Postpartum Doula FAQs
A Postpartum Doula’s role is to support the family during a time of adjustment and help introduce practices that will lead to healthy habits. A Postpartum Doula’s role is not to be the primary caregiver for the newborn, but rather to assist you and your partner in your new roles as parents so you more easily bond with, and take care of your baby. The first weeks home with a newborn are very exciting times as you learn more about yourselves and your baby. These may also be challenging times. In the past, families had extensive support systems of women who helped to care for the new mother and her baby. Today, this is not always the case, so a Postpartum Doula steps in to nurture the mother, father, and baby.
Every family deserves a Postpartum Doula because having one leads to a smoother transition. You and every woman who has just given birth deserve to be cared for. You deserve time to spend exclusively with your new child and time to rest and recuperate without household chores on your mind. A sympathetic ear from a caring professional is also helpful. First-Time Parents benefit from having an experienced, knowledgeable person to support and guide them. Growing families find that balancing their attention between the new baby and other children is also easier with extra help. People having twins or multiple births definitely need additional help and not everyone has family close by that they can lean on.
A nanny normally cares for babies and children exclusively. A baby nurse has medical training, also caring exclusively for the baby. A Postpartum Doula is a non-medical profession who specializes in the care of the mother, the household, and siblings while offering help with the baby when needed.
Siblings need extra attention while you get to know your new child. Your Doula can devise simple meals and perform light chores. She can also help you sort out the challenges a new family member can bring, and take time with your older child so that you have some quality time to bond with your new one without interruptions.
The ideal time to interview with your prospective Doula is between the fourth and sixth month. This allows you to focus on your birth, feeling secure in knowing you have help in place for the first few weeks after your baby is born. Any time leading up to your ninth month is a fine time to call, but please remember a Postpartum Doulas' schedule can fill up months in advance.
It is never too late to call. We will do our best to provide you with Postpartum Care when you need it. We can look at what your challenges are and work to make things easier for you. We often get calls from new mothers and fathers once the baby is home. It is hard to predict if you need help until your baby arrives.
Current prices are from $23-$30 an hour depending on what time of day you hire her for, and for what length of time. We charge $23/hr minimum for a four hour shift for a minimum of two days a week for two weeks. This allows us to trouble-shoot if needed and teach you some of the tricks of the trade. Your Doula is always available for more time and it is recommended that if your partner is going back to work right away you get a postpartum Doula for at least one month.
Occasionally. You will have to check with your provider.
We understand this can be a private time for you and your family. Interview the Doulas you are interested in, then call their past clients for references. Your Postpartum Doula works in many different homes in the course of a year. It becomes second nature to 'fit in' with many different styles of families.
Experts have found that sleep deprivation and feelings of isolation often accompany postpartum mood disorders. Having a Doula in your home can lessen the cause of these symptoms, offering more opportunity to rest as well as someone to talk to. An experienced Postpartum Doula can recognize the possible need for outside help, and offer referrals accordingly. Although, Postpartum Doulas cannot make the scientific claim to prevent postpartum depression their work is known to reduce the risks that lead to it.
All new families can benefit from using overnight services. Overnight services are used especially in the case of preemies, twins, triplets, and babies who have difficulties sleeping but a lot of mothers with singletons would just like to get those few extra hours of sleep. In some cases, if the father needs to be away from the home overnight, the presence of a Postpartum Doula provides this additional support to the mother during this transition period. Even for experienced mothers who already have other children it is very hard to function with your other children when you haven't received a good night's sleep. Almost all parents, even those who have family help, could use some type of overnight assistance from outside sources.
