A Living Room Lifeline: How Guthrie Vestal Home Care Is Reimagining Postpartum Care

The first days home with a newborn can feel like equal parts joy and a whirlwind of change. Parents are recovering, learning on the fly and trying to make it to follow-up appointments on little sleep. For some, even packing a diaper bag and getting out the door on time is a heavy lift.

The Postpartum Home Care program, offered through Guthrie Vestal Home Care, steps into that gap by bringing a multidisciplinary clinical team to families where they are: at home

Launched as “Postpartum in the Home,” the program has expanded to support patients during pregnancy as well, creating a safety net from the third trimester through the first months after birth.

The clinical complement 
Community home visiting programs such as Parents and Children Together (PACT) offer education and early childhood development support. The Guthrie Vestal team adds a medical layer, addressing complex postpartum and infant needs without requiring a trip to the clinic.

“We’re kind of like their clinical complement,” said Samantha Koncak-Brown, a speech pathologist and lactation counselor with the program. “They do a great job with community outreach, we come in with clinical skills on top of that. We try not to duplicate what they already do well. We just add that extra level of medical care.”

That “extra level” includes a pediatric-specialized nurse who cares for both parent and baby. Because physical recovery and emotional well-being are closely linked, the nurse is also certified in maternal mental health to help families navigate the hormonal and emotional shifts that can follow childbirth.

The team also includes:

• Physical and occupational therapists who provide pelvic floor therapy for parents and developmental support for infants.

• Speech-language pathologists who address pediatric feeding disorders and support transitions between breast-feeding and bottle-feeding.

• Social workers who help with the “logistics of life,” connecting families to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), food assistance and transportation.

• Lactation counselors, a team of four certified multidisciplinary specialists who troubleshoot feeding challenges in the environment where they happen.

• Occupational therapist certified in infant massage

Meeting parents where they are 
The visits are designed to be practical. Physical therapists teach safe baby-wearing techniques using donated wraps and carriers, helping parents stay close to their infants while rebuilding the mobility needed for everyday tasks.

The nurse is also there for milestone moments such as baby's first bath, easing parents' fears and building their confidence with hands-on guidance.

The team also uses remote coordination to avoid unnecessary trips. If a patient shows signs of mastitis, a breast infection common during breast-feeding, the home care team can consult an OB/GYN remotely, sometimes sharing photos for assessment, to create a treatment plan without the patient leaving home.

Between office visits, the team monitors infant growth and weight, offering reassurance during the weeks when families worry most.

Community engagement and access 
Access is central to the program’s mission. Services such as lactation counseling are often difficult to reimburse on their own, but the program’s structure allows them to be billed through insurance. That model is especially important for families covered by Medicaid managed care, helping ensure that clinical support is available regardless of income.

Beyond individual home visits, the team stays active in the community, including Guthrie-sponsored educational sessions and classes at local organizations such as the Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network. The sessions give parents a chance to connect with experts and one another in a supportive setting.

For many parents, the most valuable part of a visit is the gift of time.

“We focus a lot on mental health,” Koncak-Brown said. “We come into their home; we sit on their couch and let them talk to us for as long as they need to.”

How to get started 
Families can request a referral to the Postpartum Home Care program through Guthrie Vestal Home Care from an obstetrician-gynecologist or pediatrician.

Whether the need is physical recovery, infant feeding support or simply steady guidance during a major transition, the team is ready to pull up a chair and help.

“We are a very inclusive group,” Koncak-Brown said. “We just want the baby to be fed. We don’t care how. If breastfeeding doesn’t work, then we pivot. Our goal is to represent and support every family who is part of our program.”