Postpartum Perspective- Having Older Children
- Sarah Hermanson
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
Who Takes Care of the Older Children While Mom Is Postpartum?
When people think about postpartum, they often picture a mother caring for her newborn. That's what I pictured before I was a nanny. But for many families, including the family I work for, postpartum recovery happens while there are also toddlers to chase, school-aged children to transport, meals to prepare, and households to manage.
The reality is that postpartum isn't only about adjusting to life with a new baby—it's about helping an entire family adapt to a major transition.
We know for a fact that adequate rest, support, and recovery time are important for maternal physical and mental health. Yet many mothers find themselves balancing healing from pregnancy and birth while continuing to meet the needs of older children. While newborns naturally receive much of the attention, older siblings still need connection, reassurance, and care as they adjust to welcoming a new family member.
As a nanny, I have watched the older siblings learn to adjust to a new baby. They are doing their best to adjust, but they have big needs and often even bigger feelings. This means that the parents not only need to take care of the physical needs of their older kids, but they need to help them work though a huge emotional adjustment. That's a lot of work for a postpartum mother.
This is why postpartum support matters. Whether it comes from a spouse, grandparents, friends, church communities, doulas, nannies, or neighbors, practical help can make a meaningful difference. Support may look like preparing meals, entertaining older children, helping with school pickups, folding laundry, or simply creating opportunities for a mother to rest and bond with her baby.
For generations, postpartum care was viewed as a community responsibility. Mothers were surrounded by family and friends who helped carry the workload during the weeks following birth. While modern life often looks different, the need for support has not changed.
A healthy postpartum period isn't just about caring for a newborn—it's about caring for the mother and supporting the entire family as they settle into a new season.
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