Postpartum Resources in the Garden State

Postpartum Resources in the Garden State

Krystina Derrickson
Postpartum

When I had my daughter in 2014, I had already been practicing birthwork for three years. I attended births as a doula, taught childbirth education classes, and was in my first year as a student midwife. Despite all of that, I was missing a big piece: postpartum care. Only when I went through it myself did I fully feel—in my body, heart and soul—the deep need for care and support that any of us experiences, regardless of how and where we birth our babies.

Ideally, read this when you’re pregnant, so that you can have names on hand when you need them, not when you’re in the weeds postpartum! I’ll update it as I come across practitioners that I love.

Feeding Our Babies

Having had a baby with a tongue and lip tie, I have epic compassion for anyone struggling to feed their baby. It was only with the immediate support and direction of my midwife that we were able to keep nursing at all. As a midwife, I pay close attention to the baby’s latch, elimination patterns, weight gain, your nipple and breast sensations, and any signs of a problem. It’s important to have someone who can come and assess as quickly as possible after symptoms arise, because “powering through” pain can lead to a loss in milk supply, damage to your nipples, and lowered chances of a continued nursing relationship. If birthing in the hospital, it’s not uncommon for symptoms to arise only after you’ve come home, so knowing who to call is crucial.

  1. Find a local IBCLC. An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant is a lactation professional with the highest level of training. When pregnant, ask perinatal health professionals who they recommend (doulas are great resources, not to mention childbirth educators, prenatal yoga teachers, and so on). They can also provide information about supplemental feeding systems, rebuilding a depleted milk supply, milk banks or milk sharing networks, and so much more.

  2. Connect with a support group. I’m a huge fan of lactation support groups. The La Leche League has groups all over New Jersey where you can receive peer support, ask questions, and just be with others on their own journeys. Hospitals often have their own groups. Often, groups are led by an IBCLC or a lactation counselor, who can help you by assessing your baby’s latch and giving suggestions for alternate nursing positions or other strategies to help.

  3. If symptoms persist, keep pursuing support. If someone tells you “but it looks like a great latch…” and yet it still hurts, find a different provider. Sometimes that can look like taking your baby to an infant chiropractor or craniosacral therapist for some bodywork. It can look like going to a pediatric dentist for an oral restrictions (tongue, lip, and/or buccal tie) assessment.

  4. For a great online resource, check out Kelly Mom. They have tons of intro articles, Q&A’s, and information about pretty much any lactation question you might have.

Lactation Consultants & Body Workers

Healing Our Bodies

It’s so easy to forget that we need to heal. It takes time to heal—I like to remind my clients that the placenta is about the size of a salad plate, or even a hubcap, and where that came off is a wound that must close and heal over! Not to mention all our organs going back into place, stretched muscles knitting together, rediscovering our pelvic floor, any stitches healing, possibly recovering from abdominal surgery, and so on. The first forty days postpartum is a time to rest, snuggle our babies, and be cared for.

  1. Create a postpartum support plan. I love this worksheet from DONA International to help create a support community.

  2. Consider hiring a postpartum doula ahead of time. Doula Match is a good place to find folks in your area, and again, asking around among birthworkers is a great way to find support.

  3. No one needs 50 (or even 15) newborn onesies that they will grow out of within a week. But you could really use a postpartum massage. Find someone who will come to your home and do some well-deserved bodywork. Your doula will know who in the area offers this service, and if she doesn’t, then she can find out for you!

  4. Eat well. Drink plenty of water and nourishing teas. And make sure someone else is feeding you (this is also where meal prep and freezing ahead of time is extremely helpful!). The First Forty Days, is my top resource for all things food in the postpartum. Another great resource (especially for vegetarians and vegans) is the downloadable PDF Touching Heaven.

Providers

Recovering from a C-Section

I have a whole post on holistic cesarean recovery here so I won’t go into detail, but I do want to point anyone who has had a cesarean birth to the amazing International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN), which has support groups in Philadelphia, and several in NY and a group in Bergen County, NJ.

Emotional Support

Sometimes if the above needs aren’t met (and even when they are), we can still feel awful in the postpartum. I’m a huge advocate for asking for and receiving the emotional support we need postpartum, whether that comes from our peers, a postpartum doula, a support group, and/or a counselor. Some people struggle with depression or a traumatic life incident during pregnancy, and for those folks I strongly recommend connecting with a counselor ahead of time—even if they don’t end up needing them postpartum.

This is a useful self-assessment tool for postpartum depression: the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression scale.

Counselors

Postpartum Doulas

  • Nicole Sawyers-Todd, Greater Philadelphia and Southern NJ. Offers overnight postpartum care as well.

DIY Elderberry Syrup

DIY Elderberry Syrup
Hello New Jersey!

Hello New Jersey!

Related Posts