2 comments about the early post partum period

I have found it extremely useful to ask mothers about their birth
experience as a start to the conversation when I have been called in as a
LC. It not only brings me up to speed on what may be affecting the feeding
relationship but I have always felt that part of integrating major life
experiences into our reality is reviewing the event with others countless
times. In the same way that someone grieving needs to talk about the same
events over and over. NOT that I am comparing birth to grieving, just the
process of integration of a major psychologic event. Perhaps an appropriate
term would be debriefing. Further, by not simply reading the chart and
assuming 'I know all there is to know' I frequently find that the
non-charted information is of critical understanding to the situation. On
occasion the extra information is also of great importance for the overall
care of the mother.  If the mother is a multip. I will usually ask how this
labour compared to her previous experience as if there are great
discrepencies the mother may have a considerable amount of emotional energy
tied up in the differences.

I would also like to point out that not all mothers experience fogginess.
Although my husband insists I don't remember the births accurately (he says
I underestimate the pain and the effort enormously) for each of my children
I chose a research topic of interest and brought a significant book to
study. Although with the second and third I was in hospital a very short
time I found the first few weeks a great time to cuddle my babies, nurse
and read something intellectually stimulating.  With the first it was early
anglo saxon religion, the second human rights development and the third the
status of women in medieval europe. I never got much beyond the one text
each time as by the time I finished reviewing and thinking about it the
babies were a month or so old and beyond the content-to-be-cuddled stage.

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html