Question

Mary, G1 P1 27 year old delivered 3 weeks ago and comes to your clinic with complaints of lack of energy and desire to get up in the morning with her new baby.  She states she has been losing weight rapidly and little interest in eating and her husband is worried about her persistent sad and angry mood. What are your concerns as her nurse and what would you include in her plan of care? List at least 6 bullets of points you would want to prioritize for her care.

Answer 1

This is a condition called as postpartum fatigue,which is common among new moms, but good care and support need to be given to overcome this condition,if not which may leads to postpartum depression.

Take rest and comfort:try to rest with the baby, sleep when baby sleeps.and also try brest feeding in the feet up,side laying or laid back nursing posters.

Ask for help: do your home work with the help of a maid or you partner to avoid stressing out.

Avoid visitor:If you are too tired and fatigue avoid visitors,as talking and entertaining visitors can make you more fatigue and sick.

Balanced diet: have a healthy and balanced diet as the need for calory is more for a brest feeding mom,avoid over eating, but add veggie, fruits and grains more in diet, take vitamine suppliments if necessery.

Exercise:doing light exercise like walking can help fight fatigue and mood swings, avoid over doing, walkinng in the morning and evening sunlight is recommented as it can help synthesis of vitamin d to an extend, which is necessary in the postpartum stage.

Persisting fatigueness:If the fatiguesness persist few months consult the doctor, which can be due to some underlying health conditions like depression,anemia,hypothyroidism or may be drug indused.