Postpartum Resources

Having a new baby is incredibly exciting, life-changing, and beautiful! It's also intense, exhausting, and at times confusing and challenging. Below are classes, reading, and websites we recommend to support the transition.

Useful Classes

• Infant CPR classes, are usually available somewhere in your community.

• Our childbirth classes include a breastfeeding class taught by a lactation consultant, but you may be able to find breastfeeding classes closer to you.

Nourishing Your Body in the Postpartum

It takes around twelve weeks for your body to fully recover from childbirth. Making milk also requires a lot of calories--more than in pregnancy--and in prenatals we will discuss how you are creating a plan for support in the postpartum. 

• The First Forty Days, by Heng Ou, is a beautiful and useful cookbook and postpartum guide, with lots of simple recipes that support recovery and lactation. There are many other wonderful ideas for postpartum meals on Pinterest.

• Ask a friend or family member to organize a meal train, where someone periodically drops off a fresh cooked meal at your home.

• Postpartum yoga can promote gentle healing, beginning with gentle stretches when you feel ready.

• Dr. Ryan Bailey at White Lotus Physical Therapy has expertise in pregnancy and postpartum. We recommend reaching out to her where there is postpartum pain or discomfort, stress incontinence, or diastesis recti.

• The Tummy Team is a group of physical therapists offering online courses to strengthen the core and pelvic floor, both in the prenatal and postpartum. Their simple exercises are performed while sitting, which makes them easy and accessible. This is another resource when there is postpartum pain or discomfort, stress incontinence, or diastesis recti.

Breastfeeding

It can be helpful to have a breastfeeding guide, such as The Nursing Mother's Companion or The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. However, there are some great online resources for breastfeeding, including Kelly Mom.

• Breastfeeding Your Newborn - What to Expect in the Early Weeks, Kelly Mom.

• Plugged Ducts and Mastitis, Kelly Mom.

• Breastfeeding Attachment, Global Health Media Project (this is useful for understanding what a good latch should look and feel like).

Post-Cesarean Resources

Having a cesarean when you were planning an out of hospital birth is a tremendously challenging experience. It's normal to have conflicting feelings about your experience. When you're ready, we recommend reaching out to the International Cesarean Awareness Network NH chapter. Led by local doula Taylor Davis, they hold monthly meetings in Dover and provide a space to process what happened, receive support, and to prepare for VBAC.