In the initial weeks after giving birth, new mothers will likely experience fatigue, anxiety, and frustration. This phase typically lasts the first two weeks after the birth but can also be on-going. After two weeks, some start to feel better, but some continue to experience stress and anxiety. Additionally, there is a chance that this could develop into postpartum depression or other postpartum complications. This makes it difficult for a mother to follow after delivery baby care. Although it is treatable, prevention is always preferable to treatment. However, if your partner is dealing with postpartum, you must assist them in every way possible. There is no doubt that the primary support person – whether family or friend, will need to step up and deliver as a postpartum partner.
Understand your role
Postpartum depression after childbirth is a significant condition that calls for medical attention. As a partner, you can offer emotional and practical support to the new mother in your life to ease her transition. The lack of postpartum care in the US is a serious condition, but a supportive postpartum partner can help greatly during this time.
Evidence shows that postpartum fatigue and postpartum anxiety are leading causes for postpartum complications. A postpartum partner can help alleviate some of these conditions by helping the new mother find time to rest and recover. Sleep depravation can lead to increased stress and reduced milk production which increases anxiety.
Ways to help your partner
1. Let your partner rest
A new mother sleeps incredibly little. Usually, they are up all night feeding the baby. Babies cry a lot, which causes mothers to take frequent breaks in their sleep. So, for postpartum care, the postpartum partner must let the mother rest for longer. So that your partner can sleep a little longer, you can rise early and start the day. It is a small step but a very significant one.
2. Help your partner realize the change
Help your spouse detect the changes in their attitude or behavior if you suspect they are signs of postpartum depression or anxiety. This will make them more aware, enabling them to receive timely postpartum care.
3. Be always available
While it’s crucial to consider your job and financial obligations, you should seize the opportunity if you are eligible for paternity leave. Now is the moment to increase your availability at home, if you can. Being there with your partner and helping them in every way possible is important in their postpartum recovery. The presence of another person can be therapeutic for many persons suffering from postpartum anxiety or depression.
4. Encourage your partner to talk to get professional help
Getting assistance from a therapist or psychiatrist is the best approach for someone suffering from postpartum. So the sooner you can schedule a doctor’s appointment for your partner, the sooner that procedure can start. Your partner’s midwife or gynecologist can recommend a doula or a therapist. A postpartum doula is a specialist qualified to support a new mother during the time following childbirth.
5. Provide essential postnatal care
The fact that the mother needs continual care for up to eight weeks immediately after delivery and at this time is only widely known. This is why providing moms with comfort during the immediate postpartum period is crucial. The postnatal care includes counseling, early detection and treatment of health issues, and other preventative measures. Midwives are a crucial part of postpartum care. If all goes smoothly, the mother and child are released from the maternity ward and placed in the care of the midwife team. The midwife supports the mother while she adapts to life with the newborn.
Now that you know the significance of postnatal care, you can take your partner to a postnatal center or a postpartum facility if you want to provide the best possible care. The postpartum facility offers early postpartum assessment and support to moms, infants, and their families. And if you want to pamper your wife, you can take her to a postnatal retreat that has professionals to assist with every aspect of her recovery.
6. Get Extra Help
Being a new parent is tedious for both parents, and it is nothing wrong with getting some extra help if you want your wife to get the utmost postpartum care. A night nurse specializing in newborn care is someone you can hire to assist you and your spouse during the baby’s first few weeks at home. Typically, they work at night, hence the name; they care for the baby, feed them, and change their diapers. This way, your partner will get the rest they desperately need after giving birth. Most importantly, your partner can easily sleep, essential for postpartum recovery.
You can also gather close friends and family and start a postpartum village for your partner. A supportive postpartum village can help with meal deliveries, watching the newborn baby and emotional support.
7. Provide help they need during breastfeeding
Even mothers who adore and treasure nursing may experience a sense of being isolated sitting in a chair while the baby feeds for several hours before ultimately sleeping on her. This is the perfect time for you to offer any help you can. Even getting nearer to her is a significant step. Though it may seem insignificant, this matters greatly.
There are also online postpartum coaches that can help with the different stages of postpartum. Signing up your partner and learning together is also a great way to show support as a postpartum partner.
8. Surprise them
It doesn’t have to be big; you can give your partner flowers, cook them food, take her out for a meal, get her favorite drink, etc. These all things will help your partner feel loved, also she will be able to blow off some air. It doesn’t need to be expensive; small, frequent acts of care and kindness are more important.
Conclusion
New mothers may occasionally feel too anxious or overburdened to ask for assistance. Therefore, it is your responsibility as a partner to provide additional postpartum care. Even if you’ve made every attempt to make your partner feel loved, if she still feels nervous, you should seek professional assistance while continuing to offer emotional support.
Remember that postpartum recovery is a team sport and that as hard as it might be, it is equally gratifying.