Navigating Chicago’s Postpartum Support Services
When you have a baby in the United States, the experience often goes something like this: “Congratulations on your beautiful baby, here are some basic instructions on how to care for your baby and your body after birth, the hospital lactation consultant may come by to visit if she has time, make sure you have a carseat, here’s your baby, go to your 6 week check up with your OB and good luck!” Okay, so maybe that experience takes place over a 2-3 day period of time but it is brief and lacks the wraparound support that most families could benefit from. Other countries such as the UK, the Netherlands, countries in Scandinavia, and France do a much better job of supporting new parents in the initial months following the birth of a baby. For something as life changing as childbirth and new parenthood, follow up care in the US is significantly lacking. For those who live in Chicago, we are luckier then most in that we do have excellent postpartum support services. It’s a question of knowing where to find them.
Lactation support
If you plan to breastfeed or you are working on successfully breastfeeding, the expertise of an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) can be tremendously beneficial. While many hospitals do have lactation consultants on staff, they aren’t always able to get to your room prior to discharge. Even if someone does visit, sometimes the bigger breastfeeding challenges don’t emerge until days or weeks later. It can be helpful to engage with an IBCLC prior to giving birth so you have one lined up to make a home visit in the initial days after coming home from the hospital. In many cases, that consultant may be someone you can continually reach out to as you traverse your breastfeeding journey. Following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, many lactation support services (both lactation consultants and breast pumps/parts) are now covered by many health insurances. You can find more information about who and what is covered under your plan through The Lactation Network. If you are trying to decide between a few different options here in Chicago, I highly recommend the lactation consultants at Lactation Partners, JOC Lactation Consultants and The Mother’s Milk Company.
Postpartum mental health
As any mom who has been in The Chicago New Moms Group has heard me say, you do not need to be experiencing all of the clinical symptoms of postpartum depression or anxiety to need a little extra help. This is a time of life when we often need more help. Fortunately, here in Chicago, there are many mental health providers who have specific training focused on working with postpartum moms. When looking at the credentials of a mental health provider, anyone who has the letters PMH-C after their name has done additional training, including an exam, in order to be postpartum certified. Many practices will see clients virtually which is particularly helpful when you have a newborn and getting out of the house or having any sort of a schedule can be challenging. I often refer to group practices because with several providers, there is an increased likelihood that you will be able to get into see someone sooner rather then later. If you are past the initial 2 week period when baby blues can launch you into a crying spell with seemingly no trigger, and you are struggling with depression or anxiety, please reach out for support. You can get 24 hour support on the MOMSline and find a whole host of perinatal mental health resources through Postpartum Support International. Depending on your health insurance, I often refer to The Wildflower Center for Emotional Health, Flourish Counseling and Wellness, The Blossom Method and LifePath Therapy. For group support for postpartum moms struggling depression and/or anxiety, I highly recommend Beyond the Baby Blues.
Pelvic floor physical therapy
13 years ago, when I started running The Chicago New Moms Group, no one was talking about pelvic floor PT. Sadly, when it did come up, I would often hear stories of moms asking their OB for a PT referral and their concerns were minimized. Thankfully, we have come a long way and many moms are now aware of all of the physical and emotional benefits that come from strengthening your pelvic floor and rebuilding your core muscles after you have been pregnant for 9 months and given birth (regardless of how the baby came out). I say that there is emotional benefit because there are very few places that we go as postpartum moms where anyone asks how we are doing. There are so many visits for the baby in the early weeks and much of the focus is really about ensuring that your tiny human us growing and thriving. Seeing a postpartum physical therapist who is an expert on your new mom body and who wants to talk to you about how you are feeling at a time when you may be feeling somewhat foreign in your body can be tremendously healing. www.pelvicrehab.com is a good spot to find a local provider. Most providers in Chicago are covered by health insurance. You should not need a referral to see a physical therapist. If you are in Chicago, I highly recommend Chicago Physical Therapists, West Town PT, and Vitality.
Postpartum doulas
Due to the isolated way that many new parents experience parenting with family spread out across the country or the world, often new parents have little support as they embark on their parenting journey. In the absence of helpful family, postpartum doulas can fill this gap by offering necessary education, newborn care and light housework to help new parents adjust to the immense demands of the early days and months of parenting. Most often postpartum doulas support families in the first 3 months after a baby is born but many continue to work with families into the end of the first year of a child’s life. Many also provide overnight support to help families get some extra precious hours of sleep. In Chicago, there are several excellent doula groups where you can find postpartum support. I highly recommend Chicago Family Doulas, 312 Doulas, Windy City Doulas and Birthways.
Partum Health
While I of course hope that this article will be helpful for new families to identify trusted sources for postpartum support, there is an incredible “one stop shop” that is working to create a similar supportive environment as is the standard of care in those more evolved European countries who have clearly learned how to support families. It is called Partum Health. I encourage all expectant families to reach out to them and find out how they can help you find supportive services both while pregnant and continuing into the postpartum period. Check out our interview with Partum’s CEO Meghan Doyle to learn more!