For many, raising an infant is a joyful stage of life that can be immensely fulfilling. However, with this chapter comes challenges and obstacles. After pregnancy and an often-taxing birthing process, a parent’s priorities as well as their body change drastically.
During the 12-week period following birth, known as the fourth trimester, it is crucial that the birth-giving parent and their baby are supported physically and mentally. The new fourth-trimester clinic at OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital was created to assist with the complex needs associated with postpartum care.
Latching on to parenthood
A significant aspect of the clinic’s postpartum services is assisting with lactation challenges. This includes instances where the birth-giving parent is producing too much or too little breast milk or is experiencing ineffective milk transfer between parent and baby.
Lactation issues are important to address because breastfeeding, especially when there is an over-production of breast milk, can cause breast and nipple pain, inflammation and infection for the parent. It can also lead to feeding issues for a baby including trouble latching on due to lack of coordination which could affect their eating.
OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital
Aside from a general lack of coordination, some infants are born tongue-tied, a condition where the tongue is connected to the bottom of the mouth in a way that restricts movement and maneuverability. This can significantly affect the baby’s ability to latch onto the breast.
The clinic can correct tongue ties through a minimally invasive procedure making a small cut in the tissue connecting the tongue to the bottom of the mouth to allow for tongue movement.
“Lactation is so important because it is the first nutrition that a baby gets, and breast milk has everything that a baby needs to support growth and development in their immune system,” Dr. Jessica Tucker, a lactation medicine physician and a lead staff member at the clinic, says. “Breastfeeding is also important for babies’ brain development because breastfeeding is super important to bonding between parent and baby.”
Tucker knows firsthand how frustrating lactation challenges can be. While in medical school, she gave birth to her first child. While she felt well-equipped for the life change – having support, a car, health insurance and a financially stable prospective career – she wasn’t prepared to have trouble producing enough breast milk for her child.
“(Despite all) of the doctors that were involved in our care, family doctor, our pediatrician, our OB-GYN, the lactation consultants, like I really couldn’t get answers to really help me,” she says.
Her experience led her to become one of the very first board-certified lactation physicians after taking and passing the first-ever board certification test of the Dublin-based, North American Board of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine. She now dedicates her medical career to helping parents breastfeed successfully.
OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital
“I can relate a lot to these (parents), I still have a baby, my youngest is not a year old yet,” she says. “I’ve been there, I’ve walked through a lot of the things that my patients have walked through and can empathize well with what they’re going through, and also kind of think through some of the tangible things to help beyond just medication, but practical advice.”
For a parent having trouble producing breast milk or preparing for possible breastfeeding challenges, a specialist will look at a multitude of factors and decide the best plan moving forward.
“My hope is that we can reach these families before the problems arise. My hope is that patients and their families and their doctors can recognize when somebody who wants to breastfeed has a risk factor for breastfeeding difficulties,” Tucker says. “Maybe they have high blood pressure or diabetes, or obesity, or they’ve had a breast reduction surgery, or they breastfed in the past and it didn’t go very well, all of these things are risk factors.”
Mind and soul
It is no secret that pregnancy can alter hormones, moods and emotions, even after giving birth. When symptoms negatively affect the parent’s mental well-being, there are resources to help.
Aside from the other empathetic and caring healthcare workers at the clinic, there is also a resident psychiatrist present who assists with mental health conditions parents may face postpartum including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and psychosis.
Mental healthcare is equally as important and sometimes linked to physical healthcare, which is why the clinic has worked to offer both in-person and telehealth meetings with the psychiatrist.
“A lot of times, lactation problems come with anxiety and depression, so our perinatal psychiatrist, Dr. Kristen Kilbarger contributes significantly to the holistic care of families in the fourth trimester,” Tucker says.
Personalized to patient
Because no two babies are the same, each treatment plan and conversation between healthcare personnel and families is different. For example, a baby who is born prematurely or with jaundice will likely have different needs and risk factors than a baby carried full term.
OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital
In the same way, no birth-giving parent is the same, and any conditions they might have or experience should be considered during and after pregnancy. The clinic can provide a broad range of care or refer patients to outside providers for managing blood pressure, nutrition, exercise, sleep and more.
“Did they have high blood pressure? Did they have diabetes? Are they on any particular psychiatric medications?” Tucker says. “All of these things have an impact, and really having a whole picture of the (birth-giver) and the baby and not just one person, because (parent) and baby are so intertwined, you really can’t separate the two during the postpartum period.”
Confidence in care
One of, if not the, most important goal for the staff at the clinic is to gain trust with patients as a resource they know will support them without judgment and keep their best interest at heart.
Not only does trust lead to better care and outcomes, but it can also keep parents from accepting misconceptions and outside advice from unqualified sources.
“Unfortunately, social media and TikTok influence a lot of people, and it’s really important to not use those things as your healthcare but to find a provider who you know has the right training and will take the time to understand what’s going on,” Tucker says. “My hope is that providers and families realize that we’re here and are excited to get to know them and help them and give them the care that they need and deserve.”
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
