All the doula placements are COVID vaccinated.
Some of Doula Care, Doulas
Some of the staff getting together for our favorite Indian breakfast at Pondicherri NYC Restaurant
Our Team of Doulas
Some of Doula Care, Doulas
Healthy Pregnancy and Postpartum
Postpartum care: What to expect after a vaginal delivery
Your newborn may be your top priority — but postpartum care counts, too. From vaginal soreness to urinary problems, here’s what to expect as you recover from a vaginal delivery.
Pregnancy changes your body in more ways than you might have guessed, and it doesn’t stop when the baby is born. Here’s what to expect after a vaginal delivery.
Vaginal soreness
If you had an episiotomy or vaginal tear during delivery, the wound might hurt for a few weeks. Extensive tears might take longer to heal. In the meantime, you can help promote healing:
- If sitting is uncomfortable, sit on a pillow or padded ring.
- Use a squeeze bottle to pour warm water over your vulva as you’re urinating. Press a clean pad or washcloth firmly against the wound when you bear down for a bowel movement.
- Cool the wound with an ice pack, or place a chilled witch hazel pad between a sanitary napkin and the wound.
- Take pain relievers or stool softeners as recommended by your health care provider.
While you’re healing, expect the discomfort to slowly improve.
Contact your health care provider if the pain intensifies; the wound becomes hot, swollen and painful; or you notice a pus-like discharge.
Vaginal discharge
You’ll have a vaginal discharge (lochia) for a number of weeks after delivery. Expect a bright red, heavy flow of blood for the first few days. The discharge will gradually taper off, becoming watery and changing from pink or brown to yellow or white.
Contact your health care provider if:
- You have heavy vaginal bleeding
- The discharge has a foul odor
You have a fever of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher
Contractions
You might feel contractions, sometimes called afterpains, during the first few days after delivery. These contractions — which often resemble menstrual cramps — help prevents excessive bleeding by compressing the blood vessels in the uterus. These contractions tend to be stronger with successive deliveries. Your health care provider might recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever.
Contact your health care provider if you have a fever or if your abdomen is tender to the touch. These signs and symptoms could indicate a uterine infection.
Hemorrhoids and bowel movements
If you notice pain during bowel movements and feel swelling near your anus, you might have hemorrhoids — stretched and swollen veins in the anus or lower rectum. To ease any discomfort while the hemorrhoids heal, soak in a warm tub and apply chilled witch hazel pads to the affected area. Your health care provider might recommend a topical hemorrhoid medication as well.
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‘Elephant Mom’ in the Time of the Tiger Mothers!
You can be an ‘Elephant Mom’ in the Time of the Tiger Mother!
It’s okay for parents to nurture, protect, and encourage their children, especially when they’re very young. The best parent you can be is the one that you want to be. There is no perfect parent, just as there is no perfect kid.
Parent nurturing a baby elephant
Insightful reassuring article by Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar in The Atlantic Magazine.
‘Elephant Mom’ in the Time of the Tiger Mother!
“Literature, discussions and forums about parenting abound. As we look for the best ways to raise our kids, we gravitate toward what makes sense to us. After meeting Jernigan, I couldn’t help but think that if there were so many parents flocking to her group to learn how to better connect with their kids, maybe many of the differences I’d noticed weren’t as fundamental and deep-rooted as I’d believed. Perhaps parents, regardless of where they’re from, have more in common than not. The mom who spoke to me about grit also, on a separate occasion, spoke to me about wanting a slow separation from her child.”