Your Village is Just a Few Clicks Away

Prenatal and Postpartum Support Goes Virtual!

Under perfect conditions, having a baby is an exhausting and exhilarating experience. You spend the final weeks of your pregnancy collecting diapers, wipes, and onesies, putting the finishing touches on your nursery, and stocking your pantry and freezer with easy to reheat comfort food. In the weeks after the birth of your baby, visitors come by with more supplies, more tasty food, and lots of offers of help, encouragement, and praise for your beautiful baby and your good work in adjusting to life as a parent.

But today’s conditions are not perfect, and families are now gathering supplies in anxious Target runs and unpacking Amazon boxes from friends and family without being able to properly share the moment or offer their thanks in the usual ways. No one is allowed to visit and you don’t want to go out or take your baby out either, but you still have all the same needs and questions as new parents had before all this started, plus an extra dose of worry and disappointment because things are not as they should be and no one knows how or when it will end.

But dear friend, there is a whole host of people out there whose joy and passion is in serving and supporting new parents, before, during, and after the birth of your baby, and whose services you can access online, or sometimes even in-office, even now. You may be physically isolated during this hugely transformational time, but your village is just a few clicks away.

Online support for your personal, emotional, and mental wellness

It might be a bit more difficult to get in to the office to see your doctor, but quite a lot of counselors and therapists are offering sessions virtually. For peer support, various new mom groups and parenting support groups have also shifted to online meetings. If you had your eye on a local mom group and think it’s been cancelled, give them a call and see if they haven’t made arrangements for you to gather online.

And there is a whole world of established mindset coaching and energy healing out there whose services are largely online so that the support, healing, and transformation you’re looking for are available wherever you are. It’s just a matter of connecting with someone who understands you and then prioritizing your time together. 

Support for your prenatal and postpartum physical wellness

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are hard on your body so under normal circumstances, you might seek out the help of a good prenatal or postpartum chiropractor, massage therapist, or bodyworker. While these kinds of services might not translate well into the online space, you might be surprised to learn that a number of these service providers are maintaining reduced office hours (along with enhanced in-office cleaning and disinfection protocol) for clients dealing with new or urgent symptoms. Again, it might take a little calling around, but help is out there if you need it!

Other service providers supporting your physical wellness during and after pregnancy, like nutritionists and dieticians, and fitness and movement coaches and therapists are conducting appointments, consultations, and treatment options online, so don’t put off getting the help you need!

Online support for newborn care concerns

Learning to figure out your baby and meeting their needs is a full-time job and when you need some input from a pro, there are several great online options available to support your efforts at feeding, soothing, and getting your baby settled down for another nap that don’t involve crowd-sourcing your local Facebook group.

Firstly, there are lactation specialists, breastfeeding counselors, and infant feeding specialists who are offering virtual support, guidance, and information about feeding your baby, especially when you’re running into some definite obstacles and you need some ideas to make the whole feeding process go more smoothly. In this uncertain time, we’re seeing quite a lot of virtual lactation lounges opening up even while a number of lactation specialists continue to offer in-person breastfeeding support on a case-by-case basis.

There are also virtual sleep coaches and consultants who can help you put together a plan to get your baby sleeping more soundly and get your whole family more rest, from just one video consultation. Car Seat Technicians are able to virtually check the installation of your baby’s car seat. And it’s even possible to get  infant CPR training online as well!

And for more holistic support in the early weeks and months with your baby, connecting with a virtual postpartum doula might be just what your family needs during this time of isolation. Regular online meetings to talk about your recovery from childbirth, your adjustment to parenthood, and how your baby is growing and settling in to life on the outside can make a huge difference in your fourth trimester. Often, new parents just need someone to talk to, to hear that what they’re feeling and experiencing is normal (or that it sounds super hard and is definitely not normal!) and to get reliable information about their own special circumstances from a trusted source. With the help of the Internet, a supportive doula who really gets you and your family is closer than you think.

Your village is still here - it just went online

Your work as a mother is hard, and even though it sounds a bit cliché, you weren’t meant to do this all on your own. Those of us who serve and support new families like yours do it because we believe in the work with our whole hearts. Often, we’ve been right where you are now. We know the challenges you face as a parent, and that’s why so many service providers are working hard to make sure they can continue to support you online even as the “new normal” keeps shifting and hardly feels normal at all. Your village is still here. We’re just a few clicks away.

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