Building your Postpartum Support Team
Welcoming a newborn into the world is an extraordinary, but oftentimes overwhelming experience. Along with the joys and challenges of caring for an infant, parents may find themselves in need of additional support and guidance during the postpartum period.
I’ll be mentioning five crucial postpartum professionals who may provide invaluable assistance to families in their transition into parenthood.
Lactation Consultants
Breastfeeding or chest-feeding can be a wonderful experience to bond with baby, but it’s not without its challenges. Lactation consultants are professionals who specialize in helping parents establish successful feeding relationships with their babies by a number of ways including:
Assessing proper latch and positioning
Assessing lip or tongue tie
Determining low or high supply
Relieving cracked nipples
Supporting mastitis (although your care provider will need to prescribe antibiotics)
Guidance with pumping and bottle feeding
Some LC’s offer introductory nursing prior to birth, which can be helpful as a baseline of knowledge. Having the information of a few consultants on hand prior to birth may save you some time in the postpartum. Many Lactations Consultants offer both clinic and at-home appointments. Some may be covered by extended health insurance as well (ex. they may be Naturopathic Doctors - please note that I am not a Lactation Consultant).
Postpartum Doulas
Postpartum doulas are trained professionals who provide a wide spectrum of care in the fourth trimester. They offer comfort, guidance, and assistance with newborn care, including feeding support, soothing techniques, emotional support and postpartum recovery. They may also help parents with household chores like light cleaning and cooking. Some postpartum doulas even offer overnight support so parents can sleep through the night.
Mental Health Therapists
The postpartum period is not without its challenges. Baby blues, postpartum anxiety and/or depression, as well as postpartum psychosis are issues that birthing parents may experience.
Perinatal Mental health therapists offer support and counselling (CBT is first-line treatment in mild-to-moderate postpartum depression) to individuals experiencing these challenges. These professionals cultivate a safe space for to discuss emotions, seek guidance, and develop coping mechanisms, as parents navigate the postpartum.
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist
Birth can take a toll on a new parent’s body - regardless of birthing mode. Around 6 weeks postpartum, pelvic floor physiotherapists will assess the pelvic floor and let you know if and when you can resume your exercise routine. They’ll determine the degree of abdominal separation and recommend any exercises or techniques to decrease it. If you had a cesarean birth, they can help work on scar mobility and may even recommend using a microcurrent device to help promote mobility.
Naturopathic Doctors
There are a number of ways that Naturopathic Doctors can support new parents in the postpartum. They can review diet and supplements in the postpartum to ensure that parents are adequately nourishing themselves and supporting any nutritional deficiencies. If any conditions occurred in pregnancy like gestational diabetes, NDs can use preventative techniques to decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes in the future.
Many NDs also provide acupuncture which can be an adjunctive treatment for postpartum depression, it can help promote healing of c-section scars, and can be used to promote sleep and relaxation too.
Building Your Postpartum Team
Welcoming a newborn an incredible experience, but it doesn’t need to be stressful and isolating. Building your team prior to birth can help with a smoother fourth trimester.