Post Natal Care: The Modern Family's Challenge

Post natal care refers to initiatives to provide support to a new mother and her baby in the first six weeks of the baby’s life. The name implies some form of clinical or medical care, but this encompasses even family and social contributions made to the wellbeing of the two in the period immediately following birth. Health services do have a role to play, but so do family and the community.

For the purposes of this article, modern family is defined as one that resides in an urban environment; living as a single unit i.e. father, mother and children. It is also based on the premise that the mother is the default childcare provider.

Modern family: urban living but still with mother as primary childcare giver.

While the term post natal care refers to the time period after the birth of a child, the preparations for it ought to begin in advance of the event. This complicates matters, as not even the mother –to-be can fully anticipate what her future may be. Different women have different needs but the following list highlights some of the things to consider.

To begin with, the baby is the starting point.

What type of care does a new-born require?

Breastfeeding baby.

The simple other is everything. The care itself is not very complicated though it is highly erratic. New-borns have irregular patterns of feeding and sleeping. Personal preference will dictate bath schedules and routines, though your health care providers will have their own take on it. The mother on the other hand requires plenty of rest. She needs a diet to meet her breastfeeding requirements, as well as a routine that allows her to be fully available to the new-born.

The family and other support structures should aim to enable the baby to receive the required attention and service from her mother, while at the same time empowering the mother to provide such. Two factors are likely to compound these efforts.

1. The mother’s mental state. It is often assumed that the arrival of a baby is a joyful time in the life of a mother. That is seldom always the case. A baby changes the life of the mother in so many ways: her body, time, routine, responsibilities and freedoms are altered no matter how subtly. She may have an emotional reaction to this, even unconsciously. Tears, feelings of unworthiness and general anxiety are common at this time, and should be taken into consideration in the care approach. It is important to note that anxiety is a huge hindrance to lactation, and should be avoided.

2. Family culture. Each family (again referring to the single unit) has its own aims and objectives. They ought to be able to direct the traditions they wish to associate with, as well as defining some practises that they may choose not to engage in. There are various approaches to post natal care to choose from, but the final decision should be by the new parents themselves.

That being said, how exactly can one support a mother and her newborn baby?

The following list is by no means conclusive but offers a few pointers on what aspects to consider when planning for post natal care.

· Household tasks previously the responsibility of the mother can nolonger be hers. By their nature domestic chores are repetitive and given the mothers’ new schedule highlighted above, she cannot operate fully as things were before.

· The baby’s routine takes precedence over family routine. Meal times, bedtimes and bathtimes, especially as they relate to mother and child, do not necessarily need to be adjusted to fall in with family times.

· Frequent meals in the right nutritional compositions are important and should be availed. Meal planning is very important. Remember, such planning is beyond the scope of the responsibilities of the new mother.

· Clean water should be available at all times, for drinking and personal hygiene.

· The post natal period sees a marked increase in the use of sanitary disposables. Their permanent disposal should be taken into account and planned for accordingly, especially given erratic refuse collection cycles.

· Where supplements and other medications are required, their intake should be closely monitored by a third party.

· Visitors should be limited and their visits controlled so as not to interfere with the duo’s new own routine, which should take precedence.

When families and communities work together, childcare can be an equal pleasure to every involved, including the mother.

#Newborn #PostnatalCare #Family