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Postpartum support group: ‘You’re not alone in this’
Even though she was an experienced mom, Deidre Phillips and her new baby Sophia had a rough start when her daughter had to be readmitted to the hospital hours after coming home from Sentara Obici Hospital.
Doctors wanted to look further into a potential heart condition after bloodwork came back questionable, so Deidre and her husband, Justin, drove immediately to Children’s Hospital of the King's Daughters from their home in Suffolk for follow-up care. She also needed light therapy for jaundice.
“I was trying to nurse her while she was in the hospital, but she had to be under the lights for the majority of the day, so I also pumped so she could get more if she needed it,” says Deidre, who also has an 18-month-old daughter, Lily. “She was discharged when she was four days old, and we were so grateful to all be home together.”
“At the time, I didn’t know what I know about breastfeeding what I know now, and the situation started to take a mental toll on me,” Deidre recalls. “My daughter began losing more weight than the pediatrician was comfortable with, so I decided it was time to stop.”
So, when Deidre found out about the Postpartum Support Group and Breastfeeding Support Group at Sentara Obici Hospital, she was eager to participate. She read about them in her discharge paperwork after delivering her daughter. She also received a letter at home about the postpartum group.
In the past, maternity health focused on postpartum depression, but that term has expanded to be called perinatal or postpartum mood and anxiety disorder, encompassing emotions before and after delivery.
In addition, the condition recognizes that some moms aren’t necessarily sad. However, they are anxious about caring for their babies and how to care for other siblings, household chores and responsibilities outside the home, among other concerns.
“We want to get the word out to new moms that we have extra support like these groups,” Lisa says. “It used to be a closet thing, and moms wouldn’t admit if they felt anxious or depressed. Now we want to be sure to treat it and not hide it.”
The hospital also offers a Breastfeeding Support Group, started by Stephanie Clement, RN and lactation consultant. The group meets noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday in Suite 304, the community room on the third floor of the hospital. The postpartum group meets from 1 to 2 p.m. in the same room every fourth Wednesday of the month. Another Postpartum Support Group is offered every second Monday of the month from 7 to 8 p.m. at Sentara BelleHarbour.
During the breastfeeding support group, moms are encouraged to weigh their babies when they get there, nurse and then weigh the baby again so they can gauge how much they are eating. In the lactation and new mom support groups, Lisa, Tandy and other experts are on hand to answer questions about various topics.
“I wanted to have some reassurance,” says Deidre, who works part-time as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in the short-stay unit at Sentara Obici Hospital. “Even though my daughter was latching on and she was gaining weight like her pediatrician wanted her to, I still was happy to talk to other moms and nurses.”
Deidre encourages other new moms to come to the groups. Even though getting out of the house with a newborn can be challenging, Deidre says it’s worth the effort.
“You will find out you’re not alone in this,” she explains. “What we are going through as new moms is normal. It’s nice to hear it from other moms who also have those rough hours where nothing makes the baby happy no matter what you do. It’s been very reassuring to me.”
For more information about the breastfeeding and postpartum support groups, email Lisa Milburn, maternity nurse navigator, at lcmilbur@sentara.com, or call 757-934-4059.
Doctors wanted to look further into a potential heart condition after bloodwork came back questionable, so Deidre and her husband, Justin, drove immediately to Children’s Hospital of the King's Daughters from their home in Suffolk for follow-up care. She also needed light therapy for jaundice.
“I was trying to nurse her while she was in the hospital, but she had to be under the lights for the majority of the day, so I also pumped so she could get more if she needed it,” says Deidre, who also has an 18-month-old daughter, Lily. “She was discharged when she was four days old, and we were so grateful to all be home together.”
Tapping into helpful resources at Sentara
Deidre and her first baby, Lily, struggled initially with breastfeeding, and Deidre was also pumping. That way, Lily could take a bottle, and Deidre could measure how many ounces Lily was getting.“At the time, I didn’t know what I know about breastfeeding what I know now, and the situation started to take a mental toll on me,” Deidre recalls. “My daughter began losing more weight than the pediatrician was comfortable with, so I decided it was time to stop.”
So, when Deidre found out about the Postpartum Support Group and Breastfeeding Support Group at Sentara Obici Hospital, she was eager to participate. She read about them in her discharge paperwork after delivering her daughter. She also received a letter at home about the postpartum group.
Providing extra support
Tandy Coyle and Lisa Milburn, both maternity nurse navigators at Sentara Obici Hospital, proposed establishing the postpartum group. They wanted another way to reach moms who may be feeling anxious or needing extra support.In the past, maternity health focused on postpartum depression, but that term has expanded to be called perinatal or postpartum mood and anxiety disorder, encompassing emotions before and after delivery.
In addition, the condition recognizes that some moms aren’t necessarily sad. However, they are anxious about caring for their babies and how to care for other siblings, household chores and responsibilities outside the home, among other concerns.
“We want to get the word out to new moms that we have extra support like these groups,” Lisa says. “It used to be a closet thing, and moms wouldn’t admit if they felt anxious or depressed. Now we want to be sure to treat it and not hide it.”
The hospital also offers a Breastfeeding Support Group, started by Stephanie Clement, RN and lactation consultant. The group meets noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday in Suite 304, the community room on the third floor of the hospital. The postpartum group meets from 1 to 2 p.m. in the same room every fourth Wednesday of the month. Another Postpartum Support Group is offered every second Monday of the month from 7 to 8 p.m. at Sentara BelleHarbour.
During the breastfeeding support group, moms are encouraged to weigh their babies when they get there, nurse and then weigh the baby again so they can gauge how much they are eating. In the lactation and new mom support groups, Lisa, Tandy and other experts are on hand to answer questions about various topics.
Grateful for reassurance, camaraderie
Since she had her first child during the COVID pandemic, Deidre found that resources like these groups weren’t available.“I wanted to have some reassurance,” says Deidre, who works part-time as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in the short-stay unit at Sentara Obici Hospital. “Even though my daughter was latching on and she was gaining weight like her pediatrician wanted her to, I still was happy to talk to other moms and nurses.”
Deidre encourages other new moms to come to the groups. Even though getting out of the house with a newborn can be challenging, Deidre says it’s worth the effort.
“You will find out you’re not alone in this,” she explains. “What we are going through as new moms is normal. It’s nice to hear it from other moms who also have those rough hours where nothing makes the baby happy no matter what you do. It’s been very reassuring to me.”
For more information about the breastfeeding and postpartum support groups, email Lisa Milburn, maternity nurse navigator, at lcmilbur@sentara.com, or call 757-934-4059.
By: Lisa Marinelli Smith