What is a postpartum doula?

Doula

This word is taken from the Greek language and translates to “woman’s servant”. Today we have birth doulas, postpartum doulas, death doulas & grief doulas. 

Postpartum Doula

As a Postpartum Doula I am here to provide you with non-judgmental, evidence-based care to help you navigate those first few months after giving birth. I am a professionally trained advisor and helper.  I provide essential help to the mother, father, and siblings. 

Roles of a Postpartum Doula

Let’s face it….SO many changes happen to our bodies after we give birth, and we all need help in navigating what can be a scary time.  Traditionally, we would all be surrounded by large, loving families but for most of us, that just not reality in today’s world. My job is to provide you with:

• Non-judgmental support, companionship, quiet support with a focus on education.  I will guide you though the physical, emotional, hormonal adjustments that your body will experience those first few months after having a baby. 
• We will talk lots about newborn characteristics, newborn care, newborn feeding whether its by breast or bottle, newborn developmental stages, newborn sleep-wake-activity time frames, parent-infant bonding, and sibling adjustments. 
• The 2 most talked about topics for all my clients is SLEEP & FEEDING! for both the birthing parent and the baby.  I will work to make sure you are getting enough sleep & eating well so that you can help your baby sleep & eat well.  Exhaustion can snowball and make even the simplest problems seem HUGE.  I provide you with the support you need to make sure you are eating nutrient rich, well balanced diet so that you can recovery from childbirth. 
• I’m trained to teach you how to know that your baby is also getting all the nutrition they need and to work with you to encourage good sleep habits for your baby.
• As a postpartum Doula I am trained to intuitively know what needs to be done on a practical, hands-on basis.  I am ready to jump in and do light household chores, meal preparation, shopping & household organization. 
• SOOTHING TECHNIQUES- It can be so frustrating and disheartening when we can’t stop our baby’s crying. I will teach you all you need to know to effectively address the causes and techniques to handle those times. 
• I’m also pretty good at acting as a buffer for all of the unsolicited advise you will likely receive from well intending parents, friends and other family members. By providing you with the most up to date evidence based information, you can feel confident in your ability to care for your baby. 

Most importantly…..My goal is to “mother the mother” so that she can recover from pregnancy and birth and be able to focus as much energy as possible on bonding with her baby.  I will support you in whatever way is best suited to your specific needs.