Family-centered care is at the heart of St. Bernards Birthcare Center. When your new addition is born, our birth teams encourage families to participate in newborn care. Typically after delivery, mother and newborn are moved to the postpartum care unit located on the fourth floor for recovery. We transition our newborns and families to the fourth floor because it is a quieter environment allowing families to bond with their infant and mothers to recover comfortably. In cases where infants must remain in the NICU, these extended recovery rooms enable mothers to stay closer to their babies.
Caring for mothers and babies postpartum is a pillar of service for St. Bernards. Our skilled professionals are prepared to provide support ranging from advice and counseling for breastfeeding to dealing with postpartum depression.
Baby Blues
Having a baby can be an exciting and emotional time. At times it can also feel very overwhelming. After birth, many have experiences of feeling weepy, moody, exhausted, unable to sleep, anxious, and nervous. The changes happening in your body make all of these feelings normal.
Some find it surprising, but about 80 percent of new moms have baby blues. It is caused by rapidly changing hormones and physical changes such as milk coming in. The great news is these symptoms will go away on their own, and it's not an illness.
To combat the transformation within, you ask for help from others when you need it and get as much rest as possible. Even little "cat naps" can help. If the symptoms persist more than 2–3 weeks after the birth of your baby, call your doctor and seek help.
Post-Partum Depression
One in every 8 to 10 women experience postpartum depression. It affects 20 percent of women within the first year of childbirth, after a miscarriage, or stillbirth. Postpartum depression (PPD) is not a character flaw or sign of personal weakness. It is not an indication that there is anything wrong with your ability to be a mother. PPD is treatable, but many do not understand the facts, wait too long to get help, or never seek treatment.
The symptoms of PPD can range from mild blues to severe depression. The sign of depression can look different for different people; some may experience mild, moderate, or severe cases of depression. However, there is no need for you or your loved one to struggle alone. It is common for new and experienced mothers to feel out of control, but with help, they get back on track and feel good again.
If you think you or a loved one might have postpartum depression, please reach out to your OB-GYN, primary care provider, or licensed counselor.
Hotline Numbers
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800.273.TALK
- National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Hotline: 800.662.HELP
- National Child Abuse Hotline: 800.4.A.CHILD
Safe Sleep Practices for your newborn:
- Place infants on their backs for sleep in their own sleep space with no other people.
- Use a crib, bassinet, or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet. Avoid sleep on a couch or armchair or in a seating device.
- Keep loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers, and other soft items out of the sleep space. Bare is best.
- Breastfeed if possible, and avoid smoking.
The ABCs of Safe Sleep:
A: Baby should sleep alone.
B: Baby should sleep on their back. If your baby sleeps on their tummy, they can suffocate. This could happen if the mattress, blankets, pillows or stuffed animals covers their mouth and nose or if they spit up.
C: Baby should sleep in their crib or pack-in-play.
