Nurturing New Beginnings: Improving Your Postpartum Recovery

The initial postpartum period, also referred to as the "fourth trimester," is a crucial phase in a new mother's life. It's a time of profound physical and emotional changes as she heals from childbirth and adjusts to the demands of caring for a newborn. While every postpartum experience is unique, there are a few essential points that can significantly enhance the recovery process.

Prioritize Rest

Rest is arguably the most critical factor in postpartum recovery. Here's why:

1. Healing the body: Childbirth is a physically demanding process, whether it's a vaginal delivery or a Cesarean birth. Rest allows the body to recover from the stress it endures during labor, helping to heal and restore energy levels.

2. Managing fatigue: The constant care required for a newborn can lead to extreme fatigue. Adequate rest helps combat this exhaustion, which may, prevent postpartum mood disorders like postpartum depression and anxiety.

3. Sleep cycles: Your baby's sleep patterns can be unpredictable, making it challenging to get a good night's sleep. Napping when your baby does and sharing nighttime duties with a partner can help you catch up on sleep.

Proper Nutrition

Maintaining a well-balanced diet is essential for postpartum recovery and overall well-being:

1. Nutrient-rich foods: After childbirth, your body requires extra nutrients to heal and produce breast milk. Focusing on foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins, and whole grains helps to more easily keep a well-rounded diet.

2. Hydration: Staying adequately hydrated is crucial, especially if you're breastfeeding. Water not only helps with milk production but also aids in flushing out toxins and supporting your overall health.

3. Don't skip meals: It's easy to forget to eat when caring for a newborn, but regular meals are crucial for your energy levels and for your overall recovery. Preparing easy, nutritious snacks and meals can make this easier.

Support from Family and Friends

Recovery is not something a new mother should tackle alone. The support of family and friends is invaluable:

1. Emotional support: The postpartum period can be emotionally challenging. Having a network of people who can provide understanding, encouragement, and a listening ear can make a significant difference.

2. Help with chores and childcare: Delegating household chores or childcare duties to family and friends can free up time for you to rest and recover. Don't hesitate to ask for help when needed.

3. Establish boundaries: While support is essential, it's equally important to set boundaries and communicate your needs. This can help you manage stress and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Postpartum recovery is a unique and transformative period in a new mother's life. Prioritizing rest, maintaining proper nutrition, and seeking support from family and friends can be important for promoting a smooth transition into motherhood. Remember that every postpartum journey is different, so don't compare yourself to others. Instead, focus on taking care of yourself and your baby, and always reach out to your provider if you have concerns about your recovery.

What's the Difference Between a Doula and Midwife?

While doulas and midwives both assist parents during childbirth, both fulfill different roles.

Midwives are healthcare professionals who offer comprehensive prenatal care, oversee the birth, and provide postpartum care for both parent and baby. They possess the necessary expertise to manage the medical aspects of childbirth, such as conducting vaginal examinations, monitoring vitals, and addressing complications if necessary. While doulas focus primarily on emotional support, midwives provide vital medical care, ensuring a positive and safe birth experience for parents.

Benefits of Hiring a Midwife:

1. Personalized and Holistic Care: One of the key advantages of hiring a midwife is the personalized and holistic care they provide. Midwives prioritize building a strong relationship with the expectant parents and offer individualized care based on their specific needs and desires. They focus not only on the physical aspects of childbirth but also the emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being of the mother.
2. Continuity of Care: When you hire a midwife, you can expect to receive continuous care throughout your pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum period. Midwives are present during the entirety of the childbirth journey, providing ongoing support and guidance to ensure a seamless, integrated experience. This continuity can foster a deeper sense of trust, comfort, and security for the expectant parents.
3. A Natural Approach to Birth: For those who desire a natural childbirth experience, midwives specialize in supporting and promoting natural, unmedicated births. They use various techniques like water birth, massage, breathing techniques, and position changes to manage pain and facilitate a positive birthing experience. Midwives also tend to have lower intervention rates, including lower cesarean section rates, compared to traditional medical settings.
4. Focus on Informed Decision Making: Midwives prioritize informed decision making and strive to empower expectant parents to make choices based on their preferences and values. They provide information and education about different options and interventions, allowing the parents to actively participate in their birth plan. Midwives believe in the importance of the birthing person's autonomy and work collaboratively with them as partners in the decision-making process.
5. Postpartum Support: Hiring a midwife means not only having support during labor and birth but also receiving care and guidance during the postpartum period. Midwives typically visit the postpartum family at home during the first week, providing assistance with breastfeeding, newborn care, emotional support, and overall recovery. Ongoing support continues through at least the first six weeks after birth. Their focus extends beyond just the physical aspects of the postpartum period and includes emotional well-being and adjustment to parenthood.
6. Cost-effective: In many situations, hiring a midwife is less expensive compared to hospital-based care, making it an attractive option for those seeking more affordable childbirth services.

---

Doulas play a crucial role by offering emotional, physical, and informational support throughout the entire journey, from pregnancy to postpartum. They provide reassurance, advocate for the parents' preferences, and help them navigate the challenges of childbirth.

Benefits of Hiring a Doula:

1. Emotional Support: A doula offers continuous emotional support to both the birthing person and their partner. They provide reassurance, encouragement, and a calming presence during the labor process. This support can alleviate anxiety and help create a positive birthing experience.
2. Continuous Presence: Doulas are available to support you throughout your entire labor, regardless of its duration. They offer uninterrupted care, ensuring that you never feel alone or neglected during this transformative moment.
3. Advocate and Mediator: Doulas help navigate the intricacies of the healthcare system, ensuring that your voice is heard and your desires are respected. They can help facilitate communication between you and medical staff, empowering you to make informed decisions.
4. Comfort Measures: Doulas are well-versed in various comfort measures such as breathing techniques, massage, and positioning, effectively easing discomfort during labor. They can suggest alternative pain management techniques before resorting to medical interventions.
5. Postpartum Support: Doulas often provide postpartum care, offering guidance on breastfeeding, newborn care, and emotional well-being. Their presence can help ease the transition into parenthood, reducing feelings of overwhelm.
6. Reduced Medical Interventions and Better Birth Outcomes: Studies show that having a doula as a part of the birthing team can lower the need for medical intervention and improve birth outcomes.

---

So can you hire both a midwife and doula? Absolutely! Midwives and doulas often work well together, forming a strong team to cocoon you in support during your transition into parenthood. Each has their own role throughout your journey, and both would be happy to guide and support you.

Did you have a doula and/or midwife for your birth? Tell us about it in the comments.

Recognizing Postpartum Depression

The days, weeks, and months after having a baby can be stressful. Is baby eating enough? Is she sleeping enough? WHY WON'T HE SLEEP?? Many new mothers have another fear: what happens if she develops postpartum depression?

Perceived mental illness of any kind has been a stigma in our society. But why? up to 85% of women have some form of postpartum mood disorder in the year after having a baby. In addition to this, around 400,000 babies are born each year to mothers already diagnosed with depression. So really, why is postpartum mood health still viewed often as a taboo topic? Why don't we talk about how common it is to go through these mood changes after having a baby? Women need to understand that mood disorders are not a sign of weakness. They are not defects. They are common and completely treatable. But in order to be treated, they have to be recognized. 

If someone mentions a mood issue after having a baby, many people automatically think of Postpartum Depression. In reality, perinatal mood disorders encompass a much wider variety of symptoms than only depression. Perinatal and postpartum mood disorders include baby blues, postpartum depression,  postpartum anxiety, postpartum psychosis, and postpartum OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). The two most common forms of postpartum mood issues are the Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression. 

Baby Blues

Postpartum blues, commonly known as the "baby Blues" is the most common form of postpartum mood disorder. This is a mood of feeling sad or down which can be caused by the postpartum hormone fluctuations, and it can affect as many as 80% of new mothers. Symptoms of the baby blues often begin soon after the birth and resolve within the first two weeks. Baby blues are temporary and do not interfere with your ability to function during daily life.

Signs and symptoms include:

• Randomly crying for seemingly no reason

• Mood swings 

• Feeling irritable and/or anxious

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Decreased appetite

• Difficulty sleeping

• Difficulty concentrating

Risk factors include:

• Personal or family history of depression

• Feeling stressed out about caring for a baby

• History of PMS

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum Depression affects somewhere between 1 out of every 7 or 1 out of every 10 new mothers, depending on which study you are referencing. This mood issue often starts within the first four months after delivery, although symptoms can first appear up to a year after the birth. Affecting about 10-15% of new mothers, postpartum depression usually develops within the first 4 months after delivery but can occur up to a year later. Unlike baby blues, postpartum depression can interfere with the mother's daily life and her ability to care for the baby. Professional support and treatment is very important as postpartum depression may not go away on its own, and symptoms can increase in severity.  

Signs and symptoms include:

• Fatigue

• Feelings sad, guilty, anxious, overwhelmed, hopeless

• Difficulty sleeping

• Loss of appetite 

• Loss of interest in what had been your favorite activities

• Withdrawing from family and friends; feeling alone

• Lack of interest in baby

• Thoughts of hurting yourself or the baby

• Severe mood swings

• Feeling not like yourself

• Unusual or bizarre behavior

Risk factors include:

• Personal or family history of depression

• History of abuse

• Recent stress

• Complications or trauma during pregnancy and/or birth

• Lack of support

• Stress due to returning to work quickly

What are some things you can do?

So far, nothing has shown to be completely effective in preventing postpartum mood disorders. Some research and anecdotal evidence has shown that ingesting your placenta postpartum by placenta encapsulation may help some people, but again the actual research evidence is very limited or almost nonexistent. It should also be noted that placenta encapsulation is not meant to prevent or treat any medical issue, and medical treatment can be needed for mood disorders. 

If your family has hired a postpartum doula, your doula is trained to help look for potential signs and to encourage you to speak to your medical provider. Doulas are not medical professionals, but they do know what to look for and can start that conversation.

Family and friends can be very important during this time. Your partner or friends may notice behavior changes that you may have not even realized were happening. If they point out changes, please take them seriously.

The Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale is a self-assessment tool that you can use. It asks different questions about the ways you have felt in the last week. It has a score list that helps explain your risk of developing postpartum depression, and your care provider can help you understand your results. If you wish to use this tool, print it here or use this online version. 

Overall, please understand that there is no shame in seeking help. Mood problems should not be stigmatized the way they have been, and treatment is readily available if sought. If you need local resources, please contact us so that we can send our resource list