By the Welcome Baby Care Doulas

Postpartum doulas LOVE trying the natural approach FIRST.

One of our favorite gifts of mother nature?  Sunshine!

For Jaundice:  Direct sunlight naturally lowers bilirubin levels in babies with jaundice.  Born in winter?  Sit with baby near that window in the house that lets in the most light, OR bundle up and let the winter sun hit baby’s face.  Any little bit helps.

For Diaper Rash:  Warm sunshine and fresh air helps dry out those dark, damp places where—well—the son don’t USUALLY shine.  Let it shine.

Vitamin D levels:  Parents are often confused about whether or not to give their newborn vitamin D drops.  Recent CDC recommendations have included vitamin D supplementation for breastfed babies.  Vitamin D deficiency is usually not a factor for newborns unless their mother is deficient, they have dark skin and thus require more D, or they live in an area with little sunlight (due to Northern latitude or tall buildings).  The truth is, most of us could use more D and 15 minutes in the sun per day could give us the right fix.  This is sunscreen free moderate exposure.

Mood:  Light therapy helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder and of course natural light helps with all forms of depression, including postpartum.  Lift the baby blues by lifting the blinds and opening the windows or by taking a walk in the park.  For severe cases of depression, the sun won’t be a cure, but it will be a start.