What is a Postpartum Doula?
The postpartum doula's role is to provide nurturing, compassionate, non-medical support and education for parents of new babies. The doula also offers companionship to the mother, assistance with newborn care, and help with household tasks. She is available to "mother the mother" so that the mom can emotionally and physically recover, get to know her newborn, and find a comfortable rhythm during the transitions of the postpartum period.
Description of Services
As your postpartum doula I will provide support for your educational, emotional, and practical needs following childbirth. Your personalized postpartum care package can include any of the following:
- "mothering the mother" during the postpartum period
- emotional support and encouragement
- breastfeeding or bottle feeding help
- newborn care
- infant soothing
- babywearing
- sibling help
- light housework
- meal and snack preparation
- grocery shopping
- errand running
- referrals to other professionals
- lending library of reading materials
- accompaniment to doctor's appointments
- time for mom to take a shower, sneak in a nap, etc.
- education, nonjudgmental support, companionship
About Me
I am currently working towards postpartum doula certification through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association) and DONA (Doulas of North America). I have two children, ages 5 and 1, and I remember all too well how overwhelmed and exhausted I felt after they were born! Following the birth of my second child, I also experienced some postpartum depression, and I feel that if I had experienced the encouragement and assistance of a postpartum doula it might have helped lift that emotional fog.
I believe that many women need some extra help after their baby is born, and I have also come to the conclusion that we weren't made to raise our children alone. In cultures where moms live around their extended family, postpartum depression rates are lower than they are here in our culture of geographically scattered families.
I feel great compassion towards the monumental task that is before women in their postpartum days, and I would love to be able to help compassionately nurture women who are feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and even depressed. I believe that what new families need most is nurturing and gentle support and that by nurturing the mother, I can help her care for her baby more effectively.
