You mastered your registry (at last) and somehow managed to convert that spare room/closet into a decent looking nursery but once baby arrives, no matter how prepared, it can still be an overwhelming time. Enter Womb, a new support site for pregnant mothers and new parents in the Portland area. Read on to get the scoop on how Womb can help you navigate the beautiful world of parenting a newborn.
photo: Joshua Rappeneker via flickr
What Is Womb?
Womb is a support system for late pregnancy and new motherhood. It’s designed to help with the parts that new parents often need help navigating: breastfeeding, sleep, stress management, fitness and returning to work. They provide advice via their experts and coaches, including a “Sound Mind Coach,” a newborn and infant sleep coach, breastfeeding experts, and fitness coaches, all via video chat, email and online courses. It’s not comprehensive healthcare, but instead a supplementary boost for those aspects of parenthood that seem to fall through the cracks.
For example, you can set an appointment for breastfeeding video chats to help you with latch and any questions about weight gain. Or have a video chat with a wellness expert for coaching through emotions, thoughts and concerns you may have during the postpartum phase. A return-to-work program helps parents make that difficult transition back to the workplace after maternity leave is up. The return to work program includes a 30-minute video consultation, a plan customized to your needs and a followup email.
Who Does It Help?
This service seeks to assist pregnant mothers in their third trimesters, as well as giving support right after childbirth.
Why Should You Use It?
If it’s hard for you to get out and about town, or if it’s easier for you to videochat rather than attend an in-person visit, Womb can help you transition into life with your new baby. The à la carte features of the program will appeal to busy new parents who need some instruction or direction.
photo: Pixabay
What Does It Cost?
Plans are available to employers, or purchase services yourself a la carte. An appointment for a 40-minute sound mind coaching session is $75, a 25-minute breastfeeding video chat is $50, and a return to work plan is $150. Other services, like baby sleep consultations and plans, are yet to be rolled out. Right now, Womb doesn’t participate in any insurance networks, though they’ll give you an itemized receipt you can submit for (possible) reimbursement.
How Do You Get It?
It’s available to employers to participate, and with companies starting to take a closer look at paid maternity leave and other benefits for working parents, Womb might appeal to employers looking to increase retention rates for their employees. Your employer doesn’t have to participate in order to sign up for appointments. Anyone can easily book an appointment on the website to get started.
More Information:
Several programs are still being rolled out in Portland, so be sure to let them know if there are other types of support you’re interested in or need.
Online: getwomb.com
Email: info@getwomb.com
What kind of extra support do you think new mothers need? Let us know in the comments!
—Kelley Gardiner
