Need to Know: One Mom's Plea For Better Postpartum Care; Sleep Debt in New Mothers and Aging; CDC Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine for Pregnant People
In Nyssa's weekly 'Need to Know' series, we recap the three most important stories related to reproductive health, sex education, and bodily autonomy.
Dear Mama, You Should Not Be an Afterthought After Giving Birth, Mother.ly
An Instagram post by Taylor Magee is getting a lot of praise for calling out the danger of a single six-week postpartum visit. Magee shares a photo of herself standing next to her newborn wearing mesh hospital underwear with a postpartum pad, a moment many mothers know well. In an article for Mother.lyJessica D'Argenio Waller, MS, CNS, LDN argues new mothers—at the minimum—should have as many well checks as their newborn children. Read the full article here.
Sleep Debt in New Mothers is Associated With Harrowing Accelerated Aging, Fast Company
Unsurprisingly, mothers who sleep less age faster, according to a new study out of UCLA. "We found that with every hour of additional sleep, the mother’s biological age was younger," co-author Judith Carroll, a psychobiologist at UCLA told Fast Company. The sample in this study was small and a larger study would be needed to confirm their conclusion (but we already know, right?) Read the full article here.
CDC Recommends Covid Vaccines During Pregnancy, New York Times
The CDC released new data showing the COVID-19 vaccine does not increase the risk of miscarriage in pregnancy. There is also no current evidence to show the vaccine causes fertility problems in men or women. The agency is strongly encouraging pregnant people to receive the vaccine because of the severe risks COVID-19 poses during pregnancy. Read the full articlehere.
Need To Know: Raising Awareness of Missed Miscarriage, “Stealthing” Becomes Sexual Battery in California; SCOTUS Hears Arguments on Kentucky Abortion Ban