Take Charge Of Your Health Today. Postpartum health and wellness

This month’s Take Charge of Your Health page spotlights postpartum health and wellness. Although this topic may not resonate with everyone, our entire community benefits when we all know how to lend a helping hand to new moms.

Following a birth, it is common for people to focus less on the mother and more on the baby. While such appreciation for a precious new life is natural, one-sided attention can dwarf the mom’s needs and cause her to feel isolated. Moms-to-be have a remarkable influence on the children they carry—from what they eat, their environments and their overall health. Such influence continues after birth, when new moms’ stamina and outlooks are tested during a period of transition and adjustment known as “postpartum.” This period is too often overlooked in the pregnancy journey. The postpartum period is accompanied by significant changes in hormones, as women’s bodies shift from what was needed during pregnancy back to prepregnancy hormone levels.

While they are undergoing these hormonal shifts, new moms are most likely also experiencing intense sleep deprivation. With the combined effects of internal and external change and the stress that comes with having a newborn, new moms must be supported properly to have the best health outcomes for themselves and their infants. Unfortunately, for some moms, sleep shifts to the bottom of their long to-do list, leaving them less alert, overwhelmed and unhealthy. Not surprisingly, we see evidence in recent studies that poor sleep is connected to postpartum depression in new moms. We all must remember that postpartum depression is common and not a sign of weakness. In fact, if moms are able to share their feelings with their friends, family or community, that’s a sign of strength and a signal that we should rally around them.
There are many questions that we can ask ourselves when we have a friend or a loved one who is going through the wonderful journey of pregnancy. How can we offer support? Can we cook and clean for the new mom? Can we watch baby as mom sleeps? Can we find a supportive postpartum doula to aid in any way?

These questions that we ask ourselves will eventually turn into action, leaving new mothers with more sleep, better health and strong support systems. I know for a fact that when we uplift and support the people who are responsible for bringing new generations into this world, they—and their children—will have better health. And better health is the most basic building block of a stronger community.

Esther L. Bush, President and CEO
Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh

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