Postnatal
Postnatal Nutrition
Realistic food for the newborn months: easy meals, one-handed snacks, a freezer plan and hydration, HSE-based, with no diets and no counting.
€17.99Buy
Postnatal courses for life with a new baby
Practical support for the weeks and months after the birth: recovery, easy food, feeding, broken sleep and staying connected as a couple.
- 5 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
The first weeks with a new baby are a time of big physical and emotional change. After you leave hospital, your public health nurse (PHN) gets your details from the hospital and gets in touch with you, and your GP, midwife and PHN are all there to answer questions about your recovery and your baby's health and development.
Eating well helps your energy, however you feed your baby. If you are breastfeeding, the HSE suggests one or two extra healthy snacks a day, a drink of water whenever you feel thirsty, no more than 200 to 300mg of caffeine a day, and avoiding alcohol until your baby is at least 1 month old. The HSE also advises continuing vitamin D and folic acid after pregnancy.
Light activity, pelvic floor exercises and walking can usually start straight away if you had no complications, building up gradually towards 150 minutes a week, as set out in the HSE guidance for postpartum women. Our postnatal courses bring all of this together with logs, rotas, freezer meal plans and couple check-ins, alongside the care you receive, not instead of it.
All postnatal courses
Postnatal
Nutrition While Breastfeeding
What to eat and drink while breastfeeding, with a plate guide, a vitamin D checklist for you and your baby and a caffeine counter.
€17.99Buy
Postnatal
Sleep for New Parents
Get through broken nights together: share the night shift, grab real rest and follow HSE safe sleep advice when you are exhausted.
€17.99Buy
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.
€19.99Buy
Postnatal
First 6 Weeks With Baby
Week-by-week help for the newborn weeks: feeds, nappies, sleep, your recovery, public health nurse visits and red flags to act on.
€19.99Buy
Choosing a postnatal course
- First 6 Weeks With Baby: a week-by-week guide to feeding, sleep, recovery, red flags and preparing for your 6-week check.
- 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, when you have more time to fill the freezer and agree a night-time plan.
What the postnatal tools do
- Feed, nappy and sleep log: a simple record you can show your public health nurse, midwife or GP.
- 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 112 or 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 maternity hospital 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 public health nurse. Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, sudden confusion or unusual beliefs need urgent help: call 112 or 999, or go to the emergency department. Samaritans is free on 116 123 at any time, and you can text HELLO to 50808 for free support by text.
Postnatal courses: your questions
Do I need to diet to lose weight after the birth?
No. The courses focus on regular, nourishing meals that support your recovery and energy. If you want to talk about weight, raise it with your GP once you have recovered, and avoid strict diets while breastfeeding.
Is the advice the same if I bottle feed?
Most of it is. Recovery, food, sleep and relationship advice applies to everyone, and the breastfeeding lessons are clearly marked so you can skip them.
Who checks on me and my baby after I go home?
Your public health nurse gets your details from the hospital, contacts you after you go home and carries out your baby's development checks. Your GP is there for you and your baby too, and HSE Live on 1800 700 700 can tell you about local services.
Can I have coffee while breastfeeding?
Yes, in moderation. The HSE suggests no more than 200 to 300mg of caffeine a day while breastfeeding, about 2 cups of instant coffee or a few cups of tea.
When can I start exercising again?
If you had no complications, the HSE says light activity, pelvic floor exercises and walking can usually start straight away, building gradually back towards 150 minutes a week. After a caesarean or a difficult birth, check with your GP or midwife first.
Where can I get breastfeeding support?
Your public health nurse, HSE lactation consultants and the HSE online breastfeeding expert service can all help, along with voluntary groups such as La Leche League, Cuidiú and Friends of Breastfeeding.
Official sources
Plan the first weeks before they arrive
Fill in the freezer meal plan and the night-shift rota in the last weeks of pregnancy, so they are ready when you need them.