Supporting the Postpartum Family
The postpartum period is a very special time for families. In traditional cultures around the world this period is respected by a time honored tradition “the nesting period.” The nesting period is upheld by the cultures as a whole as a time for the family, especially the mother to rest & recover from birth get to know their babies and learn how to care for their babies and themselves in a nurturing environment. The postpartum mother in these cultures is expected to rest and conserve her energy for her new baby. She is relieved from cooking, cleaning, meal preparation and general housework and members of her family and society take over these tasks.
It has been said that it takes a village, in my opinion it is supposed to take a village and in most other cultures the village is expected to support and assist the new family in their new role as parents. Our culture which does not honor the postpartum mother in these ways is plagued with mothers who experience Postpartum: Depression / Psychosis, infection and hemorrhage. Our culture breeds new mothers, babies and families that generally feel isolated, alone, overwhelmed and scared. Trained and educated postpartum doulas and the work they do in educating families about the importance of postpartum support is a light at the end of this dark and isolated tunnel for postpartum women.
A Maternity Wise postpartum doula is highly trained and educated and certified or working towards certification. Postpartum doulas often times are also certified or trained as birth doulas, lactation consultants, massage therapists, infant massage educators, holistic health consultants, chiropractors, nurses and may also be CPR or neonatal resuscitation trained. Postpartum doulas act as educators to the new family and their extended family as well as role models for both. Postpartum doulas can act as the guiding light to other family members that can take over a supportive role in assisting the new family.
Besides educating, postpartum doulas can serve the new family by:
Preparing simple meals and ensuring the mother is nourished and hydrated
Holding and diapering baby if mom needs sleep or to take care of personal needs like showering
Answering the phone and monitoring visitors per the families wishes
Care for older siblings
Care for baby if mom and dad are extremely sleep deprived
Doing laundry and dishes
Straightening up
Some doulas may go grocery shopping or run errands
Studies of women, who have had extensive postpartum support, show that they are more confident as parents, are healthier and their babies are healthier, are less stressed, do not feel isolated, have better breastfeeding experiences, and have fewer incidences of PPD.
Postpartum Rules for the New Mother
To decrease risk of infection, inflammation, to allow for proper healing, and to establish successful breastfeeding the mother should have enough support for three to six weeks to:
Make her most important tasks breastfeeding and getting enough rest
Stay nourished with healthy foods and lots of water
Keep good hygiene, have a healing sitz bath for at least 15-20 min per day
Refrain from difficult work
Lift nothing heavier than the baby
Avoid climbing stairs for the first week
Have no more than one visitor for 15 min each day
Have a supportive listener who can help her process and release any birth trauma that may have come up
Changes in mom’s lochia color or quantity, breast soreness, plugged ducts or breast infection / mastitis, headaches, pain or not feeling well, will tell the mother if she is doing too much and needs to slow down and possibly call her health care provider.
· If a mother experiences an increase (more than one pad per hour) or brighter color change in her lochia she should be supported enough to be able to massage her uterus or have a massage, rest in bed flat or on her side and nurse her baby to increase uterine contractions for a least a full 24hours and until her bleeding is back to normal. Call a health care provider if bleeding is abnormal and is unable to be controlled.
· If a mother experiences a plugged duct she should be supported enough to only nurse, rest and take care of her personal needs in order to remedy the plugged duct and prevent infection from setting into the breast.
· If a mother experiences an infection or breast infection she should rest and nurse only, having no other responsibilities. This means someone should be available to cook, clean, change the baby, bring her food and water, and take care of other children in the household.
