The Masculine Role of Postpartum
As women, our postpartum recovery depends heavily on our partners support. The role they play in chores, emotional support, making meals, caring for older children, etc. is crucial for us to be able to rest, care for our newborn and heal physically, mentally, and emotionally.
We polled our instagram and asked them what they felt was the most important things their partners did to contribute to their recovery and these are the top answers that showed up over and over.
- Cooked meals, got snacks, kept water bottle filled
- Changed diapers
- Took the baby so I could sleep
- Planning for postpartum ahead of time - make expectations and desires clear beforehand
- Enforce boundaries with family as needed
- Caring for older children
- Be in for the long haul - postpartum isn't just 6 weeks
- Agility and grace towards mama - hormones and needs are constantly fluctuating
- Hire a postpartum doula
- Clean and take on household chores (or hire help)
- Listen!
Partner's Role in Postpartum
1. Keep Mama Fed & Hydrated
Bring the meals, keep the snacks coming, and for the love of all things holy, refill the water bottle before she has to ask.
2. Handle Diapers & Baby Care
Anything that lets her stay in bed longer is a huge win. Diaper duty, baby rocking, late-night burping—step up.
3. Take the Baby So She Can Sleep
Sleep is everything. If you can’t breastfeed, take shifts, do bottle feeds, or just hold the baby so she can get some uninterrupted rest.
4. Plan for Postpartum BEFORE Birth
Talk about expectations now—food, visitors, sleep shifts, support. Making a game plan ahead of time saves a ton of stress later.
5. Enforce Boundaries with Family
You’re the gatekeeper. If she doesn’t want visitors or needs space, you get to be the one to communicate that.
6. Take Care of Older Kids
If there are big siblings, they need you too. Handling school drop-offs, bedtime, or just playing with them helps so much.
7. Know That Postpartum is Longer Than 6 Weeks
This isn’t a 6-week sprint. Healing takes time—physically, emotionally, and hormonally.
8. Be Flexible & Read the Room
Postpartum is wild. Hormones, emotions, and needs change constantly. Agility is key.
9. Hire a Postpartum Doula (or Extra Help)
Seriously, worth it. A postpartum doula helps with everything from baby care to emotional support.
10. Clean the House (or Hire Someone Who Will)
Dishes, laundry, general tidying—just handle it. Nothing makes a new mom feel more overwhelmed than a messy house she doesn’t have the energy to clean.
And the biggest one? Listen. Every postpartum journey is different. Show up, ask what she needs, and really hear her.
Want to take postpartum support up a notch? We make the nourishing meals so you don’t have to → Order Mama Meals today!
In addition, be sure to check out the free First 40 Days For Men PDF written by co-founder of Mama Meals (and father of 3), Eric Stein.
You can also watch a conversation Holly and Eric had about how men can support their partners during postpartum on YouTube. ↓
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