What’s your Postpartum Plan?
Often when a family is preparing for a baby to arrive you typically see two types of focus. One, the soon to be parents are focused on the pregnancy, adoption, or surrogacy depending on the circumstances. From ultrasounds, to baby apps, to online forum groups discussing everything from diaper choices to what size fruit resembles the growing human. It’s often a fun, exciting time and understandably all these things are new and fascinating, so getting caught up in it is natural and is really something wonderful to celebrate. The other thought wave is often focused a bit more on the time after the baby arrives, but it’s usually focused around nursery colors, baby clothes, car seats and strollers.
Questions you may want to ask as an expectant parent might be for instance, what does recovery really look like?
What can you expect during those first six weeks physically, mentally and emotionally?
What foods are helpful for replenishing and nurturing a birthing body and sleep deprived parents? What nutrients can help with increasing milk supply or how do you choose a formula when the options seem endless? What if I need to shower and eat but the baby just does not want to be put down?
Is there someone who can come to listen and discuss the vulnerable realness of becoming a parent?
What about support to help guide new parents with feeding tips, infant behaviour, sleep states and all the other weird random questions that come up at three o’clock in the morning?
Then there is the regular household chores that are added in to be maintained - laundry, meal prep, light housekeeping. What so many new families don’t realize is how overwhelming and priority shifting those first few days and weeks are on the family, but to the person who gave birth specifically. Usually the first few days are a big mix of euphoria, adrenaline and excitement, but then exhaustion can set in and a state of constant unknowns begins. It can be so difficult for parents to work through that, when they are also trying to keep a new baby content and doing it on little sleep! Add in a sibling or a pet and you’ve got yourself a heavy workload. .
Enter a Postpartum doula.
Someone who often has education and experience that can assist in caring for the new parents and meeting them on the journey wherever that may be. They are someone who can provide unbiased evidence based research on everything from body and bottlefeeding, tips on healthy sleep hygiene, and resources for mental health support. Often these individuals are trained to efficiently listen and acknowledge that everyone’s journey is their own, and that it is impossible to hear the same story or situation twice. The role of a postpartum support worker is someone who knows enough to calm, connect and support when it’s most important, but also be able to step back, allow the family to set their path and just support them recognizing that every journey is unique. Being nurtured in those first few weeks can be an empowering process if you have the right support and reassurance surrounding you. Planning for your personal care after the birth is just as important as planning those beautiful nursery colors, picking the perfect name, and welcoming a new family member to your life.
So, what is your Postpartum Plan?
