Who Should Be on My Postpartum Support Team?

Wondering who should be a part of your team of support after baby arrives? Maybe you're pregnant and planning or have already had your baby and are looking for some support! I'm here to validate your intent to put a support team into place!

In our society, the postpartum period is outlined as the first few months after your baby comes. It is a period of your life that is defined by massive changes, with lots of responsibilities falling into your lap. At the same time, you’re also going through a physical (and mental) healing process and your body is still trying to figure itself out.

It is no surprise, therefore, that many pregnancy-related complications start after delivery. This just goes to show that the quality of care you get postpartum is as important as your prenatal care.

Why do you need a postpartum support team?

One way to guarantee yourself the best postpartum care is by having a postpartum support team by your side. This includes everyone from postpartum care professionals to your family and friends and everyone in between.

So, why do you need a postpartum support team? Here are a few reasons:

1. Becoming a new mom is taxing
Apart from the physical toll pregnancy and delivery takes on your body, you’ll also be mentally and emotionally exhausted after giving birth. That's why even just thinking about self care seems like a chore.

When you have a support team around you, they'll take some of the load from you and help make your transition easier. With them, you'll get to heal physically, mentally, and emotionally faster.

2. Your postpartum support team will help you feel less stressed about motherhood

Everyone on your support team has a role to play. From your obstetric team (your ob-gyn, midwife, nurses or doula) to your pediatrician to other condition-specific specialists (lactation consultants, psychiatrists, physical therapists, social workers) and more, all these people come into your life to take care of something so you can be less stressed about it.

Additionally, your partner, family, friends, and even neighbours are there to provide help when you need it. You can talk to them and get emotional support from them. All this serves to make your postpartum journey easier.

3. It is safer to have a postpartum support team

A lot of times, new moms don't even notice something is wrong until it's too late. It is usually friends, family, and health care providers who bring it to their attention when they notice the early warning signs.

In this way, a postpartum support team is an extra set of eyes and ears that will help keep you and your little one safe.

4. A postpartum support team is vital for high-risk mothers and babies

Some factors such as pre-eclampsia, heavy bleeding, gestational diabetes, and cesarean birth put moms at a high risk for postpartum complications. If you are a high risk mom, you may need some extra care and support. You can get this through a good postpartum support team.

What should your postpartum support team look like?

They say it takes a village to raise a child. That’s why doing it alone is so hard: you’re supposed to have a support team around you to make it easier.

Your postpartum support team could include your postpartum doula, your pelvic floor therapist, lactation support, a mental health professional and your family and friends. Additionally, you should also involve your community. Today, your community goes beyond your neighbours and the people living around you. It also includes your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care classes and groups, postpartum mentorship programs, social media pages, online support forums, and more.

When should you form your postpartum support team?

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), you need to set up a postpartum care plan and team before the birth of your baby. But let's be real, we don't need a formal recommendation here! As a mom of 5 and having spent years working with postpartum mothers, I can't stress to you enough that the earlier you set up your support postpartum, the better! When moms come to me in the thick of their postpartum journey needing support, they are often to the point of stress and overwhelm. This is the one thing you can take control of NOW. 

Most women do this by the third trimester. That's when you do your due diligence to ensure that you are comfortable with the team around you. Think about how you will feed the baby, who will stay with you at home, and who will help you out when you need a break. Then talk about it with your partner, family, and friends. This will help you start to map out what your postpartum support team will look like.

How to form a postpartum support team

The first step to forming a postpartum support team is to create a concrete postpartum care plan. If you don't have a plan grab this postpartum planning workbook

Usually, your prenatal care provider should be able to help you do this before your due date. They will provide guidance on subjects like mental health, pregnancy complications, how to feed your little one, birth control, and plans for future kids if you want them. It is especially important for you to align yourself with a provider that aligns with your values. If your values align with non conventional traditional methods of care, you may find that having a midwife will be best for you!

At Elephant Baby, we can also help you come up with a personalized postpartum care plan that is tailor made for your unique situation.

Forming your team

Once you have your care plan, you will have some idea of areas that need some specialised attention. This means you now know who to reach out to next. This will form the structure of your postpartum support team.

Your postpartum support team will be made up of people who will provide maternal health care and infant health care, as well as your friends and family.

Your friends and family are the core of your social support. They will not only make you less lonely and provide emotional support, but they'll also help with house chores, help take care of the baby, provide transportation, and even care for older children. Plus, they will also help monitor for any signs of postpartum complications.

Professionals to contact

Your ob-gyn, midwife, or doctor will take care of your postpartum health concerns for at least 6 weeks after delivery. Thereafter, you will transition back to your primary health care provider.

Here in our society, you have a baby and you're not scheduled for a checkup for another 6 weeks! The first 6 weeks postpartum is the most crucial time for healing, so our model of care is a huge problem and this is where a postpartum doula can help!

Postpartum doulas provide non-clinical support for moms after childbirth. This can include emotional and educational support, mother care, newborn care, light household cleaning, meal prep and so much more. THIS ARTICLE gives a little more insight about postpartum doulas.  

For your little one’s health, your pediatrician will be your go-to. However, there are some cases where infant health and maternal health overlap, such as in the case of breastfeeding issues. In such cases, your pediatrician may recommend specialists like lactation consultants.

Other professionals you may want to think about in advance include lactation consultants, pelvic floor therapists, perinatal chiropractors, behavioral health professionals, and more. This will largely depend on the specific issues you need to deal with.

Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, every woman's journey is different. Some moms need more support than others, and that's OK. Your postpartum needs need to be tailored to suit you.

At Elephant Baby, we go the extra mile to provide postpartum moms with all the support and love that they need to take proper care of their little angels. We strive to provide holistic teachings that take into account mental and social factors as well as physical concerns. Our postpartum support services are personalized for each individual mom, which means you can count on getting care that is beneficial to your total health and wellness. We do this while staying true and honoring traditional postpartum practices.

We want to change how society views the postpartum journey, and we are doing our part to help achieve this goal.

If you are not 100% confident in the steps you should take to replenish all the nutrients that are lost during childbirth...

If you're unsure of what it takes to come to deep, restorative healing after your baby arrives...

If you want to know what you need to do to avoid coming postpartum issues like hair loss, depression, hormone imbalance, and autoimmune issues...

If you don't feel 100% confident in your postpartum health recovery...

Check out the Postpartum Wellness Revolution Membership hub!

Happy Healing!

-Kilah xoxo