Postnatal
Postnatal Nutrition
Realistic food for the newborn months: easy meals, one-handed snacks, a freezer plan and hydration, with no diets and no counting.
£14.99Buy
Postnatal courses for life with a new baby
Practical help for the first weeks and months after birth: easy meals, rest, safe sleep, your relationship and getting the most from your postnatal check.
- 5 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
The weeks after birth are about your recovery as much as caring for a baby. In the UK a midwife usually visits you at home in the first days, and a health visitor takes over, usually visiting around 10 to 14 days after the birth. You should be offered a postnatal check with your GP about 6 to 8 weeks after the birth, and your baby has their own physical examination at around the same time.
Our postnatal courses keep things realistic. There are no diets and no calorie counting: just simple meals you can eat one-handed, a plan for sharing night feeds, a safe sleep checklist based on NHS advice, and tools that help you and your partner talk about how things are going.
If you are breastfeeding, the NHS advises a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement and a varied diet with plenty of fluids; no special foods are needed. Help with feeding is available from your midwife, your health visitor and the National Breastfeeding Helpline.
All postnatal courses
Postnatal
Nutrition While Breastfeeding
What to eat and drink while breastfeeding, with a plate guide, a vitamin D checklist and a caffeine counter, NHS-based.
£14.99Buy
Postnatal
Sleep for New Parents
Get through broken nights together: share the night shift, grab real rest and keep your baby's sleep safe when you are exhausted.
£14.99Buy
Postnatal
Relationship After Having a Baby
Stay a team through broken nights and new roles, with check-in prompts, a fair chore planner and quick connection ideas.
£17.99Buy
Postnatal
First 6 Weeks With Baby
Week-by-week help for the newborn weeks: feeds, nappies, sleep, your recovery, red flags to act on and prep for the 6-week checks.
£17.99Buy
Choosing a postnatal course
- First 6 Weeks With Baby: a week-by-week guide to feeding, sleep, recovery, red flags and preparing for the 6-week checks.
- Postnatal Nutrition: easy, freezer-friendly eating for the first year, however you feed your baby.
- Nutrition While Breastfeeding: vitamin D, caffeine, alcohol, fish and fluids while you breastfeed.
- Sleep for New Parents: sharing nights, napping and keeping your baby safe when you are exhausted.
- Relationship After Having a Baby: staying a team through new roles, tiredness and more disagreements than usual.
Several of these courses are worth starting in the last weeks of pregnancy, while there is still time to batch cook and agree who does what.
What the postnatal tools do
- Feed, nappy and sleep log: a simple record you can show your midwife or health visitor.
- 6-week check prep sheet: notes on your recovery, mood, feeding and contraception questions, ready for the appointment.
- Night-shift sharing rota and nap planner: split the nights so each adult gets a block of rest.
- Freezer meal plan and one-handed snack list: food that is ready when you have no time to cook.
- Couple check-in prompts: ten-minute conversations to keep talking when life is busy.
When to get help quickly
Call 999 if you have heavy bleeding that soaks more than one pad an hour, chest pain, or sudden difficulty breathing. Contact your GP, midwife or NHS 111 the same day if you have:
- a high temperature, or feel shivery and unwell
- pain, swelling or redness in one leg
- a wound or tear that is red, painful or leaking
- a hot, red, painful area on your breast that is not settling
Low mood or anxiety that lasts more than two weeks after the birth is worth raising with your GP, midwife or health visitor. Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, sudden confusion or unusual beliefs need urgent help: call 999 or go to A&E.
Postnatal courses: your questions
Do I need to diet to lose weight after the birth?
No. NICE advises a gradual approach based on healthy eating and activity rather than dieting after birth. Postnatal Nutrition has no calorie counting and focuses on getting enough to eat while you recover.
Is the advice the same if I bottle feed?
Most postnatal courses apply however you feed your baby. Nutrition While Breastfeeding is specific to breastfeeding, and the infant feeding topic covers formula and combination feeding.
What happens at the 6-week postnatal check?
Your GP asks how you are recovering physically and emotionally and may talk about contraception. Your baby has a separate physical examination. The prep sheet helps you note what to mention.
Can I have coffee while breastfeeding?
Yes, in moderation. Caffeine passes into breast milk and can make some babies restless, so the NHS suggests limiting it. The caffeine checker in the breastfeeding course helps you keep an eye on how much you have.
When can I start exercising again?
Gentle walking and pelvic floor exercises can usually start soon after the birth. It is generally advised to wait until after your postnatal check before returning to high-impact exercise, and to build up gradually.
Are the postnatal courses useful for partners?
Yes. The sleep and relationship courses are written for both parents, and partners can use the rota and meal plans to share the load.
Official sources
Plan the first weeks before they arrive
Fill in the freezer meal plan and the night-shift rota now, so the hard part is already done.