Now on the App Store — download Cocoon for iPhone Skip to content

The Cocoon guide library

Postpartum recovery

Caring for the parent too — physical recovery after birth, sleep deprivation, returning to work, and sharing the load. You matter as much as the baby.

14 guides · Practical next steps

Little moments. A little more understanding.

Getting your strength back

Gentle steps back to exercise, looking after your pelvic floor, and the signs after birth that need a doctor straight away.

All postpartum recovery guides

BreastfeedingPumping

Breast milk supply: how it works and how to increase it

How breast milk supply works, which worries usually aren't low supply, real causes of low supply, ways to increase it, and what oversupply looks like.

8 min read · Newborn

BreastfeedingPostpartum

Breastfeeding in the first week: feeds, nappies and milk coming in

What to expect day by day as you start breastfeeding, from colostrum and frequent feeds to nappy counts, sleepy babies and when to get help.

10 min read · Newborn

BreastfeedingPostpartum

Cluster feeding: why babies feed constantly and how to cope

What cluster feeding is, when it usually happens, why it's rarely a sign of low supply, how to get through long evenings, and when frequent feeding needs a check.

8 min read · Newborn

Postpartum

Exercise after birth: when to start, running and warning signs

When to start walking, pelvic floor and tummy exercises after a vaginal birth or caesarean, when to return to running, and which signs mean stop.

13 min read · Newborn

PregnancyRoutines

Hospital bag checklist: what to pack for you, baby and partner

A practical checklist for the birth bag, covering documents, labour, after the birth, caesarean extras, your baby, your support person and the car seat home.

7 min read · Pregnancy

Mental HealthPostpartum

How a partner can help after the birth: feeds, nights and mood

Practical ways a partner or support person can share feeds, nights and recovery, and spot postnatal depression or anxiety in either parent.

11 min read · Newborn

WeaningBreastfeeding

How to stop breastfeeding: gentle weaning at any age

How to wean from the breast at your own pace, which milk replaces feeds at each age, keeping your breasts comfortable, weaning a toddler and the feelings that can come with it.

9 min read · Infant

BreastfeedingIllness

Mastitis and blocked ducts: symptoms, self-care and when to get help

How to recognise breast inflammation and mastitis, the current gentle approach to self-care, what to stop doing, and when you need a doctor the same day or urgently.

8 min read · Newborn

Postpartum

Pelvic floor after birth: exercises, leaking and prolapse signs

How to do pelvic floor exercises after birth, what's common with leaking and prolapse, recovery after a bad tear, and when to see a GP or physio.

13 min read · Newborn

Mental HealthPostpartum

Postnatal depression and anxiety: signs, treatment and getting help

How to tell the baby blues from postnatal depression or anxiety, what treatment involves, how to ask for help, and which signs need help straight away.

8 min read · Newborn

BreastfeedingPostpartum

Preparing to breastfeed: classes, the first hour and a support plan

What to do in pregnancy to get breastfeeding off to a good start, from classes and skin-to-skin plans to colostrum expressing, kit and lining up support.

8 min read · Pregnancy

PostpartumHealth

Recovery after birth: bleeding, stitches and warning signs

What's normal in the weeks after giving birth, from bleeding and stitches to weeing and pelvic floor, and which warning signs need help today or straight away.

9 min read · Newborn