Page 21 - North State Parent April 2020

The Fourth Trimester – How a Postpartum Doula Can Help
and partners return to work within days. A postpartum doula can provide experience and valuable support that a new mother may be missing.
Rose Spagnola is a doula in Siskiyou County who agrees. “In our culture, women get this pressure that we need to be so strong and take care of everything totally by ourselves. Mothers are feeling isolat- ed and alone because we’ve lost track of the fact that this is communi- ty work.” Rose continues, “It’s so different for each person, even if you have multiple children, the entire environment changes, and there’s no balance there. Having that helping hand and extra support, both emotionally and around the house, makes it so much easier.”
In addition to support and some basic household help, postpar- tum doulas are trained to help parents with information on things like breastfeeding, emotional and physical healing, mother-baby bonding and basic newborn care.
Rose notes that while a mom is healing, especially from a difficult or surgical birth, a doula can help with many of the things the mom would normally do herself. The doula can also do this as a non-biased neutral party with services designed for each family and their unique needs.
Mothering the mother
A mom who spends hours alone with her baby can spiral into emotional and physical exhaustion, which can put her at greater risk for postpartum anxiety or depression. During this challenging transi- tion period, a postpartum doula provides calm reassurance and sup- port to a new mother and her family.
“When moms feel supported at home, and they are getting what they need, the rates of postpartum depression are reduced,” says Kate Kripke, LCSW, an expert in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. “There is a lot to be said about the role the postpartum doula plays in simply mothering the mother after she gives birth that can be incredi- bly preventative for lots of women.”
Kate continues, “When doulas are educated in what to look for, they’re one of the first people to pick up on and identify when some- thing is going on with the mom.”.
To help women and their families recognize the signs of postpar- tum depression and anxiety, the Mothers Strong collaborative in Butte County offers online and in-person connections to support and educa- tion. This collaborative of new mothers, families and agencies works together to support mothers, help them identify when they need help and guide them to critical resources. That includes support groups and therapists with specialized training for working effectively with women and families experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety. Mothers Strong also offers women an online gathering place with the Mothers Strong Café on Facebook, a group created as a safe place to interact and share mom-to-mom peer support. The general Mothers Strong Facebook page focuses on motherhood wellness, sharing infor- mation about local support events, resources and articles.
Anna Bauer is the Director of First 5 Butte County, a dedicated Mothers Strong partner. In the Mothers Strong Building Strong Fami- lies video Anna says, “While its wonderful that many mothers do not experience perinatal mood and anxiety, its critical that we understand that 15-20% of new mothers do experience it and they do need help and there is help available for them.”
What is postpartum depression?
According to Postpartum Support International, postpartum de- pression is the most common complication of childbirth, and one in eight women will suffer from it. Symptoms include insomnia, severe mood swings, a lack of joy, loss of appetite, overwhelming fatigue, 22
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{ UNIQUELY US {
REFLECTIONS OF A SPECIAL NEEDS PARENT BY JENNIFER ARNOLD
Autism Awareness Month:
Spotlight on Autism Lifespan
April is Autism Awareness Month, and there are many organizations in the North State that provide valuable services to families of children on the spec- trum. One such organization is Autism Lifespan (littleredhen.org/pages/au-
tism-lifespan) in Chico, CA.
Little Red Hen, a non-profit corporation based in Chico which serves children and
adults with developmental disabilities, created Autism Services & Lifespan. Funded by Far Northern Regional Center (farnorthernrc.org), Autism Lifespan provides resources, connection and support to families in Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siski- you, Tehama and Trinity counties.
Brooke Burrows, the supervisor of children’s programs at the Autism Lifespan Center, explains that they are often the first point of contact for families after receiving a diagnosis of autism for their child. The Lifespan Center’s resource office provides information that people need to find services. They also offer a lending library of books, CDs, and DVDs relat- ing to all aspects of autism spectrum disorder, along with a variety of literature consisting of pamphlets, brochures and fliers for local services and events.
There is also a small store located in the resource office which sells items for develop- ing play skills, social and language skills, and sensory and fine motor skills, along with au- tism awareness merchandise. Brooke explains, “Many of the sensory items available such as chewies, fidget spinners and cubes are toys that have worked for us in our programs.”
Along with being an important resource for information and services, the Autism Lifespan Center hosts several children’s programs. Lil’ Sprouts, ages 4 through 8, and Bud- din’ Sprouts, for ages 8 to 13, are year-round programs that provide one-on-one support to help develop socialization, behavioral and communication skills. These programs, Brooke says, have two primary goals of play therapy and socialization. She adds, “those will look very different between kids as each child on the spectrum is unique in their own way.”
The Growing Together Teens, ages 13 through 17, is a socialization program for teens with autism and other developmental disabilities. It is a place where teens “can just come and be themselves,” says Brooke. The consistency the year-round programs provide allows the children to form relationships and bonds with their peers.
The Lifespan Center also offers two summer programs: Feeling Like One Common Kid (FLOCK) and the Not Your Garden Variety Theater. FLOCK is a two-week summer social- ization therapy program for children ages 6 to 15 and is held at the California State Univer- sity, Chico. The program consists of supported community outings and uses what Brooke describes as a friendship curriculum, a tool to learn how to handle emotions, addressing topics such as bullying and how to handle certain social situations.
For more information about the Lifespan Center, please call (530) 897-0300. Ó Uniquely Us is a unique opportunity to address special needs issues and concerns and to celebrate life. If you have something
in particular you would like to read about, please write to pn@northstateparent.com (please include UU in the subject line).
Shasta County author Jennifer Arnold is the mom of four, two of whom have been diagnosed with multiple special needs. She hopes to raise awareness of many issues that parents of special needs children face on a regular basis.
www.northstateparent.com • April2020 21