You probably first heard the acronym EDC in medical school, and it replaced what you had been referring to as a “due date.” Of course, you remember the “C” is the first letter of “confinement.” Or is it? You would be forgiven if you thought EDC stood for Estimated Date of Cesarean.
While the practice of keeping new mothers cooped up in their homes for month and placed on dietary, activity, and even hygienic restrictions has all but disappeared in this country, the tradition persists in China. Believing that the process of even a normal delivery renders a woman vulnerable to all sorts of maladies, for 2,000 years Chinese grandmothers have been confining their daughters at home for the first month post partum.
In a recent article in the New York Times, I learned that while confinement continues post partum in China, it has changed among some affluent families so that it is more like spending a month in a high-end spa (“A Tradition for New Mothers in China, Now $27,000 a month” By Dan Levin, Oct. 1, 2015). The new confinement includes breastfeeding instruction, and dietary and activity choices that purport to be more scientifically based than the traditional restrictions. It has become popular with women who can afford it, while in the past confinement could be a month filled with tension between grandmothers and their daughters taking care of their new babies.
I can’t see the new Chinese version of confinement catching on here in North America, but the New York Times article did get me thinking about how we could do a better job helping mothers navigate the choppy waters of those first 30 days post partum. The Chinese are correct that a delivery is an assault on the body of even a previously healthy young woman. Even as one who hasn’t had the experience, I can only imagine it is like pulling an all-nighter (or two) and then running a marathon. Oh, and along the way losing a pint or two of blood.
There are a few families in North America who can afford to hire trained personnel (doulas), but for the most part we aren’t doing a very good job of helping women transition into motherhood. Of course, universal and more liberal family leave policies could make things easier. But simply lessening some of the tension associated with the inevitable return to the workplace isn’t enough. It is unlikely that we have the political will to make the changes to see those policies enacted.
However, there are things that we as pediatricians can do to make the postpartum period safer, healthier, and more comfortable for struggling families. First, we can encourage expectant mothers to make prenatal visits in our offices. While these visits are often little more than doctor shopping, we can ask the families who have committed to our practices to make a second appointment with more educational content. Would we get paid for it? Maybe not, but these second visits could pay for themselves in fewer after-hours calls.
We should do a better job of getting to know a new mother before she goes home from the hospital. What is her discharge hemoglobin? Does she have a history of depression and/or anxiety? Anemia and psychiatric issues can dramatically increase the risk that breastfeeding won’t go well and that post partum depression is more likely to ensue.
Are our offices and lactation consultants really available 24/7? Are we all on the same page when it comes to post partum advice? Do we return calls promptly and make follow-up calls? Are our offices and schedules truly new-mother friendly? Have we made use of all the available home health services that might be required?
The first postpartum month is critical, and new mothers need to be treated as our highest priority, but not confined.
Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine, for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “Coping With a Picky Eater.” Email him at pdnews@frontlinemedcom.com.