up

Motherly

9 smart ways to prep your home for the fourth-trimester (and protect your rest)

A little planning now can help you recover during the fourth trimester. Get your sleep, and bond with your baby. Keep the mental load light and your rest front and center.

Motherly, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum

Mom sitting on couch holding baby and kissing baby's forehead

Postpartum

Why the postpartum body deserves reverence, not repair

Your postpartum body did something extraordinary. It does not need fixing. It needs care, awe, and practical support so you can heal, reconnect, and feel at home again

Postpartum, Fourth Trimester

Postpartum Friendships

Why postpartum friendships can feel like lifelines

In the wild, wonderful blur after birth, the right people can hold you together. Here is why new mom friendships feel so essential and how to find, build, and protect them.

Postpartum Friendships, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum

Image of neatly-organized diapers in a tan wicker basket that is lined with off-white canvas

Motherly

The baby registry you can’t buy: 10 systems that actually save time

Baby registry gear is great, but systems are what keep your days moving. These 10 routines save hours, lower mental load and help your home run on autopilot.

Motherly, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum

Mom holding her newborn baby while sitting on couch at home

Parental Leave

Make parental leave work for you: 10 boundary lines to draw early

Ten simple boundaries to protect your rest, bond, and sanity so parental leave actually restores you.

Parental Leave, Motherly, Postpartum

Parental Leave

5 things every mom should know about parental leave rights

You deserve time to heal, bond and adjust. Here are the essentials to help you plan leave with confidence, protect your job and get paid if possible.

Parental Leave, Career & Money, Motherly, Postpartum

Parental Leave

What moms wish employers understood about parental leave

Parental leave is not a perk. It is protective health time that safeguards recovery, bonding, feeding, and mental well-being. Here is what new parents wish every manager and HR team knew, plus practical steps to design leave that actually works.

Parental Leave, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum

Parental Leave

Alabama’s paid parental leave law is a monumental step—now let’s make it for everyone

“In Alabama, we are committed to strengthening families and supporting those who serve our state,” said Governor Ivey.

Parental Leave, News, Postpartum

Postpartum Products

Science-backed solutions for hot sleepers (that don’t involve sleeping in the freezer)

Your pregnancy journey doesn’t just end after you give birth. Also known…

Postpartum Products, Pregnancy Products

hailey bieber pregnancy must haves - Motherly

Celebrity News

Hailey Bieber just shared her pregnancy must-haves and they’re actually affordable

Your pregnancy journey doesn’t just end after you give birth. Also known…

Celebrity News, Postpartum Products

Health & Wellness

Yes, you need ‘Butt Stuff’ by Megababe—your hemorrhoids will thank you

Because your hemorrhoids need it.

Health & Wellness, Postpartum Products, Pregnancy Products

Postpartum Products

As a second-time mama, these are the 21 items I have for my postpartum recovery

Being a second time mom means that I have a better sense of what I will need to recover after birth.

Postpartum Products, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Products, Shop

Postpartum

A mom wrote the first children’s book about PPD. Here’s what she wants you to know

The first children's picture book about postpartum depression is here — and it's also a reminder that too many mothers are still suffering in silence.

Postpartum

Women's Health

If you’ve lost yourself in motherhood, there’s a name for what you’re feeling

We hand new mothers a narrative about the happiest time of their lives, and then act baffled when they feel alone in ways they can't explain

Women's Health, Fourth Trimester

Health & Wellness

The 5-minute reset a PT recommends for every new mom’s wrecked back–and how to protect yourself long term

The hunching, the one-hip carry, the floor-to-standing with a baby. Here’s what’s actually happening—and what helps.

Health & Wellness, Postpartum, Women's Health

Mom pushing baby in stroller during golden hour sunset

Motherhood Success

Choose quiet: Soft mornings and slow nights for new motherhood

When life with kids gets loud, gentle routines can help your nervous system settle and your home feel kinder. Here is a simple way to build calm into your bookends.

Motherhood Success, Postpartum

Mom walking behind her baby while holding his hands and helping him as they walk on a beautiful beach with mountains in the background

Postpartum Energy

6 small things that actually help new moms feel more like themselves again

These quick, low-lift habits fit inside nap windows and night feeds, and they help you reconnect with your identity while you are caring for a new baby.

Postpartum Energy, Postpartum

Parental Leave

Make parental leave work for you: 10 boundary lines to draw early

Ten simple boundaries to protect your rest, bond, and sanity so parental leave actually restores you.

Parental Leave, Motherly, Postpartum

Life

The fourth-trimester friendship gap: how to rebuild your social life kindly

The fourth-trimester–the weeks after birth can feel isolating, even with a baby in your arms. A realistic plan to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and protect your energy while you heal.

Life, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum

Motherly

9 smart ways to prep your home for the fourth-trimester (and protect your rest)

A little planning now can help you recover during the fourth trimester. Get your sleep, and bond with your baby. Keep the mental load light and your rest front and center.

Motherly, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum

Postpartum

Why the postpartum body deserves reverence, not repair

Your postpartum body did something extraordinary. It does not need fixing. It needs care, awe, and practical support so you can heal, reconnect, and feel at home again

Postpartum, Fourth Trimester

Parents sitting by Christmas tree holding their baby and enjoying time at home together

Motherhood Understood

7 holiday scenarios every mom knows and what to say to protect your peace

Kind, ready-to-use scripts for 7 tricky holiday moments, so you can set clear boundaries, lower stress, and enjoy what matters most.

Motherhood Understood, Postpartum

Mom taking a break from work to snuggle with her kid and take a cat nap

Mom Energy

15 daily practices that protect mom’s energy

You deserve to feel like yourself, not just what is left at the end of everyone else’s needs. These simple, repeatable practices help you protect your energy so you can show up for your family and for you.

Mom Energy, Postpartum, Postpartum Energy

Parental Leave

5 things every mom should know about parental leave rights

You deserve time to heal, bond and adjust. Here are the essentials to help you plan leave with confidence, protect your job and get paid if possible.

Parental Leave, Career & Money, Motherly, Postpartum

Mom and dad laying on bed laughing at their baby laying between them

Motherly

Tips for nurturing intimacy after birth (7 gentle ones)

Intimacy and postpartum sex can feel different, tender, and sometimes confusing. These gentle ideas help you find your way back to closeness at a pace that honors recovery and real life.

Motherly, Postpartum, Postpartum Sex, Sex After Baby

Mom holding her newborn baby boy while trying to show him a toy that makes sound

Postpartum

6 postpartum truths that no one prepares you for

You are not doing it wrong. Postpartum is a season of change that touches your body, mind, relationships and routines. Here is what to expect and how to make it gentler.

Postpartum, Baby Shopping Guide, Baby Sleep Guides & Schedules, Motherly, Postpartum Energy

Motherly

10 things to expect with postpartum hormones during the hormonal shifts

Your body just did something incredible. Here is what those early postpartum hormones and changes can feel like, plus simple ways to steady yourself while you heal.

Motherly, Hormones, Postpartum, Postpartum Hormones

Postpartum Friendships

Why postpartum friendships can feel like lifelines

In the wild, wonderful blur after birth, the right people can hold you together. Here is why new mom friendships feel so essential and how to find, build, and protect them.

Postpartum Friendships, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum

Motherly

The baby registry you can’t buy: 10 systems that actually save time

Baby registry gear is great, but systems are what keep your days moving. These 10 routines save hours, lower mental load and help your home run on autopilot.

Motherly, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum

Mom holding newborn baby while her best friend visits; Postpartum Visitors Boundary Scripts

Motherly

Postpartum visitors at the end, not the start: 6 boundary scripts to try

You can love your people and still say “not yet.” These simple, kind scripts protect your healing time without creating drama, and they set you up for the kind of visits that actually help.

Motherly, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum

Postpartum

The way food becomes love after birth

After delivery, meals do more than fill a plate. They steady hormones, fuel milk, lower stress and remind a new parent they are held. Food quietly becomes a love language in the fourth trimester; what your body needs and how to ask for help.

Postpartum, Fourth Trimester

Health & Wellness

Why postpartum rest is medical care, not a luxury

Your body completed a complex, whole-body event. Treating rest like a prescription, not an afterthought, protects healing, mental health and long-term well-being for you and your baby.

Health & Wellness, Fourth Trimester, Mental Health, Postpartum, Self Care, Women's Health

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