What is a Postpartum Doula?

A postpartum doula helps new parents navigate the early weeks and months of parenthood. They offer physical and emotional support, practical knowledge on newborn care, and guidance on breastfeeding, recovery, and tips on the overall adjustment to your new flow of life. Care is provided in the comfort of your own home where the doula can support you with various tasks that provide a helping hand where you need it most, so your focus is on bonding with baby and recovering.

What is a Newborn Care Specialist?

A Newborn Care Specialist is specifically educated in providing specialized hands-on care for newborns, offering guidance, education, and recognizing common newborn issues such as reflux. Care is commonly provided overnight, allowing ample sleep for parents.

Who could benefit from a Postpartum Doula?

Anyone and everyone! Doulas are here to support! From preconception, to nursery preparation, to postpartum care; whether you're looking for newborn education, experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety, you're a new or experienced parent needing a guiding hand to navigate those crucial early days, or if you have older sibling children that could benefit from a little extra love and compassion with the transition, doulas are here to listen, provide unwavering support, and prioritize your needs and goals.

Many studies show doulas can:

• Help lower the risk of postpartum mood disorders

• Increase Breast/chest feeding success

• Promote rest and the general wellbeing of the birthing parent to prioritize a successful recovery

• Create a smoother, happier overall experience for the birthing parent, partner, and baby through this new major change

• Raise parents confidence in their abilities in this new role

• Minimize sleep deprivation, making for more enjoyable sunny days!
  

What is the Postpartum timeframe?

The postpartum period, also known as the fourth trimester, is a crucial, delicate phase that occurs generally during the first 6 weeks after birth. During this time, the birthing person and baby undergo significant emotional, physical, and hormonal transitions. It's a period that demands time, patience, flexibility, and understanding from those closest to them. 

What does a Postpartum Doula usually do? 

Since the postpartum phase comes with many unpredictable moments, flexibility is crucial. Convenient, consistent support makes the day, and night, run smoothly!

 Support might include: 

• Identify safe sleep spaces

• Provide plenty of restful time for the birthing parent. This can look different for everyone!

• Wash and sterilize bottles, paci’s, and pump parts

• Baby laundry

• Waking for pumping and/or feeding times if desired

• Empower parents to maintain a consistent routine that works best for them

• Space to process the emotional and physical aspects of birth or cesarean, recovery, and postpartum

• In depth infant feeding education and assistance

• Newborn care

• Light nursery organization/tidying

• Soothing techniques

• Refresh your water, potentially prepping light snacks such as cut fruit to boost your recovery

What does a Newborn Care Specialist do?

• Recognize and optimize wake windows

• Establish age appropriate, healthy sleeping and feeding routines

• Educate regarding general newborn development, appearances, safety, and milestones

• Newborn care (most commonly overnight to optimize parental resting)

• Identify and achieve feeding goals (breast/chest feeding, bottle feeding, formula, etc)

• Determine safe sleep spaces and habits

• Enhance burping and soothing techniques

• Review any questions you may have about the “must have” products on the market

What is the difference between a Postpartum Doula, Newborn Care Specialist, and a nanny?

A nanny's primary focus is on nurturing, fostering the well-being of, and promoting the growth of each child/ren. This can include organizing scheduled activities, managing mealtimes, nannying during date nights, and other child-centered responsibilities.

On the other hand, a doula dedicates their time to the birthing person's recovery, attending to their physical and mental well-being, assisting in establishing healthy feeding routines, and providing newborn care.

A Newborn Care Specialist is trained and well versed in newborn development and safety, can identify problems such as potential reflux, aid with age appropriate sleeping and feeding routines, and provide a wide variety of evidence-based information.

While each play a vital role, they also each serve very different needs. Being both a Postpartum Doula and a Newborn Care Specialist, I provide a unique, wholesome and well-rounded experience so you can optimize bonding time with your baby. Advocating not only for your baby, but for you, your partner, and any other littles (even those sweet fur babies!) you may have. It is important to empower parents to identify the needs of their baby and family as a whole, creating an environment where everyone can thrive.