Written By Amber Bowman
Before baby came, I had been on bedrest for high blood pressure. I had a million things I wanted to do but couldn’t as I was supposed to be taking it easy. My husband and I were on our own in a new city. We had reassured our family we wouldn’t be over our heads when our daughter was born. Both of us are boat captains and have done many sleepless nights on the water, so we are used to long days and short nights….or so we thought.
We learned fairly quickly that sleep deprivation with an infant is quite different than crossing the Caribbean. It is hard to rest postpartum without an extra helping hand.
We made it through, like new parents do, but the major transition would have been much smoother with the help of a in home caregiver. Below are just four ways in which having a caregiver would have made those first few weeks a little easier on our family-and possibly yours.
Help while on bedrest
The certified home health aides at Synergy can follow your doctors or in my case, my midwives, instructions for making sure momma and baby stay healthy. I was able to safely stay at home rather than at the hospital the last couple weeks. It would have eased my mind having someone I trusted (instead of my stressed pregnancy brain) monitoring my blood pressure so I could relax mentally as well as physically. Having a certified caregiver’s support ensures you can get as much rest as possible before your baby makes their debut.
Help with groceries and meals
Feeding our daughter wasn’t as simple as I imagined. The challenges of breast-feeding as well as constantly wondering if the baby was eating, peeing, and burping enough, would be mentally exhausting even with a good nights rest. With only a couple spread out hours, I could hardly remember to feed myself! When my husband went back to work after those first few days I was drowning in my new mom duties and normal day to day tasks. Having the help of a caregiver to go on a Walmart run to grab a different style bottle or to help cook a nutritious meal would have let me be fully present with my baby and help both of us learn how to navigate this new chapter.
Light housework
Caregivers could also assist with household tasks such as cleaning and laundry as new moms are ideally supposed to rest. Birth is a lot on the body. I was doing laundry soon after giving birth and I know it prolonged my healing. Squatting and lifting (especially with a C-section) are to be avoided but are no problem for a compassionate caregiver.
Companion Care
Emotional support is a huge benefit that can come with the help of a Synergy caregiver. When the combination of hormones and no sleep makes every little emotion and task feel impossible, the support of a well rested fellow human can refill your emotional cup. I had many moments of self doubt as a mother those first few weeks. I felt alone and and insecure in my ability to take care of such a precious needy creature. Having another female to talk with would have been so valuable.
If you are a mom to be and think you may need that extra support, consider hiring a caregiver. They develop amazing relationships with the clients they assist and can allow you to fully embrace and enjoy this new addition to your life. I know with our next child we will have the right caregiver for our little family and have a beautiful transition as a family of 4!
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