It takes a village to raise a child? It take a village to support a mother.
The modern village can look different to everyone. You might start with friends and family that live nearby. You might need to seek our professional help to guide you through this season of life. You might to enlist paid services to help support you.
At From Day One we are passionate about helping mothers build their community of care beyond birth and this can begin during pregnancy whilst planning for postpartum:
Post-Birth Support
Someone who can create a nurturing environment, listen to your birth story, provide emotional support and guidance in the early stages of postpartum.
This might look like a midwife, a trusted GP or a postpartum doula.
Physical Recovery
Someone who is experienced in pelvic floor recovery who can offer guidance, exercises and any necessary treatments both pre and post-birth. And when you are ready, someone with the knowledge to help guide you back into an exercise routine that feels right for you.
This could include a women’s health physiotherapist and exercise physiologist.
Feeding support
An experienced IBCLC to help guide you through the early stage of your feeling journey, whatever that may look like.
They can address a wide range of feeding challenges, offering empathetic support, practical solutions, tailored care and guidance to make informed choices to support the wellbeing of the mother and the health of their baby.
Nourishment
Someone to ensure you are getting the nourishment needed to support your physical recovery, meet the physical demands of caring for a newborn, and enhance your overall health and wellbeing throughout postpartum.
This might be a naturopath, nutritionist, dietician, TCM, meal train or food delivery service.
Sleep support
Someone who can offer support to help you get the rest you need. Researching realistic newborn sleep needs prior to postpartum can also manage your expectations and help you plan ahead.
This could be a sleep consultant for advice, a partner to share the load, a family member or a friend to watch the baby and other children while you rest or a postpartum doula to provide support in the comfort of your home.
Mental Health
A mental health professional who creates a safe space for you to openly share your feelings and concerns, who listens without judgement and offers coping strategies.
This could include a perinatal psychologist, counsellor or mental health occupational therapist.
Emotional Support
Someone who has been through, or is going through, the same peaks and troughs themselves, who can share from their own experience, validate your feelings and help you feel seen, heard and understood.
This might look like a close friend with children, another parent in our extended circle, joining a local baby class or a Mother's Group with babies of the same age.
