Macon Magazine

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2023 | maconmagazine.com 89 what to do, and they don't know that they don't have to do them," she said. McCarthy had a traumatic experience when her daughter was born, which provided the inspiration for her to become a doula. "I didn't feel like the experience was mine. I want each parent to know that the experience is theirs." After birth, parents who hire a doula for postpartum support can expect a range of services. A doula will come to the client's home and might fold laundry and watch the baby while a new parent takes a much-needed shower, or they might help the new parent with making bottles. "They get so overwhelmed, and they discount the lack of sleep. In the first week, when you are getting no sleep at all, everything seems so much bigger," Swart noted. Swart recommended that all adults in a postpartum household need to check in with one another regularly and ensure that everyone is fed, showered, and rested to function best as a team. An important part of understanding postpartum care is addressing permanent changes to the body. "Pregnancy is temporary; postpartum is forever. You need to go slow to rebuild," Raine advised. "When you're pregnant, there's no stopping the separation of your abs." Her program emphasizes maintaining and supporting one's core and pelvic floor. She can begin work with a client as early as two weeks postpartum with their doctor's permission, beginning with mobility and breath work. Raine cautioned against being too image-focused when charting postpartum progress. "I don't want to promote that unhealthy vision you see on Instagram… success for me, for a client, is not how they look or how any aesthetics have changed, but when a client tells me they feel so much stronger and in less pain." HOLISTIC HEALTH Betcher said one of the most innovative aspects of Navicent's care takes place at the Wellness Center, where nutritional counseling and massage services are offered alongside a postpartum exercise program. Promoting positive mental health and addressing potential postpartum depression is a critical factor in all of these services. "We're looking at mental health before they even conceive," Betcher emphasized. Virtual psychiatric care has made it easier than ever for a new parent to see a mental health professional even while overwhelmed at home. Medical and wellness professionals at all steps of the process are looking for signs that a client needs a referral to more mental healthcare. Recently, as part of the Macon Mental Health Matters initiative, a free group class focuses on Parenting on Purpose and offers new parents a chance to check in with therapist Gloria Cisse. "I'm willing to do anything for moms in this area. It's really hard to grow a baby and have a baby," Swart said. Taking a fourth trimester approach to postpartum care puts a new spin on the old saying that it takes a village to raise a child. More and more, a network of support means the village is also there to support postpartum parents for ultimately healthier families. People are eager to help ease families into the world, McCarthy said: "There's nothing wrong with needing support, or thinking you can't do this. Just find someone. Call someone. It's not easy, it can be beautiful, but get you some support!"

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