Beyond Birth Program
9
Modules
1
Hormone Test
12
Support Group Sessions
Weekly Modules
Do You Have a Support Team?
- Family & Friends
- Lactation Consultant
- Monitor breastfeeding
- Postpartum Doula
- Newborn care
- Breastfeeding/formula feeding
- https://doulamatch.net/
- https://www.dona.org/what-is-a-doula/find-a-doula/
- Chiropractor
- Help with post-pregnancy pain
- Support for newborn as well
- Craniosacral Therapist
- Process the birth
- Tongue/lip ties
- Acupuncture and/or Reiki
- Process the birth
- Restore energy levels
- Help balance nervous system
Unwelcomed Visitors
- Support team
- Navigate unwelcomed visitors
- Make a list of how they can help
- Does not have to include coming to your home
- Set limits
- Visiting times
- Tasks
- Remember your priority is caring for yourself and baby
Benefits of Breastfeeding
- Successful breastfeeding is best
- Nutrients
- Immunity
- Gut Health
- Palate formation
- Speech
Healthy Formula Alternatives
- Donor Milk
- Goat’s milk
- Next most similar
- Cow’s milk lactose is more difficult for babies to digest
- Camel’s milk
- Similar to mother’s milk
- Weston A Price Homemade Formula
- Mt. Capra Goat’s Milk
Additional Considerations
- Supplemental Nursing System
- Tongue/lip tie
Self-Care
- Prenatal Vitamin
- Rest, rest, rest
- Focus on quality nutrients
- Ask for help
- Join support group
- Free with this course
- Consider scheduling “you-time
Healing
- Vaginal Birth
- Padsicles
- Stitches
- Sitz Bath
- Vitamin E Oil
- Witch Hazel
- C-section
- Scar
- Massage
Sleep Deprivation
- Normal Newborn Sleep Patterns
- Wake to eat
- Shorter sleep cycles
- Unregulated circadian rhythms until 6 weeks
- Mother’s lack of sleep can impact physical and mental health
How To Maximize Sleep
- Rely on your support team
- Sleep when baby sleeps
- Focus on 7-9 hours total
- Keep baby close when sleeping
- Invest in a co-sleeper
- Bassinet near the bed
- Co-sleeping
- Involve your partne
Support Baby’s Sleep
- Sunlight
- Well fed
- Use calming music
- Diffuse lavender oil
- Warm bat
What’s The Difference
- Baby Blues
- Normal & common in the 2 weeks after birth
- Caused by hormonal changes & experience of being a new mom
- Really happy to very sad
- Does not need treatment
- Partner can also experience
- Lasting longer – sign of postpartum depression
- Postpartum Anxiety
- Constant worry or feeling of dread
- Having trouble sleeping or staying asleep when baby is sleeping
- Racing thoughts
- May require medical care
- Can also include physical symptoms
- Heart palpitations
- Hyperventilating
- Nausea, shaking/trembling
What To Do
- Rely on your support team
- Focus on sleep
- Schedule some self-care
- Find a new parent support group
- Join our Balance, Blossom, Birth Support Group
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Prevention
- Rely on your support team
- Focus on sleep
- Schedule some self-care
- Find a new parent support group
- Join our Balance, Blossom, Birth Support Group
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine
- Eat healthy & exercise when you are ready
- Incorporate healthy fats
- Cod liver oil
How Long to Wait
- No timeline for when
- Recommend waiting until bleeding stops
- C-section
- Note abdominal muscles
- Can take 3-6 months to feel back to normal
- Vaginal birth
- Note tearing and/or stitches
- Can take 7-10 days to heal; talk to your doctor/midwife
Things to Remember
- Weight loss postpartum varies from person to person
- Lack of sleep can impact weight loss
- Higher levels of cortisol
- Hormones take time to return back to normal
- Impact cortisol
- Exercise will be limited
- Returning to work can ad additional stress
- Experience of being a new mom
Where to Focus
- Healthy fats
- Avoid processed sugars and simple carbs
- Eat enough clean protein, greens and veggies
- Prenatal/postnatal vitamin
- Exercise (when ready)
- Poop everyday, well-formed
- Spend time in the sun daily
- Self-care
Hormones After Birth
- 6 to 8 Weeks
- Imbalance can contribute to PPD
- Hormone testing included with the course
- Wait until week 9 for testing
- Order Your Test & Schedule Your Hormone Review Session
How To Balance Hormones Naturally
- Focus on- Focus on healthy fats
- Cut out- Cut out processed sugars and simple carbs
- Eat- Eat enough clean protein
- Add- Add lots of colorful greens and veggies
- Move- Exercise (when ready) and maintain a healthy BMI
- Poop- 3 times a day, well-formed