The postpartum period is an essential time for a woman’s physical and psychological health, yet many women feel unsupported in the days, weeks and months following childbirth. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), postpartum care should include comprehensive physical, psychological and social support for mothers. However, this is often overlooked or completely absent in today's health care, with devastating long-term consequences for women’s health and quality of life.
Statistics from the WHO and ACOG reflect that the postpartum period is the most underserved time in a womens life. Despite the importance of postpartum care, it is significantly underfunded worldwide. Many countries do not provide adequate resources or access to support services during this critical period. Women are often discharged from the hospital soon after giving birth, leaving them alone with little guidance or assistance. Even when a woman is provided with postpartum services, these are generally limited in scope and are often piecemeal in nature.
Additionally, women are frequently left alone to cope with the mental and physical demands of parenthood. Studies have shown that postpartum depression is common among new mothers, yet there is often a lack of awareness of this condition and a lack of access to professional help. In addition, women are often left without support as they are faced with the challenges of breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, physical changes and other parenting tasks.
We at Revolution Chiropractic understand the importance of care and support in the postpartum period and have committed ourselves to establishing and holding the standard for care in this space. We have 4 Chiropractors who are Webster certified to support women prenatally but also are committed to establishing perinatal care for our patients. We have 2 prenatal/ postnatal massage therapists, and a lactation consultant on the team. We have currated a collection of resources, including trusted mental health therapists, pelvic floor Pt's , coaches, personal trainers, nutritionists, doulas and midwives.
In order to improve the support provided to women during the postpartum period, there needs to be better systems in place to identify potential problems early on and provide appropriate care. The WHO recommends that all pregnant women should receive postpartum visits within six weeks of delivery, and that maternity services should include the support of a trained midwife or nurse who can assess the woman’s physical and psychological health. Furthermore, the ACOG suggests that new mothers should be offered ongoing support and education on how to deal with their new role and demands such as sleep deprivation, breastfeeding and infant care.
Without improved resources, many women will continue to suffer in silence without the necessary support they need during such a vulnerable time, we are committed to standing in this space and holding the standard.