Postpartum Visit

I LOVE postpartum visits. I get to hold adorable newborn babies, see client doing well, talk about breastfeeding and process the birth.

Its really amazing how much a mom's perspective can differ from my own! Both mom and dad said that they really felt like me, dad and grandma were a great team and worked together well. Mom said she loved the suggestions I gave for different positions, I wasn't annoying her at all (phew!) She really liked being reminded to relax her shoulders and make low sounds - it became her comforting mantra to hear every time. Dad said he loved taking cues from me because it reminded him of what to do or say. He liked that he could sit and relax for a few minutes when he needed it, or go get food, because both I and grandma were there caring for mom.

We had a laugh about mom decided not to be like the woman in the 3 R's of Childbirth video and tap her hand on the bed. Mom said she never once thought about pain medication, because it only became overly intense once her water was broken (9-10 cm dilation, probably transition) and that pushing felt amazing. She said she never felt the ring of fire. We agreed that the hour she pushed for didn't feel like an hour at all. Mom said at one point I was telling her something that was confusing and she kept thinking "I can't do both those things at once!" She determined that it was when she was pushing I was telling her to breathe, and she was like "I can't push and breathe at the same time!" Her husband and I told her we were encouraging her to take a breath in between, not at the same time, because she was turning her face red!

They are so so lucky that their hospital experience went perfectly. They said everyone was really supportive of not only their birth plan, but also everything postpartum and with breastfeeding. They spoke with 3 different lactation consultants who were all great, and no one bugged them about refusing the vitamin K and Hep B shots. I wish more hospitals and nurses were like this one, and that all the women who want to birth in a hospital (98% of American women) could have a birth experience that is as calm and supportive as this one was. I was surprised, too, because my doula mentor didn't have nice things to say about it. I think it was the midwife that made the difference. HIRE A MIDWIFE!! Even a CNM in a hospital!! They are just trained so differently than obstetricians.

I usually bring a meal for my clients, because that is the number one most helpful thing, but my client has a lot of dietary restrictions and allergies. I asked for a specific meal I could make but they said that their family members had them covered. So, I brought cabbage leaves (for engorgement), which they were thankful for, and a gift. We chatted for a long while and before I knew it 2 hours had passed! yikes! It was just so nice to process the birth, hold the baby, offer advice, etc :)