Independent Postnatal Care ❤️
So, what can you expect from the postnatal care I provide??
I get this question a lot, especially when people have experienced minimal postnatal care previously, or they are not sure why they would pay an IM for the fun baby bit 🤔😂.
My care is definitely not minimal (unless expressedly desired) , and actually, for some people it might sound uneccessarily extensive 😂😂😂 So, the earliest I can start my postnatal care is once the placenta is born, and there is no excessive bleeding......as in, your body has settled down after birth (Yes, this is daft, but this is my legal requirement while not having birth indemnity.) Usually, my visiting schedule is:
❤️ Daily visits for the first week
❤️ Visits every other day for the second week
❤️ Twice weekly visits for the third week
❤️ After that, visits as and when needed until week 8 or so, sometimes longer but I don't discharge anyone before the 6 week mark And what could I POSSIBLY do during all those visits? Well, there is lots:
❤️ Normal clinical stuff like assessing the birthing person's and baby's physical health, such as checking bleeding, healing perineums and caesarean wounds, bladder and bowel function, baby's adjustment to extrauterine life, support with feeding, feeding assessments (including referals to specialist services such as tongue tie practicioners), figuring out individualised feeding plans, follow up and referal for any complexity that might come up, or preexisting conditions, baby weighing and neonatal bloodspot screening, etc etc. Whatever is needed basically.
❤️ But there is also all the 'non clinical stuff'. I like to call it 'Matrescence Support' essentially (google 'matrescence', it's a brilliant concept to think about). We talk about the birth if desired to help process, even if it was a positive experience. Enquiries about mood, and referral or signposting to help if things are difficult. But also talking about everyday life, new family dynamics, the realities of new parenthood, readjusting expectation, recalibrating priorities etc etc. The 'NEW NORMAL' is discussed a lot. The good, the bad AND the ugly. The joy and frustration and the gratefulness and the sadness. Sometimes the anger.
❤️ And then of course there is all the practical stuff that comes with having a new baby, nighttime parenting, bathing, how do we make sure we don't over or underdress the tiny human? How do I use a sling? And WHICH ONE?? I can help ☺️!
❤️ TIME. I bring time for ALL the questions. None too daft. All important.
❤️ I bring availability. I answer texts QUICKLY. That way, tiny worries don't become big ones. Frustrations don't build and I can prepare to do visits sooner than planned if necessary or refer to appropriate services quickly.
❤️ And yes, I will do the same over Xmas, it's a 24 hour service 😂 ☺️
❤️Anything I have forgotten 🤔😂??