As queer parents and parents-to-be, our experiences are not centered by the medical community or culture.
My partner and I are getting ready to welcome our baby, and it’s been challenging to find advice about preparing for postpartum as queer parents. So much of what I read is geared towards heterosexual parents. What can we do ahead of time to make sure we have the right support in place? What should we be ready for?
As queer parents and parents-to-be, our experiences are not centered by the medical community or culture. This means it’s important to put extra planning and intention into preparing for our postpartum and early parenthood journeys.
Research shows that LGBTQ+ birthing people are at higher risk for experiencing birth trauma as well as a greater sense of isolation than our heterosexual counterparts — partly due to the structural inequities in our healthcare system when providing care to LGBTQ+ parents and parents-to-be. This study showed that LGBTQ+ people are significantly more likely to delay primary and specialty care in the postpartum period when compared to heterosexual people. Although it was limited to a small sample size, the study points to a concerning reality that many LGBTQ+ people face increased barriers in the postpartum period because of higher rates of birth complications and an overall lack of provider training for LGBTQ+ birthing people.
