Healthy Mom Life

Category: Postpartum

  • How to Create a Postpartum Vision Board: A Fun Way to Ease Into the Fourth Trimester

    How to Create a Postpartum Vision Board: A Fun Way to Ease Into the Fourth Trimester

    I’m obsessed with vision boards.

    Before I got pregnant, I loved creating a new vision board every month. I would fill it with images of outfits, hairstyles, goals, motivational quotes, and anything else that matched the energy I wanted to bring into that month. I especially enjoyed creating them as the seasons changed because they helped me get excited for upcoming holidays and experiences.

    So, naturally, I created a postpartum vision board.

    I designed it to help guide me through the fourth trimester and remind me of the kind of parent—and person—I want to be during this season of life.

    I also wanted to start focusing on all the amazing things we’ll get to do as a family. And, if I’m being a little selfish, now that I’m no longer pregnant, I have personal goals, hobbies, and fitness goals that I’m excited to gradually return to when the time feels right.

    During pregnancy, it can be incredibly easy to devote so much time to preparing for the baby that we spend less time thinking about what we want our own postpartum experience to look like. We research baby gear, prepare nurseries, make hospital bag lists, and learn about labour—but many of us don’t spend the same amount of time considering what we’ll need after the baby arrives.

    Classic mothers putting themselves last.

    That’s where a postpartum vision board can help.

    A vision board can be a reminder that, while caring for a very dependent little person is an important part of this season, you are still a whole person with needs, interests, goals, and dreams of your own.

    After my first baby, I experienced the baby blues, and after my second, I experienced postpartum anxiety. This time, I wanted to be intentional about creating reminders of the things that bring me joy and help me feel grounded. For me, having something positive to look forward to—or something that reconnects me with what matters—can be helpful during the more challenging days.

    I’m not suggesting that your vision board should be filled with images of “perfect” motherhood moments or pressure to “bounce back” to your pre-pregnancy body.

    Instead, let’s create something positive, fun, realistic, and meaningful—something that reflects what you value and helps you feel good about the season you’re in.

    If you’ve never made a vision board before, don’t worry. And if you’re not sure what goals, intentions, or aspirations to include, this post will help guide you.

    Follow along to learn how to create your own postpartum vision board using Pinterest.

    What Is a Postpartum Vision Board?

    A postpartum vision board is a collection of images, words, quotes, intentions, and reminders that represent how you hope to experience the first few months after your baby arrives.

    Rather than focusing on losing weight, returning to your pre-baby routine, or accomplishing as much as possible, a postpartum vision board can focus on your values, priorities, and the feelings you want to carry through this season.

    Your board might include themes such as:

    • Prioritizing rest and nourishment
    • Connecting and bonding with your baby
    • Building confidence in your parenting and yourself
    • Embracing simplicity
    • Remembering that this season is temporary and meaningful
    • Creating family memories
    • Supporting your mind, body, and overall well-being
    • Making space for self-care and your own needs
    • Reconnecting with creativity and personal interests
    • Practising patience and gratitude
    • Setting gentle goals and finding motivation

    The purpose isn’t to control the postpartum experience or create another list of things you need to accomplish.

    Instead, your vision board can act as a compass when life feels overwhelming. It can help reconnect you with the values and priorities you want to carry through this season.

    For me, C-section recovery has sometimes felt like two steps forward and one step back. Having a vision board has helped me focus on the bigger picture instead of becoming discouraged by the smaller setbacks that can happen during day-to-day recovery.

    How to Create a Postpartum Vision Board

    Step 1: Choose How You Want to Feel

    Before searching for images, start by thinking about how you want to feel during the fourth trimester.

    You might ask yourself:

    • What kind of parent do I want to be during this season?
    • What do I want to prioritize?
    • What helps me feel like myself?
    • How do I want to feel physically and emotionally?
    • What support will I need?
    • What does a good day look like for me right now?
    • What do I need to make my goals or intentions realistic?

    Your answers can help you identify an intention or theme to guide your vision board.

    I recommend choosing one main intention, although you could choose two if they complement each other. Keeping your focus narrow can make your board feel more meaningful and less overwhelming.

    You can create your own intention or search for one that resonates with you.

    Some examples include:

    • I will embrace this season one day at a time.
    • Rest and connection are my priorities.
    • I can care for my family while caring for myself.
    • Small steps still count.
    • I don’t have to do everything to have a meaningful day.

    Step 2: Identify Your Priorities

    Next, think about the areas of life that matter most to you during the fourth trimester.

    Here are a few categories to use as inspiration.

    1. Physical Recovery

    • Rest
    • Nourishing meals
    • Hydration
    • Gentle movement when appropriate
    • Giving yourself time to heal

    2. Mental and Emotional Well-Being

    • Journaling
    • Therapy or counselling
    • Quiet time
    • Asking for help
    • Spending time outdoors
    • Creating moments of calm

    3. Family Life

    • Family walks
    • One-on-one time with older children
    • Connecting with your partner
    • Creating simple family memories
    • Finding new routines together

    4. Personal Identity

    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Painting
    • Creative projects
    • Hobbies that help you feel like yourself

    5. Career and Future Goals

    • Future projects
    • Business ideas
    • Professional development
    • Long-term dreams
    • Goals you may want to work toward later

    Remember: your vision board doesn’t need to be ambitious. It simply needs to reflect what matters to you in the present moment.

    You also don’t need to choose something from every category. Use these ideas as a brainstorming tool and select only what feels meaningful and realistic for your life.

    And don’t be afraid to change your vision board. If your priorities shift or something you originally included no longer feels aligned with your life, update it.

    It’s your board. Play around with it until it feels right.

    Step 3: Gather Images and Inspiration

    Now for the fun part!

    Search Pinterest, magazines, or your own photos for images that reflect the postpartum experience you hope to create.

    Try to look for images that evoke a feeling rather than represent perfection. The images should feel positive and capture the overall atmosphere or “vibe” you want for this season.

    You might include:

    • A parent resting with their baby
    • A cozy reading nook
    • Family walks outdoors
    • Nourishing meals
    • A journal and a cup of coffee
    • Creative hobbies
    • Supportive friendships
    • Peaceful walks in nature
    • A cozy home environment
    • Seasonal activities you’re looking forward to

    I like searching for “[vibe] aesthetic” on Pinterest because it often brings up beautifully curated images.

    For example, I’m looking forward to walking in the fall with a latte and my baby. I might search:

    “Walking in fall aesthetic”

    Then I can browse the images and save the ones that capture the feeling I’m looking forward to.

    Step 4: Add Gentle Reminders

    Along with images, add affirmations, intentions, quotes, or reminders that you may want to see on difficult days.

    These phrases might resonate with you:

    • Rest is productive.
    • This season is temporary.
    • I don’t need to do it all.
    • Small steps still count.
    • My worth is not measured by my productivity.
    • I can ask for help.
    • I am allowed to take up space in my own life.
    • Today does not have to be perfect to be meaningful.
    • I can take this one day at a time.

    These reminders can help you reconnect with your priorities when you’re tired, overwhelmed, or having a difficult day.

    Step 5: Create Your Collage

    Using Pinterest, save the images you like to a board.

    When you’re ready to create your collage:

    1. Open Pinterest and select the images you want to use.
    2. Tap the three dots below an image.
    3. Select “Add to collage.”
    4. Arrange your images in a way that feels visually balanced.
    5. Add your intention, affirmations, or other text.
    6. Adjust the text size and colour so it is easy to read.
    7. Export your finished collage.

    There’s no right or wrong way to arrange your vision board. You can create something colourful and energetic, soft and calming, minimalist, seasonal, or completely unique to you.

    Step 6: Put It Somewhere You’ll See It

    Your vision board is most useful when you can easily revisit it.

    If you want to keep it private, you can leave it on Pinterest or print it and place it somewhere you’ll see regularly, such as:

    • Your bathroom mirror
    • Your bedroom
    • Your office or workspace
    • Your journal
    • The inside of a closet door

    My personal preference is to use my vision board as my phone background. That way, every time I pick up my phone—whether I’m checking the time, scrolling during a late-night feed, or doing a little online shopping—I see a reminder of what I want this season to feel like.

    The goal isn’t to complete everything on your vision board.

    The goal is to create a visual reminder of the values you want to guide you through this season.

    Final Thoughts

    The postpartum period rarely goes exactly as planned.

    Babies have their own timelines, every recovery is different, and even the day-to-day experience of the fourth trimester can be unpredictable.

    One day, you may feel like you’ve figured everything out. The next day, your baby may be on an entirely new schedule, you may be running on very little sleep, or you may feel like you’re starting from scratch.

    That’s okay.

    Creating a postpartum vision board can help you enter this season with more intention, clarity, and compassion for yourself.

    Instead of focusing only on what you want to accomplish, consider focusing on how you want to feel.

    Sometimes, in the thick of the fourth trimester, that can be the most powerful reminder of all.

    Related posts: [Easy Things You Can Do to Help Yourself Through the Baby Blues] | [Week 1 C-Section Recovery Checklist] | [46 things to do on your phone postpartum]

  • Easy Things You Can Do to Help Yourself Through the Baby Blues

    Easy Things You Can Do to Help Yourself Through the Baby Blues

    When I had my first baby, I was incredibly prepared for the newborn stage. I had the diapers stocked, the clothes washed, and everything ready for my baby. What I wasn’t prepared for was the hormone crash about a week after giving birth that had me crying on the phone to a public health nurse for no clear reason. I’d heard the term “baby blues” during pregnancy, but I didn’t truly understand what it meant until I experienced it myself.

    One moment you can feel incredible and on cloud 9. Like “I can’t believe I just birthed this beautiful thing and grew them in my body!” And the next you might be crying at an emotional poignant commercial. Or maybe you’re sad you’re not pregnant anymore and are grieving the passing of that stage of your life. Maybe you’re hyper fixated on one particular component of your healing. Or maybe you’re still processing the birth of your baby and there is some trauma associated with it. 

    The sleep deprivation and the changing hormones really create the perfect storm for moms to be on an emotional roller coaster ride. Add in other children to take care of, a healing body, possible breastfeeding challenges, the adjustment of taking care of a newborn, and you’ve got quite the stressful situation. 

    With my first baby, the baby blues really smacked me in the face. With my second, I had postpartum anxiety. For my third baby, I wanted to be as prepared as possible for the mood shifts. Around my 5th day postpartum with my third, I started noticing that I could have an amazing morning where I felt happy, confident, and grateful—and then later that day feel anxious, overwhelmed, or emotional.

    So I created a list of easy things that I could do to help myself through the baby blues whenever I felt my mood getting low. 

    Sometimes, the smallest things can make a big difference.

    While these strategies won’t treat postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety, they can be helpful ways to support yourself through the normal emotional ups and downs many mothers experience in the first couple of weeks after birth.

    But first, recognize when you’re starting to feel low.

    The most important thing I want to share that’s been a game changer this time around for me, has been my ability to recognize that my mood is starting to dip. Once I feel myself get low and teary, I know I’m going through an episode of the blues. Then I either vocalize it to my support system (my mom, my husband, my sister, or even just out loud), and then I pick something from my list. Just putting a name to your feelings gives you the power to acknowledge that this feeling is transient and that you will get through it. 

    Baby blues affect up to 80% of new mothers and are thought to be caused by the rapid drop in estrogen and progesterone after birth, combined with sleep deprivation, physical recovery, and the enormous adjustment of caring for a newborn.

    My Beat-the-baby-blues list: 

    1. Eat something before assuming it’s your mood

    One of the easiest things to overlook postpartum is basic nourishment. Not only do you need more calories to recover from birth, if you’re breastfeeding you need to up those calories even more to accommodate your supply. If you’re missing meals, which is easy to do when caring for a newborn, you’re setting yourself up for low energy, hunger, and dehydration that can make things feel more overwhelming. 

    Before you assume you’re having a terrible day, and the feelings of doom and gloom are forever, try checking in with yourself:

    Have I eaten recently?

    Have I had enough water?

    Have I had any protein today?

    Sometimes a snack and a big glass of water go a long way in helping you feel better. 

    2. Get outside, even for a few minutes

    Sunlight is so important for mood. Even just a little bit throughout the day can make a huge difference.

    Open the door. Sit on your porch, even sitting outside for ten minutes with your baby “counts”. Take a slow walk around your driveway or block if you feel up to it.

    Fresh air and natural light can also help break up the feeling of being stuck inside, especially during those long newborn days.

    Also note that on days that are rainy or grey, you might feel your mood slipping for this reason. Recognize that it might happen and make sure you have a plan (I.e choose another option on this list).

    3. Change out of your pajamas

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with spending a day in comfortable clothes postpartum. Wear your ugliest shorts and your most milk-stained shirt! 

    But sometimes putting on a clean outfit, brushing your hair, washing your face, or putting on a hint of makeup can help you feel more like yourself and more confident. 

    It’s about reminding yourself that you are still a person outside of your role as a mom. You’re still a part of society and it helps to set yourself up for the rest of the day. 

    4. Do one small thing that makes you feel like you

    The newborn stage can feel like your entire identity is just keeping a small potato alive. Try to incorporate one small thing in your day that is for you. It could be: 

    Reading a few pages of a book.

    Listening to a podcast.

    Making your favourite coffee.

    A skincare routine.

    Watching a comforting or light-hearted show.

    Sitting outside for five minutes.

    It doesn’t have to be super productive. It just has to remind you that you’re still you and it should be something that “fills your own cup”, even if that’s only for a few minutes.

    5. Stop the comparison spiral

    The postpartum internet can be a difficult place. It’s easy to compare your day 1 to someone else’s day 30. Especially when social media is a highlight reel. 

    Every postpartum recovery looks different, even between pregnancies. It’s ok if you’re still recovering or if you’re not as far in your healing as you would have expected. 

    Give yourself grace and love. You’re on no one’s timeline but your own. Check out my post on “things to do on your phone postpartum that aren’t scrolling social media” if you’re looking for inspiration for alternative activities you can do. 

    6. Limit the postpartum Google rabbit holes

    Oh boy, I love a good deep dive into asking ChatGPT or Google all my questions. However, sometimes I come out feeling like I wasted 45 minutes and my anxiety is worse. Like I need to go to the ER right now. 

    I know it’s tough because postpartum comes with so many questions and every baby has different needs. But while searching for answers helps, there is a danger that it creates more anxiety and confusion. 

    Before going on a new internet search try asking yourself these two questions:

    “Do I need this information right now, or can this wait?”

    “Is this something I should speak to a medical professional about instead?”

    Sometimes the answer is that you need reassurance from a trusted healthcare provider and not another hour scrolling online.

    7. Let someone else help

    As a self-proclaimed independent woman, this is tough. Many new moms struggle with accepting help because they feel like they should be able to handle everything. 

    But postpartum is not the time to prove that you’re superwoman. 

    Let someone make you food.

    Let someone hold the baby while you shower.

    Let someone entertain your older children.

    Let someone fold the laundry.

    Support is not a sign that you’re struggling. Support is part of recovery. And when you frame it that way, you’ll appreciate all the people you have in your corner. 

    Similarly, learn to let go of perfection. It’s ok if the house is a mess, the dishes aren’t washed, and the laundry is piling up. As long as everyone is being loved and they’re happy, that’s all that matters right now. 

    8. Get a little connection every day

    As the newborn stage can be isolating, incorporate small moments of human connection if you can: 

    Send a text to a friend. You can just say “thinking of you”. 

    Call someone who makes you feel good.

    Talk to another mom who understands.

    Wave to a neighbour or say “hi” to someone walking on the street. 

    You don’t need a long social outing. Even a few minutes of connection can remind you that you’re not alone. Honestly, just having a conversation with the barista at a coffee shop can be enough.

    9. Set a loose schedule

    I’m someone who sort of starts to fall apart without structure so I love having a bit of a loose schedule throughout the day. For example:

    Morning: walk with babe and listen to a podcast.

    Mid-morning: Do my rehab exercises and baby does tummy time

    Lunch: eat and relax with a show

    Mid-afternoon: second walk with an audiobook or try to nap if I can

    Then, my kids come home and I make dinner, we play, and then I get them ready for bed.

    I find ChatGPT especially helpful for this. Your prompt could be something along the lines of “create a loose daily schedule for me from Monday to Friday while I’m on Maternity leave. I need to do X and Y daily. I’d like to schedule time for this activity and this activity if I can”. Then refine as needed. It’s just a loose schedule so you can edit as you please, but it helps take out the overwhelm with trying to fit everything into your day or the guilt you feel if you don’t do something. 

    If schedules make you feel pressured, skip this one. This tip is for moms who feel calmer with a little structure.

    10. Self-care as preventative medicine

    I think it’s important to prioritize some form of self-care during this time. This could be making sure you have a daily shower or maybe it’s incorporating your favourite hobby into a nap window. Whatever it is, make sure to sprinkle it in during your week and treat it as a non-negotiable. 

    A note about affirmations

    When everything feels chaotic, having one sentence you repeat to yourself can interrupt anxious thoughts.

    When your baby is crying, your other kids are asking when dinner is, and you are exhausted, having a phrase that you repeat can be so helpful. You could say “I’ve got this” or “this season is so short” or “I’m the best mother I can be in this moment”. 

    Positive affirmations can help the negative spiralling and conversations happening in your head. I think of them as a little self-care boost for your thoughts.

    Bonus: have older children in a program or daily care if possible.

    This isn’t always possible, and I recognize that this isn’t an option for every family. But having my older children in daycare provides them with some structure and daily stimulation that has been incredibly helpful. It also gives me the opportunity to devote all my attention to the baby and my recovery. Even if your older children are able to be away for a couple days in the week or if a relative can watch them for a day, it would be so helpful for you. 

    When baby blues become something more

    Baby blues are very common and often improve within the first couple of weeks after birth. If you’re in the thick of it right now, just know that these feeling will ease and you will start feeling more like yourself soon. 

    However, if feelings of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, or being overwhelmed feel intense, are getting worse, are lasting beyond 2 weeks, or are making it hard to function or care for yourself or your baby, reach out to your healthcare provider. You deserve support and it’s not a weakness to ask for help. 

    If you’re ever worried about your safety or your baby’s safety, please seek medical attention immediately.

    Final thoughts

    The postpartum period can be beautiful and incredibly difficult at the same time.

    You can love your baby deeply and still miss your old routine.

    You can feel grateful and still feel overwhelmed.

    You can be happy and still have hard days.

    When the baby blues hit, don’t ask yourself, “What is wrong with me?”

    Try asking:

    “What is one small thing I can do to support myself today?”

    Sometimes that one small thing is enough to help you get through the next hour, the next feed, and the next day. 

    You’re not a failure as a mother. You’ve just been through one of the biggest physical and emotional transitions of your life. You’re adjusting to your new normal and you will get through this.

    Related posts: [Hey Mom, get a Hobby!] | [Week 1 C-Section Recovery Checklist] | [46 things to do on your phone postpartum]