How I'd Prepare for Postpartum If I Were Doing It Again

Transcript

This is how I would prepare for postpartum if I was doing it again for the first time. Hi, if you don't know me, I'm Dr. Jana. I'm a licensed psychologist specializing in moms. Number one, I would have a lactation consultant already scheduled for the week that I get home from the hospital. Even if you don't think that you're gonna nurse, lactation consultants have so much knowledge about bottles and different formulas, but also I think nursing can be such a surprise at how challenging it is. A lactation consultant can truly be a lifeline and helping you feel more confident in something that is new. Number two, I wish I would have been more diligent about creating a village up front. I wish I would have joined like a prenatal yoga class or some sort of prenatal class where I could have met other moms. If I were in a rural area, I probably would have bookmarked the Postpartum Support International Free Support groups. I think people are often surprised at how isolating new motherhood could be, and I wish I would have been more diligent about creating my village ahead of time. And then number three, I wish I would have had a safe place to process the huge identity shift that becoming a new mom involves. I wish I would have seen a perinatal mental health specialist at the time. I didn't know that they existed. I wish I would have had someone reflect back to me that the feelings that I was feeling were actually really normal and helped me kind of integrate this new identity of motherhood into who I was before, that would have made a huge difference. And if you are pregnant or early postpartum and you need more support in the season, I work with moms in over 40 states. You can check the link in my bio. And as always, follow along for more honest conversations around motherhood and mental health.