"Everyone Wants to Hold the Baby, Who Will Hold the Mother?" Jabina Coleman stresses the importance of supporting new mothers

Send us Fan MailBecoming a mother is an evolutionary process. It is one of the most beautiful and rewarding experiences of womanhood. This transition also comes with the challenges of hormonal changes, figuring out how to manage your new life, accepting your new body, and learning a new human. We aren’t given an instruction manual after delivery, but we can rely on the resources that are provided to us in this day in age and ask for help when needed. Our guest mom in this episode is Jabina Coleman. She is a mother of two, a board-certified lactation consultant, and therapist. In her line of work, she provides counseling and lactation support to mothers in hopes to help ease their transition into motherhood. Jabina shares how her motherhood journey created her passion for maternal health and wellness support. She has a wealth of knowledge that ranges from psychotherapy to resources for moms who are in food deserts. In this episode, Jabina mentions Kimberly Seals Allers, a breastfeeding advocate and author of a research report on the access to breastfeeding. Jabina also shared other resources such as the Maternal Wellness Village, located in Philadelphia, PA (also offers virtual support) and The Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color, www.PMHAPOC.org. You can find a silicon breast pump online (the one mentioned in this episode is called a Haakaa) at stores like buybuy Baby, Target, or Amazon). Most importantly, if your baby blues are lasting longer than 3 weeks, reach out for help. Contact your doctor or therapist. If you do not have a therapist, call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask for a list of providers or contact Postpartum Support International at 1-800-944-4773.Jabina offers these five tips for moms:Find your local resources- WIC, support groupsCreate a village- family, partner, friendsSecure a therapistTrust yourself - you can do this!Trust the process- take it one week at a timeIn this episode you will learn:When to seek helpThe types of postpartum mental disorders  Where to find resources Jabina Coleman can be reached at the @lactationtherapist on Instagram or you can visit her website at www.thelactationtherapist.com.BONUS: Video from Standford on hand expressing milk:  https://med.stanford.edu/newborns/professional-education/breastfeeding/hand-expressing-milk.html