What Exactly Does a Postpartum Doula Do?

The BIGGEST question we are asked when clients inquire about postpartum doula support is:

WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY DO?

While this question varies depending on family need and lifestyle, I will give you a glimpse into the benefits of having a postpartum doula in your home for the first few months of infancy.

SLEEP:

When your postpartum doula arrives her major role is to help your family sleep. Unfortunately, when you bring your baby home from the hospital you are no exactly well rested. The hardest part of parenthood is that we start this relationship out exhausted.

When your postpartum doula arrives on night one or two of being home her job is to let you rest. This means that you will have a baby expert taking care of your little one, ensuring that their every need is being met so that you and you partner can sleep. Such peace of mind!

HEALTHY SLEEP ROUTINES:

Another added benefit to this care is establishing a healthy sleep routine for your baby right from the start. Babies tend to be born nocturnal and so our initial support will help you reverse that cycle so that baby will sleep better.

Creating healthy sleeping habits works for the whole family. It helps you rest better so that you and your partner aren't up all night with a nocturnal baby. This means we are working on an age appropriate schedule to help your baby sleep better. Depending on how long your doula stays with your family we can also work on spacing out night feeds to create longer sleeping intervals.

While you can't sleep train a newborn, you can with our help create a healthy sleep routine from the start so that at 6 months you don't need to sleep train!!

FEEDING SUPPORT:

Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding we are here for you. Initially we will be working with you to ensure that baby is getting enough and meeting their daily input and output. Our goal is to help you establish a feeding routine that works for your family and isn't overwhelming.

If you are nursing, your doula can support you to succeed. Offering support, guidance, encouragement and feedback. If you are bottle feeding your doula will take the overwhelm out of which bottle and how to use it correctly, how to make, wash and clean. We can also take over feeds to offer you a much needed rest and break.

PARENTAL EDUCATION:

More importantly you have an infant expert at your side. Someone that can help you figure out colic, fussing, baby cues, the 5 Ss, swaddling, bathing, changing, clipping, managing, burping, dressing, and any challenges you face when entering parenthood.

She comes with professional and personal tricks to help you attune to your baby's needs as they arrive with their own personality! She will give you the education to know what is normal, what to expect, and how to understand your baby so that you can take care of them as best as possible. We help you be your best!

QUICK RECOVERY:

We have come to learn that our homes are only as healthy as the mother that resides in them. Our main focus is on the health of the family; physically and emotionally. Our support gives you space to recover quickly from birth and pregnancy. Our support offers guidance so that you know you are not alone and relief is a call away. Our care is one on one specific to your individual needs. That means that families with a postpartum doula experience less anxiety bringing a baby home, they establish healthy new norms and routines quicker, they adjust to life with a newborn smoother. All of which helps with recovery and overall health.

While our support varies depending on a families's need this is a small glimpse into what Labor of Love Postpartum Doulas can offer your home. We also specialize in twin, premie, and sibling support.

If you are unsure about what to expect postpartum here is a great blog on Postpartum Success.