Your village is the circle of people who help you through the postpartum weeks. The goal is that you never have to ask: they can already see what you need and step in. Building it well takes two steps, and the app does the heavy lifting.
Start with your needs profile
Before you invite anyone, fill out your needs profile. This is the one-time set of questions about what would actually help you: meals, rides, a hand with older kids, someone to hold the baby while you shower. Doing this first means that the moment someone joins your village, they see real, specific ways to help, instead of a blank page and the question "what do you need?". It takes the emotional labor of asking off your plate.
Inviting people
Go to the Village tab and tap Invite. You'll get a shareable link to send via text, email, or any messaging app. The person you invite will create their own account and join your village automatically.
Who should I invite?
Anyone who wants to help: your partner, immediate family, close friends, neighbors. Your village can be as big or small as you want. Most moms start with 3 to 8 people.
What will they see?
Village members see your needs and tasks (meals, rides, errands). They can claim tasks, send encouragement, and raise their hand to signal what they can help with this week. They do not see your daily check-ins, private notes, or care provider info unless you explicitly share.
Partner vs. village member
Your partner has a separate role with more access. They're a first-class user of the app, not a village helper, with their own home, their own guidance, and a shared view of the plan. If you're inviting your partner, use the Invite partner flow on your Account tab, not the Village invite. For a full picture of the partner's side, see For partners: your Cradled experience.