The 4th Trimester - The Weeks Following Baby's Birth
Postpartum Service & Packages
What Does a Postpartum Doula Do?
Doulas Support The Family In Transition
When I speak with people about what I do for a living, at some point they all say, “I wish I had that when my kids were born. The first few weeks at home, I felt so …” Most of the time the rest of the sentence ends with a combination of the following adjectives: tired, lonely, anxious, happy, blessed, and relieved. When women feel safe to share their postpartum story, most felt all of that and more.
Some people also say they had “postpartum.” I know this is a common mis-use of the word because postpartum mood disorders and anxiety happen to some people DURING the postpartum period. Anyone who has given birth enters into that period of recovery, known as the postpartum period, experiencing a range of emotions, healing, and adjustment. Postpartum doulas are trained to offer care to the families as part of that recovery, and transition to parenthood of the new family size.
As doulas, we come into the home with your family to make an easier adjustment for everyone, not just mother and baby. Bonding with baby is easier when you have had a nap, a meal, a shower, and some company. Breastfeeding can be easier if someone else is reading or playing with a toddler sibling. Older children are adjusting, too, and the special attention from a loving doula is wonderful! The impact of this support is feeling less isolated, and better rested, both which decrease the likelihood you will experience postpartum mood disorders, and depression.
The care I provide is available at sunrise (6am-10am), day hours (8am-4pm), overnight (8pm-6am), which gives flexibility to each new family to bring in help at the times that are most helpful to them. Doulas handle domestic tasks that include meal prep, kitchen tidying, and baby’s laundry in addition to their primary task of caring for mother and baby. Care like this means there is time for a nap, or an extra errand runner, and a non-judgmental shoulder to lean on.
Postpartum Mood Disorders
Symptoms Are Temporary and Treatable - Ask for Help
PPMD is the umbrella for the health conditions that can affect new mothers, during pregnancy or in the postpartum period. Take the time now to learn what the symptoms can be, and share them with your partner or family members, so they know how to best protect your wellness. An excellent source of information and resources is Postpartum Support International.
Some families who experience PPMD’s reach out for doula support on short notice, which is a helpful bridge between birth, therapy and diagnosis. Sleep deprivation during the first few weeks can definitely make it difficult to adjust to life with a baby. A doula will understand what you are experiencing, reinforce the idea that you will not lose your baby because you ask for help.
The Baby Blues do not hang around for long, and they are not as upsetting if you understand how much change your hormones are doing in the first two weeks. Knowledge about what will happen IN your body is as important as the physical changes in your appearance, because being prepared reduces anxiety.
Postpartum Doula vs Night Nurse
Totally Different Roles for Similar Clients
This is an important topic for new parents to learn. Doulas are trained, certified and insured (most of the time) to understand and recognize typical postpartum recovery, as well as newborn behavior. This is the reason a doula will enter your home with the goal of sharing newborn care & comfort, breastfeeding practices, preparation of formula & bottles, meal prep and tidying of the common areas. Night nurses are not usually with you for any task other than caring for the baby.
Night nurses are usually not nurses, and some have deep knowledge while others do not. The doula will provide resources for other specialities, and offer insight when recovery is normal and also when it needs more specific intervention. Depending on your budget, benefits, and lifestyle, make the choice after you have vetted the person who will be handling your baby once you get home.
Fertility Benefits Cover Postpartum Doulas
You Have 6 Weeks Worth of Doula Time, Thank your employer
This topic cannot be covered enough, in my opinion. So many of my clients have no idea that they have fertility benefits at all, never mind the details of the coverage. During a handful of introductions, clients have told me that they did not know they could get a doula with their first baby until a co-worker told them. Others mention where they work, and I tell them I have or have had a client with benefits working for the same company.
This coverage is usually worth from $12,000 to $60,000 lifetime benefit. There are restrictions on how long the coverage remains in place, what type of certifications are required for reimbursement, and the appropriate ways to use them. Every new family deserves postpartum support, and you will be grateful if that help can come without a hit to your bottom line.