The first 100 days with the baby: “Everything about the postpartum period” answers questions that concern young parents after the birth

In the new edition of her successful standard work “ Everything about the postpartum period ”, the experienced midwife Viresha J. Bloemeke shows what is important for the well-being of the baby and the new family in the first phase of life.

The important weeks after birth

The weeks immediately following birth are called the "postpartum period". This is an old term that arose when women who had just given birth spent at least a week in the bed where they usually gave birth. Today there is a "postpartum ward" in hospitals, where women stay for around three days after giving birth and have the support of hospital staff around the clock. Afterwards, or in the case of an outpatient birth, freelance midwives, for example, take over care for a further six to ten weeks until the "postpartum period" and recovery are medically over.

During this phase, crucial physical and psychosocial processes take place that are crucial for the care and support of the new person, as well as the lifelong relationship and the new family situation. With over thirty years of experience, former midwife and alternative practitioner Viresha J. Bloemeke supports families so that they can fully enjoy this special phase of life.

The importance of the postpartum period

Parents are often not sufficiently prepared for this special time in their lives. These days, they rarely have the chance to experience first-hand what it means to become a parent in their own family or with friends. There are hardly any rituals or integration into a wealth of experience, e.g. through the extended family.

"Above all, my work as a home birth midwife, in which I was able to experience a large part of the process from pregnancy to birth to becoming a parent with 'my' families, confirmed to me that there are hardly any other times in life that come close to the possible happiness of having a child," says the author. But she has also learned that certain conflicts in the postpartum period are constantly repeated, so it is an urgent concern for her to prepare for them more comprehensively.

She wrote this book in the great hope that “you can benefit from the experiences of others and that the magic of the postpartum period for you and your family need not be lost in relationship problems and excessive demands!” As a tried and tested standard and practical reference work, “Everything about the postpartum period” is therefore also recommended by many midwives.

Processes and phases in the postpartum period

The following changes and new discoveries must be mastered during the postpartum period: getting to know and forming a lifelong bond with a new person, accepting their temporary, vital dependence on love, food and care around the clock, processing and integrating the birth experience, physical adjustment and healing processes, experiences with milk production and the decision to breastfeed or 'bottle-feed' as well as adapting to the new family situation.

The chapters of her book examine these six areas separately, although they are interwoven and do not necessarily follow one another separately. The duration of such an individual event, which is influenced by many factors, can only be determined approximately. According to Bloemeke, the postpartum period is divided into three developmental phases that lead to progressive mastery of the new phase of life: the first ten days, the following five to seven weeks and the subsequent weeks until about three months have passed since the birth.

“Everything about the postpartum period” addresses the typical questions of young families, answers them and provides numerous practical tips that help expectant parents to prepare well for this important time and avoid stress and overexertion right from the start.

Book tip:
Viresha J. Bloemeke: Everything about the postpartum period . Midwifery knowledge for the first 100 days after birth. The standard work in the updated new edition! Mankau Verlag, 1st edition September 2022, paperback, color, 16 x 22 cm, 221 pp., 22.00 euros (D) / 22.70 euros (A), ISBN 978-3-86374-670-4

Link recommendations:
More information about the guide “Everything about the postpartum period”
To the reading sample in PDF format
More about author Viresha J. Bloemeke
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