Postpartum Doula Skills CH.2

Working with Postpartum Clients

What is one of the most effective ways to support lactation and breastfeeding, in a general way?

Promote the normalcy of it in actions and language, as if it is the usual choice without aggressively imposing your views

What are other general rules of thumb and helpful tips when supporting a breastfeeding client?

Active listening

People learn best by doing, not by watching

Having techniques and strategies for handling differences between them and their family

Define my professional boundaries

How long is unrefrigerated, room temperature breastmilk good for?

4 hours

How long is refrigerated breastmilk good for?

4 days

How long is insulated in a cooler breastmilk good for?

24 hours

How long is thawed unpasteurized breastmilk good for?

24 hours

How long is thawed, pasteurized donor breastmilk good for?

48 hours

How long is frozen breastmilk good for?

12 months

List general practices for using pumped breastmilk

Use the oldest milk first

If using donor milk, try and match the milk to the same age as the infant if possible

Thaw frozen milk quickly in a container of hot water or slowly at room temperature

Do not refreeze thawed milk

Gently shake thawed milk before giving it to the baby to maintain consistency throughout the feed

Discard any thawed milk not consumed by the baby at the feeding it was prepared for

In the first six months of life, how much milk do babies consume on average, per day?

2-2.5 oz of milk per pound

What may be an effective way for the amount of feeding for a formula baby?

Feeding in smaller quantities more often, rather than trying to give a whole bottle

If not using a dishwasher, how should babies bottle be cleaned?

Through sterilization - in boiling water for ten minutes

How to prepare formula?

follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to prep it, nothing should be added to thicken or sweeten it

How long can formula milk last in the fridge for?

up to 48 hours

How to heat formula up?

hold it under warm running water to bring it to a comfortable temperature - do not microwave!

General practices to follow when bottle propping / bottle feeding?

Do not leave the bottle propped in the baby’s mouth

Feeding is a social activity, interact with them

Keep baby upright to help prevent ear infections

What is your role in debriefing a birth experience?

primarily to listen - staying silent and not telling them what they should do, feel, or think

Why is the phrase “at least you have a healthy baby” not helpful?

Their emotions are just as important as their physical experience or outcome

What are some helpful debriefing tools for parents?

Writing a birth story

Journaling on an ongoing basis

Reflection by asking specific questions

Art & Creative hobbies

What are the two main philosophies of parenting?

child focused

parent focused

Summarize child-focused parenting

viewing the child as being born with unique temperaments that cannot be easily molded

parents see their own role as adapting

parents tend not to impose a schedule, rather they follow the child’s cues

the most effective way to promote health, contentment, and independence is to meet the child’s dependency needs early on

What is attachment parenting? What are its controversies?

child-focused approach that encourages bodily contact and closeness between parent and child to increase empathy, responsiveness, and connection

may set unrealistic expectations of parents, forces full-time motherhood, father takes a supporting role rather than a proactive one

What is parent-focused parenting?

View the child as more of a “blank slate” that needs external structure to provide framework for development

Parents see themselves as teachers and providers of structure

Emphasize firm routine schedules

encourages independence and self-sufficiency in the baby from the earliest ages

How to support your client’s parenting style?

Determine and communicate your boundaries

Ask the parents to define your role clearly as their parenting style will influence everyone’s interactions with the baby

Offer information and education, if they want it

Praise and reinforce

How to support partners?

Encourage them to be as hands-on as they’d like to be

Remind both parents that they will each do things differently (this is good for the baby)

Encourage the partner to find a special activity they can do with the baby

What’s important to remember when working with parents who have experienced close loss?

Be sensitive and follow the parent’s cues

What’s important to remember when supporting specific cultural practices of a client?

Show genuine interest and respect

How to support a client’s return to work?

active listening

non-judgmental support

offering info as they develop a plan for themselves and their family