Postpartum Support and Changes Through the Pandemic
It’s no secret that we are living in unprecedented times. What we once thought would be a two-week nationwide lockdown has now turned into an almost-two-year-old pandemic. While many of us have adapted to a new normal, we still live in a worldwide pandemic. Today we are here to talk about Postpartum support and changes through the pandemic.
Why support is so important postpartum
We talk about the importance of postpartum support often; in fact, Cosima and I talk about this topic daily. Our passion for postpartum support stems from seeing the difference postpartum care makes for new families. Postpartum support can indeed be life-changing.
Postpartum practices in other cultures
In America, we do not have a nationwide postpartum care practice. Looking at different cultures, even the most poverty-stricken ones, you will almost always find one thing in common—generational care practices for new families.
Postpartum care practices and traditions are passed down in many different cultures worldwide. Each culture has its own set of traditions. These practices are thought to be an essential piece of integration into motherhood. Support often includes but is not limited to healing food, massage, baby care, rest, and nourishment.
Nuclear family homes
The majority of families in America are living in single-family homes. Meaning we mostly live with our nuclear families. In many cultures, grandparents, siblings, and family members live together and share household and homesteading tasks. These include caring for and raising children.
Because American’s commonly live in nuclear family homes, parents need to be breadwinners, cooks, cleaners, and sole family caretakers. That’s a lot of jobs for just two people. Before the pandemic, new parents would often have family members or friends come and help share these tasks in the initial postpartum weeks.
How the pandemic has changed postpartum support
While nuclear households are the most common, many families come together when a new baby is born. The pandemic has changed this for many. We hear time and time again, “my mom would have come, but due to covid, she can’t fly.” Or, ” We only feel comfortable having one person coming in and out of our home.”
It is no secret that the current state of the world is making it hard for families to feel safe having different people in and out of their homes at this time. One thing remains essential: care postpartum, so how do we accomplish this?
Postpartum doula support in the pandemic
It is no secret that postpartum care has gained popularity in the last two years partly because families have not visited and traveled. And as more and more people are utilizing this care model they realize just how beneficial it is. Then tell their friends about the fantastic support that their family received postpartum.
Postpartum doulas have become many families’ sole postpartum support throughout the pandemic. As postpartum doulas, our team is here to support your individual daily needs. Whether that means talking with you about how the transition into parenthood is going, helping you catch up on rest, making a meal, unloading a dishwasher, or supporting you through infant feeding, we are here.
Our team’s Covid-19 safety precautions
Bay City Doulas has aired on the side of caution throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so. Our goal is to keep both our clients and our postpartum doula team safe. We do this by having open communication with our clients and our team.
If there is illness or exposure on a doula or a family’s side, we pause support and test the appropriate parties. Our team is fully masked while in clients’ homes. Many families have asked their postpartum doula to perform rapid testing that they supply, and we are happy to do so. Additionally, our team is fully vaccinated.
Choosing the best care model for you
While we wholeheartedly believe in postpartum support and care, it is essential to choose what’s best for you throughout these times. Postpartum support of any kind should ease nerves and provide support. If you are uncomfortable with outside care, you may want to look at other options for help postpartum. These can be postpartum meal services, virtual doulas, etc. If you would like to work with a postpartum doula on our team or have further questions, we are happy to talk through your wishes for postpartum support!
Thank you for reading this week’s blog, “Postpartum support and changes through the pandemic.” Visit our weekly blog for more helpful tips and tricks on pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood.
