WELCOME

Parenting isn't easy. There is not a one-size-fits-all or a magic recipe. But what if there was a guide to getting the support you wish you had and desperately need? As an Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student, my goal is to provide greater support through the postpartum period for men and women.

Why I chose to focus on the postpartum period.

Hello, & welcome to Postpartum Care for Parents! I'm so glad you've found this page!

I am Angela Mikalauski, a third-year occupational therapy doctoral student (OTDS) completing my capstone project. As an auntie to 17 kiddos, I've watched my three sisters and one sister-in-law go through the journey of parenthood with their spouses. Having that lived experience created a deep passion for improving the quality of life and enhancing parents' experience. Becoming a parent presents profound challenges unique to both mothers and fathers. Unconditional love for the infant entering the world is a given, it's exciting, it's scary, and if you are reading this, then you likely understand on a personal level and don't need me to tell you that parenting is hard!

That's why I'm investing the 14 weeks and 560 hours of this capstone experience into finding the best resources I can to support and advocate for this population of parents in the postpartum period through a parenting guide. I hope to advocate for postpartum support throughout the first year of raising an infant.

Health promotion literature by Fahey & Shenassa (2013) states that the health of women can and should be optimized over the continuum of the first year while raising an infant. The health promotion approach demonstrates 4 life skills to enhance health and the parenting experience.

They are:

Realistic Expectations
Self-efficacy
Positive coping skills
The mobilization of social support

The goal of the postpartum parenting guide for parents as an occupational therapy reference and this webpage are to obtain all 4 health promotion approach objectives. As Fahey & Shenassa (2013) state, "individuals are not healthy unless they are living to their fullest potential". Between advocating for this population, providing support, and illuminating the works of those in the literature speaking revolutionary facts for maternal perinatal health we can all create change! If not governmentally or policy wide, then in the everyday lives of parents!

To receive the full benefits of this page, please continue to the Groups & Forum pages to connect with other parents, discuss concerns, daily wins, helpful tips, etc. Here is a start for community.

We're in this together!

Practitioners providing care in the the postpartum comunity

Social Workers
Psychologists/Psychiatrists
Doctors of Medicine (MD)
Nurse Practitioners (NP)/Nurses
Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN)
Pediatricians (PED)

Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)
Physical Therapists (PT)
Occupational Therapists (OT).
Lactation Consultants
Primary Care Physicians (PCP)

References

Fahey, J. O., & Shenassa, E. (November/December, 2013). Understanding and meeting the needs of women in the postpartum period: The perinatal maternal health promotion model. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 58(6), 613-621. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12139.