Biochemistry Week 4: Our Biochemistry and Cognition

I wanted to add to the discussion of postpartum care that came up in class. I am passionate about postpartum care and feel that all of us as providers should at the very minimum be able to explain the importance of postpartum planning to potential parents and be able to refer families to services if they do not have friends and/or relatives that are able to contribute to ongoing care once a baby joins the family.

As Larry shared from his own experience, there is a lot of emphasis in our society on the pregnancy, labor and delivery, and then, lo and behold, a baby arrives! The typical hospital stay is 1-2 days for a vaginal delivery, and 2-4 for cesarean delivery, then off goes the new family to navigate a thousand questions and a rude awakening when they return home. Many families live in a single family home and far from relatives, leaving one or two parents to recover physically and emotionally from the birth, keep up house (or not), feed themselves properly (or not), stay on top of medical appointments and stay sane amidst sleep deprivation and the anxiety of keeping a tiny human alive.

It is important for us as community members of those we know and love to step up when people become new parents to support and nourish them so that they can focus their energy on nourishing the baby. I have provided some resources below for organizing nutritious meal trains to be delivered to the new family. Helping arrange for folks to help with laundry and chores around the house is also incredibly helpful. Be aware that it is not necessarily helpful to offer to "come over and watch the baby." Sometimes a new parent or parents may want this, but do not assume. Ask first what you can do to take care of the parents and help around the house so that they can rest and perhaps enjoy time bonding with the little one. Also, offer to drop off food or supplies (perhaps nourishing broths or teas because you are a super cool Chinese medicine practitioner) without coming in for a visit (so that you do not need to be hosted).

And for those you know and love or for clients who you know cannot get that village support that all new parents deserve, there are professionals called postpartum doulas. Postpartum doulas support new parents with information, taking care of household tasks, newborn care, emotional support, referrals and supporting postpartum healing. As Linda mentioned, the care that a birthing person receives in the immediate postpartum will affect their health for the rest of their life. This is a precious window to fortify one's constitution and I hope we all honor this in our practices and build up our society by building up our parents and little ones.

Some resources:
Books
The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou (A very accessible read by all and a good introduction to the principles of postpartum care in the Chinese tradition)
The Postpartum Recovery Program: How to Adapt the Ancient Practice of Zuo Yue Zi to Your Patients by Lia Andrews (A practitioner guide. More advanced - so fun!!)

Tools
https://takethemameal.com/  - coordinate a meal train
https://www.mealtrain.com/ - coordinate a meal train

Services
Jing Mommy postpartum meal delivery - https://www.postpartummeal.com/

Helpful Professionals (people to make friends with and add to your referral network:
Postpartum Doulas  (Services range from 25-45 hourly, depending on time of day/night and scope).
How to find them:

• Search engine.
• There is a facebook group called Bay Area Postpartum Doulas, which is one way to connect clients and doulas
• Also, our classmate Yaminah trained locally as a postpartum doula. 
• I am a birth and postpartum doula, feel free to ask me questions.
• Innate traditions is a great training program, check out their provider network

Lactation Consultants (the choice of provider is usually dictated by insurance coverage - but learn your favorites and which networks they are in)

Psychotherapists 

Trauma informed counsellors

Pelvic Floor Therapists

Support groups!