Hello! It’s National Midwifery Week – wahoo for midwives!
We do midwifery every week around here though. I’ll highlight a couple of midwifery week things throughout the week, but there are a few other things in the line up that I’m excited about. One of them I’ve been waiting to share for a few months (eek! Hint: Don’t miss Wednesday.)
Today I wanted to share a tip I’ve been doing lately that I wish I had been doing the past 7 years. I started doing this in the deluge of postpartum rounding at my current job. It’s about a dozen or so couplets on average, sometimes many more…so the discharge teaching is to the point, tailored to the problem list, and thorough but brief.
Here it is: When you are doing postpartum rounding, have the patient pull up any websites you recommend and SAVE them in their browser.
So simple, but so powerful.
Here are the two websites I recommend on the regular: kellymom.com and postpartum.net (Postpartum Support International). Oh these websites. They are so well done and are the perfect websites for new mamas or seasoned mamas to browse while sitting on their couches with newborns. I also think kellymom is a good one for mamas to read in the hospital because it gives the mama a source to learn more about nipple shields, skin to skin, pumping, cluster feeding…
Other honorable mentions that I’ve recommended are ACNM’s Share with Women handouts. The postpartum section is well rounded from the early days to contraception to family planning to caring for your perineum. I also love to tell every new mama that is breastfeeding about Droplet.
I also like to recommend the app Pacify in case someone needs lactation consults and isn’t able or doesn’t want to leave their house. The platform uses your insurance coverage to connect you to an IBCLC via video while you sit on your couch with your babe. It’s not for everyone but it’s a great resource to have in your back pocket.
Lastly, I’ve gone full up resource recommendation in my postpartum discharge education. What in the world does that mean? Well, there’s always a place that providers put: “Follow up in 6 weeks with your clinic. Your warnings signs are any fever 100.4F or greater, a severe headache…”
It’s something along those lines. I’ve broadened mine to include kellymom.com, laleche league, postpartum.net…and a few others. I’ve said it before – there’s a lot of room for improvement in postpartum care and education.
These are the ways I’m working to make it better.
Practicing midwives, what are your tips for postpartum rounding?
Mamas, what resources do you wish you would have known about?
Students, what are you seeing in your clinicals?
Let’s make postpartum care better, together. Don’t miss Wednesday this week!
Hugs,
Jamie
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