16 Reasons to Hire a Postpartum Doula
16 Reasons to hire a Postpartum Doula
1- In the early days home with your new baby, you may need guidance and genuine support. Those should be provided on your own terms, and judgment free! Your Postpartum Doula provides you with the care and support you need, in the way you want. Your needs, your wishes and your choices are your Doula’s priorities, and she will provide you with tailored support without her own agenda. Your Doula is a neutral agent who can offer you with accurate and up-to-date information when you need and when you ask. She will listen to you and allow you to explore parenthood at your own pace, giving you the space and time to grow into your new role.
2- Your Postpartum Doula is your personal everything-parenting encyclopaedia! While you are focusing on nurturing and bonding with your newborn baby, she is present to inform you and provide you with the most up-to-date information on all matters related to baby care, postnatal recovery, parenting philosophies and options, and other day-to-day matters. Once you have the information, you can take your on steps and make your own informed decisions. But let's be clear here! Your Postpartum Doula does not know everything, but she is great at researching and weighing out options and will provide you with a well researched, accurate and evidence based answer!
3- You just had a baby! For 9 months (more or less), you carried a tiny human in your womb, even maybe more than one. Your pregnancy and birthing experiences may have been very positive, exactly what you wanted it to be. Or it may have been difficult, long, even traumatising. Whichever your own, personal experience has been for the past few months, you may feel the need or want to talk it through with someone who will listen intently, and not share their own experience or offer a judgment on your experience in return. With your Postpartum Doula, you can have a complete debriefing of your pregnancy and birth experience, talking through all of it, while being actively listened to.
4- A phrase that is very often used to describe a Doula’s role is: “She is Mothering the Mother”.
Indeed, she will nurture you while you are nurturing your baby, taking care of providing you with healthy snacks, home cooked meals, keeping you hydrated, and provide you with information and tips in regards your postnatal recovery, both physical and emotional. She has knowledge in nutrition and will use this and her skills in cooking to provide you with the best nourishment during those early days. Moreover, she may also do some batch cooking for your freezer. Is there anything nicer than a healthy and tasty home cooked meal that you did not have to cook yourself?
5- Postpartum Doulas are trained professionals who can recognise what normal postnatal recovery looks like, what normal baby development looks like or what normal breastfeeding looks like. They, alongside this, know the signs to watch out for when things do not run as smoothly, when mum struggles physically or emotionally, or when baby’s feeding patterns or overall development may be of concern. Your Postnatal Doula has the skills and tools to assess your needs and to refer you on to other professionals when there is a need.
6- Becoming a parent, whether it is to your first baby or your 3rd, can be unsettling, overwhelming and lead to a confidence crises. This paired with unsolicited advice from well-meaning family members or strangers can put your recovery out of balance. The Postpartum Doula you hire should be trustworthy, and you should feel confident in sharing your experiences, thoughts, feelings and concerns with her. When the dynamic is right between a Postpartum Doula and her clients, it leads to better confidence and less postnatal mental health issues in both parents.
7- Rest and relaxation are essential to support your good physical and mental health. Whilst 'Newborn Baby' does not rhyme with 'Time Off', your Postpartum Doula will allow you for some time just to yourself. What do you truly enjoy doing to fully relax? Read a book or magazine uninterrupted, go for a long gentle walk, have a long soak in a warm bath, or just sit quietly and unsolicited with a hot cup of tea? You will feel relaxed and enjoy time off while your trusty doula looks after your baby, children and house.
8- Sleep. Is there any need to say more? Your postnatal Doula’s presence will allow you to get some extra time for relaxing and sleeping. She is present to look after the day-to-day running of your household and offer you emotional support, so that you can rest, both physically and mentally. Sleep is not only nice, it is essential for your recovery postnatally.
9- Talking about the day-to-day running of your household. Laundry, housekeeping, washing the dishes… All these tasks can take quite a lot of your time in the early days home with your baby. It can get interrupted, left undone or can get frustrating and overwhelming. Your Postpartum Doula will help you organise your household, do some light housework and laundry for you. This will take off some of the pressure, but mainly allow you to have more time to get to know your new baby and bond.
10- Infant feeding support is integral part of your Doula’s role and duty. She has trained in Breastfeeding support and can guide you and encourage you when you need it most. She will help you through the challenging times and provide you with the care you need and want. She will also have knowledge of bottle feeding safe guidelines, and wash and sterilise those bottles for you too!
11- As part of the DONA International certification process, your Postpartum Doula has designed a thorough resource list of professionals and businesses you might be interested in knowing about during the postpartum period. This list will include shops, healthcare professionals and wellness professionals in your local area. She will have done the research, so you can have support at your fingertips.
12- An extra pair of eyes and ears, and an extra pair of hands, just a little extra breathing space! When you already have other children in your household, or if you are expecting multiples, you will appreciate an extra person to support you and allow you to settle and transition into your new family dynamic.
13- If you already have other children, the transition will be an experience for them as well! Your Postpartum
Doula has expertise on supporting siblings during this transition period. Whether it is playing with them and giving them special attention while parents are resting or looking after their baby sister/brother while Mum and Dad spend quality time with them, for Doula will take extra special care to make sure every member of your household have an easier and more enjoyable postpartum!
14- Every family situation is different. You may not have any relatives close by to lay a hand, your partner may not be able to take some time off to be with you in the early days, you may be having difficulties recovering from the pregnancy and birth process or you might be struggling with your mental health. So many scenarios that may cause you stress and grief when you should be able to focus on your healing and bonding with your newborn baby. Your Doula is also here for all of this, offering attuned and tailored services for your specific needs and wishes.
15- Are you anxious about some visitors and other well-meaning ‘helpers’? Sometimes you would love to only be grateful for visitors, relatives and friends who come to visit you and your newborn baby and offer you help and advice. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to put limits or set healthy boundaries for those wanted and unwanted visitors. Your Doula can support you and validate your choices, as well as helping you cope with some visitors and supporting your boundaries.
16- You are going through an adoption process and are bringing your child home. You may need some extra support and guidance on your parenting journey also. Why not get in touch and ask all the questions you may have?
