New program in Wichita helping parents with postpartum challenges

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - For mothers having issue with not getting enough sleep, postpartum depression or challenges taking care of newborns, a new program in Wichita is available to help.

“Let Mommy Sleep of Wichita” is providing families with overnight help from a “night nanny” and providing newborn care to give families peace of mind. 12 News visited two nurses who started the program to see how beneficial it is for parents of newborns.

A 2022 study by Mental Health America shows Kansas ranked near the bottom when it comes to mental health care. To help with a part of the problem, a mother-daughter duo decided to fight the statistics and start a local business, helping newborns and their parents with prenatal care and issues coming up after babies are born, including postpartum depression in mothers.

“When you’re having mental health problems in a family, it’s really hard to deal with, so wee want to try to help,” said Let Mommy Sleep of Wichita Agency Director Sandy Schremmer.

With 30-plus years combined nursing experience, Schremmer and her daughter, Rachael Eaves, have a passion for what they do and they want to bring that care into the community.

“You go into nursing to help people . That’s really where your mission is, knowing how much need there is out there and how much moms and families need that support just during those few months. It really tugs at my heart,” Schremmer said.

A night nanny is there to take care of all of a baby’s needs so that parents can sleep through the night.

Eaves, also an agency director for Let Mommy Sleep, said nurses can be there to help mothers with helping newborns get to sleep and with feeding, whether that be guiding them through breastfeeding or feeding newborns with formula or from a bottle.

This kind of professional assistance has helped mothers across the U.S., leaving them with better ways to take care of themselves and their babies.

“We got nights of rest where we can sleep and eat,” Wichita mother Erin Thomas Walker said. “I was experiencing some high blood pressure systems and things like that as a mom. We just had to go ahead and do what (was) needed to be done and it worked out well.”

If you’re looking for newborn care providers or would like to help a family as a night nanny, you can learn more about the “Let Mommy Sleep” program on its website.

“It’s a hard time, it’s a beautiful time, it’s an exciting time. But if things aren’t going well, you need that person to help you,” Schremmer said.

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