You will most likely be a regular at your prenatal clinic – getting ready to welcome a new life into the world is exciting and intimidating at the same time, and prenatal visits are essential. However, with so much of our focus spent on successfully nurturing pregnancy and delivering a healthy baby, many families forget about all the things that come after the birth. For mothers, the time right after giving birth marks the beginning of a new journey, one that can take time to adjust to. Not only are the first few weeks a time of healing, your body is also going through many physical, hormonal, and emotional changes. Understanding and managing these changes is extremely important to a mother’s overall well being. Your prenatal clinic in Calgary is not only a resource for care before the baby comes, it is also a resource for postpartum care after the arrival of your new addition.
Most expecting families are very familiar with prenatal care, but a surprisingly large number of new families are much less familiar with postpartum care. The postpartum period generally refers to the first 6 to 8 weeks after giving birth, although this period may last longer for some women. Postpartum care services cover all aspects of a new mother’s potential needs, including feeding, recovery, and mental health care. Postpartum care can be managed at home, but specialized services are also available through your parental clinic in Calgary.
Childbirth may be a natural part of the life cycle, but that does not lessen the burden it places on a mother’s body. Depending on your method of delivery, your body may be healing from perineal tears or from incisions; postpartum care can help ensure proper healing and recovery. However, postpartum recovery care also includes common issues such as sore nipples, engorgement, body aches, pains and cramps, fatigue, and your changing body.
Mental health after the birth of a child is a difficult topic for most new mothers to address. With a certain idea in their minds about what having a new baby would be like, and constant outside pressure to live up to an idealized image of motherhood, addressing potential concerns is far too often overlooked. Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and self-doubt are all very common in new mothers; your body has just been through a strenuous ordeal and is still adjusting. Through a local parental clinic in Calgary, new mothers can reach out and access help and information on a variety of mental health issues, helping to ensure they receive the care and attention they deserve.