Early postpartum needs
’ gums
Around the time women gave birth, and between 2–4 weeks postpartum, our Research Coordinator received many phone calls from women with questions or concerns. Though it was not part of the intervention design that our Research Coordinator or Lactation Specialist would be available outside of the scheduled visits, participants reached out by phone at critical timepoints for support. For example, one woman phoned three days before the first postpartum visit because she felt she had no milk, her baby was crying too much, and neighbors were pressuring her to give her baby cow’s milk. In this case, the Research Coordinator was able to arrange for the initial postpartum session to occur earlier than planned and the Lactation Specialist supported the participant to achieve a more effective latch and position which allowed her baby to feed more effectively and for a longer period. Another woman reached out while still in the hospital because she was advised to wait several hours before initiating breastfeeding. In this case, the Research Coordinator was able to reassure the participant that she could initiate breastfeeding immediately after giving her baby the first dose of HIV prophylaxis medication as the Lactation Specialist had instructed. A number of women called saying their babies had “plastic teeth” and asking for advice. In these situations, the Lactation Specialist requested mothers bring their babies in to see her instead of taking their baby to a traditional healer for “plastic teeth” removal. Women heeded this advice and the Lactation Specialist was then able to examine the infants’ gums and reassure women there were no “plastic teeth”. Ultimately, by the time of the final session, no women had subjected their babies to “plastic teeth” removal.