Supporting Mom Before and After Pregnancy

From one mom to another, we’ve put together a checklist of must-have items to have ready at home and after-delivery care essentials. Guide to Perinatal & Postpartum Care Peri or squirt bottle Used to rinse off the perineal before and after urinating as the area heals Ice packs Often the hospital will send you home with a few extras if you ask for those first few days home Have some soft ice packs ready in the freezer for when you run out Witch hazel pads  Used to prevent postpartum hemorrhoids and help with perineal pain Maxi pads  Until postpartum bleeding lets up, these will come in handy. Stock up for at least 2-3 weeks Large cotton undies  Sitz bath  Designed to help with postpartum pain Acetaminophen Will help with overall aches, and pain and is safe while breastfeeding. Stool softener & fiber Fill up on fiber to prevent constipation and stool softeners, to get things going, if needed Check-in with your doctor Our emotions are high and easily go from up to down. Check in and be truthful with your doctor to be sure you are receiving all the care you need! Read our blog post, More Than the Baby Blues, to help you know what’s normal and when it may be time to reach out. Nursing  Nursing bras  Invest in a few comfy nursing bras that fit you well. Size up from your original size to give your new growing breast room and comfort Have a few on hand, as these get soaked pretty regularly Nursing pads Reusable or disposable  Have these on hand for in-between nursing. Your breast will leak when the baby cries Nipple cream  Breast pump or breast pump order/Rx (Set this up ahead of time with your insurance carrier; most are provided for free.) Miscellaneous Items for the Home Paper plates and plastic silverware  Stocking up on these seems silly, but the last thing you’ll want to do is a mountain of dishes along with sanitizing bottles.  Frozen homemade meals  This will surely come in handy! During your pregnancy, cook a few of your favorite freezable meals OR ask friends and family to drop off frozen homemade meals! Nothing better than Grandma’s Lasagna! MealTrain.com also provides a great an easy way to organize meals for friends after birth, surgery, or illness. Your postpartum care is so important! We all get wrapped up in the excitement of baby, we tend to forget about ourselves. From moms who have been there a time or two (or more), learn how to take care of you and your body! The better you are taken care of, the more energy and love you will have to share with that beautiful baby you have created.  Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with all of our content! Visit momsoncall.com to check out all of the resources we have to offer.

You have planned, dreamed and waited for this day! It’s finally time to bring home baby. And now that you’ve had your little one, what’s next? For that little one They are adjusting to new smells, new sounds and this whole digestive thing! Baby is feeding every 2-3 hours, swaddled well and you’ve prepared by creating the ideal sleep environment with the right sound machine which will help as they transition to this new world. For Moms and Dads You are both having to navigate emotional ups and downs. These new emotions are incredible and sometimes so hard to understand! You will both find yourselves laughing one minute and crying the next! Dads Expect a new “normal”.  You will be doing things that you may not have ever done before. Give yourself time and be patient as you find this new routine as “Dad”. Check out our post with David Feldman, as he discusses how becoming a father rewired his brain!Take over some of those middle-of-night diaper changes.During the day let Mom nap while you take care of the baby.Bring her snacks and water while she feeds.You may have to do grocery runs, cook meals and make sure the laundry gets swapped to the dryer.Moms on Call Consultant, Katherine Bridges, wrote To Dad, Love Mom: How to Support Me Before & After Baby Arrives to bring new dads some encouragement and ideas! Parenthood is an on-the-job training and you do not have to be qualified to start! You will get through the day to day realities one dirty diaper at a time. Baby blues are expected and normal. Dad, you may experience some blues too! Make sure to talk with your friends/family and seek professional treatment if needed. With Mom, be on the lookout for lack of ability to sleep, bouts of crying, irritability and extreme mood swings. We know that those first few weeks it is normal to have some of these emotions. However, if lasting more than 6-8 weeks or worsening over a few days, encourage her to mention it to her doctor and if needed you may have to seek out the help for her. Bring patience, confidence and a sense of humor! Moms Whether you delivered naturally, with meds, vaginally, c-section or adoption the postpartum period can be tough! Here are a few must-haves: Nursing tankSocks with gripsPeri or squirt bottle Used to rinse off the perineal before and after urinating as the area heals. Postpartum Mesh UnderwearLarge Maxi-Pads (Can also place a few in freezer) Until postpartum bleeding lets up, these will come in handy. Stock up for at least 2-3 weeks. Ice packs Often the hospital will send you home with a few extras if you ask for those first few days home.Have some soft ice packs ready in the freezer for when you run out. Witchhazel pads Used to prevent postpartum hemorrhoids and help with perineal painDermoplast SprayAcetaminophenWill help with overall aches, pain and is safe while breastfeeding.Stool SoftenersAbdominal Binder (C-section)Scar Cream/Oil Massage and Protect your C-section scarLarge cotton undies We prefer high wasted, to help with postpartum pain.Stool softener & fiber Fill up on fiber to prevent constipation and use stool softeners to get things going, if needed. The preparation and the waiting are done. It is normal to be ecstatic and thrilled one moment and crying and overwhelmed the next. Now what!? Get moving!Eat and take in plenty of fluids.Ask for help and accept help.Know the differences between baby blues and post-partum depression. Educate yourself and your loved ones for signs to be watchful of. Licensed therapist, Kate Ferguson, shares about common perinatal mood or anxiety disorders, the symptoms to look for, how to get help and feeling better in her blog post More Than the Baby Blues.Please visit Postpartum Support InternationalOne thing that is helpful is to take some time to connect with each of your senses every day.Be specific and find some things you can see, touch, hear, smell and taste. Pause on each item for 60 seconds.Proper vaginal and c-section care will help the healing process.Check out Moms on Call’s CEO, Morgan Eddy, blog post about her experience with C-Section Preparation and Recovery. Whether you delivered or “received” your special delivery, this is a time of adjustment. Give yourself permission to not have it all together. To be happy, sad, angry, full of joy and despair all within the same minute. But here is the truth: YOU are doing a great job! YOU are exactly who this little one needs and You are enough! You’ve got this!