So the moment you’ve finally been waiting for has finally arrived after some 40 long weeks and long hours of labor: you’ve just given birth to a beautiful, bouncy baby! Whoopee! Congratulations! 

There is always that certain rush of joy about welcoming a newborn into the world, but at the same time, it brings about changes that may be overwhelming, especially for the mom as she tries to juggle recovering her physique from childbirth and easing her little bundle of joy into her and the whole family’s everyday lives. 

A guided transition filled with support is essential during this pivotal period, and we at Doulas of Valley are here to shed some more light on the matter.

Baby’s Out! But…I Feel Blue?

Okay, so here’s the thing about childbirth: you carry a growing life inside you for 9 whole months, and with each month that passes by, you and your partner plus your relatives and friends can’t seem to wait for the baby to come out!

And then D-Day finally arrives, and yay, baby’s out! Everyone’s thrilled and happy to meet the newest addition to the family, especially you as the mom! But all of a sudden, you may start feeling some emptiness and unexplainable sadness; you may even start thinking that something’s not right, and you’re probably trying to rack your brain for the best way or remedy to get rid of this unsettling feeling ASAP.

Fret not, though! Because as uncomfortable as the feeling is, what you’re going through and feeling right after giving birth are normal occurrences. This is what you call the postpartum period or also known as the “baby blues”.

So…what exactly is postpartum?

Postpartum refers to the period of post-pregnancy, or right after childbirth. It is also a vital transition period for the mom to recover physically while easing her newborn into her daily routine, which may be a lot to process and take in, resulting in a surge of emotions for the mother. 

Some statistics have shown that roughly around 70-80% of women experience the baby blues right after giving birth, such as feeling empty within, loss of appetite, sudden outbursts of tears, sleeping troubles, and mood swings. Again, we want to assure you that it’s okay to let yourself feel that way because it should go away eventually; the postpartum period usually lasts between 3 days up to 2 weeks. 

However, if you find these baby blues still lingering around you for more than 2 weeks, please do not hesitate to seek help as that can already be an indication of postpartum depression which requires immediate attention by a medical professional. 

It is important to know the fine line difference between the two conditions, which can be instantly determined in how long it lasts. 

Postpartum Care: What To Expect?

While giving birth is an amazing, miraculous occurrence, it can exhaust the mother physically and emotionally. As such, postpartum care is a very important step to be taken. It takes place for the first six weeks since childbirth, where tremendous adjustment happens as you ease into a routine; it may include sleepless nights which may lead the mom to feel more exhausted than ever. 

To prevent this from happening, we have taken the liberty of listing down some reminders during your transition:

• Take the time to get some rest – you need to take care of yourself too while caring for your baby

• Boost the greens and leaves in your diet, a.k.a eat healthy meals! – this will heal speed up the healing process, and if you are breastfeeding, it will benefit your little one too

• Ask for help – as we always say here, you never have to go through this alone; you’ve got your partner, relatives, and you may even want to consider hiring a trained postpartum doula to help you with the load

Postpartum Support: Who Do I Call For Help?

Support is one of the most important things that you as a mother can get during the postpartum period. For instance, we know your loved ones on the front row to extend you the extra hands, but there are some mothers who even consider getting additional help and support under the guise of a postpartum doula.

A postpartum doula is a trained person who takes care of mothers who just went through the process of childbirth. They provide physical, emotional, and educational support as they know how vulnerable a mother can be during such a life-changing phase. One of their most important goals of a postpartum doula is preventing the baby blues from turning into postpartum depression by being on the lookout for the signs and symptoms.

You’ve Got a Well-Trusted Doula with Doulas of the Valley

With Doulas of the Valley, we can guarantee you loving and tender care from our well-trusted and skilled doulas given our 20 years of extensive experience in the business, stemming from our humble beginnings at Northeast Doulas. 

We take pride in our mission to help bring beautiful babies into this world and help transition families into their new normal, and we’re extending that here in Scottdale, Paradise Valley, Maricopa County, and surrounding areas.

Under the watchful care and guidance of the mother-daughter tandem, Debbie Aglietti and Debbie Forbes, who are both well-versed and skilled as doulas given their extensive background in providing child care as a nanny and a registered nurse respectively; you and your newborn are in good, capable hands.