Becoming a parent is one of the least communicable joys of life; it’s something that a majority of us get to experience, but which completely eludes any and all attempts to explain or describe. It’s an ineffable joy, a combination of absolute love, stress, fear, exhilaration, and relief, amongst other intense feelings in varying measures. And then you get home from the hospital, and a new life begins. A life for which you’ll likely feel impossibly unprepared.
Luckily for you, you’re more prepared than you think. And even luckier than that, you have an incredible set of resources on which you can rely as you start to navigate this new life with your partner and child. Whether or not you have the ‘village’ to help raise your child, you’ll benefit from many different sources of information, support, and care. Accessing the right help early can make a meaningful difference during the transition into parenthood; read on to find out precisely what care you can access.
Physical Recovery and Medical Care
The first, and most obvious, form of support you receive is from the good old National Health Service – for which you have your healthy newborn very much to thank. Pregnancy and childbirth are incredibly affecting experiences for the mother’s body, making physical recovery a significant early step post-partum. This is why the mum and child will get immediate post-natal care at the hospital, and won’t be discharged without a clean bill of health – or without the promise of primary care follow-ups.
Of course, not everything goes smoothly. In some extremely rare cases, medical errors can create complications for mother and/or child, sometimes with long-lasting impacts. In such rare cases, it’s helpful to know that birth injury solicitors can be consulted for next steps – steps which could see financial recourse for negligent care.
Feeding Support and Early Baby Care
The NHS is also an incredible post-natal resource for the medium term, particularly with respect to matters of early baby care. Routine support visits are conducted by midwives or support workers, and are useful arenas in which to broach topics of early care and feeding tips.
The National Childbirth Trust is another excellent resource for breastfeeding support in particular, with an infant feeding helpline and various social media channels for community support too.
Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Support
Mental health is always an important aspect, but it’s especially important to maintain in the aftermath of childbirth – and even more so given the prevalence of post-partum depression as a possibility for mothers. The NHS, again, is a valuable resource for seeking support around PPD, but there is also a wide range of mothers’ mental health charities poised to provide assistance, including Mind and the PANDAS Foundation – which, similar to the NCT, can offer volunteer support via WhatsApp groups, callback services, or even face-to-face support, alongside online resources.
