You’ve just had a baby and spent a night or maybe a few days in the hospital under the care of doctors and nurses — now it’s time to take your bundle of joy home. That first night home for many parents, both new and seasoned alike, can be a bit scary. For those parents of new little ones without close family nearby to lend a helping hand or take care of a new older brother or sister, the stress can be even greater.
Hiring a postpartum doula for those first nights, weeks or even months after baby’s arrival may just be the solution your family needs.
What is a postpartum doula?
Marcy Sauter, a DONA International certified postpartum doula for Rest Assured postpartum doula care and lactation consultant services, says that her job is to mother the mother. “We want the mother to be comfortable and taken care of so she can focus on her baby,” Sauter explains.
“The postpartum doula is someone who offers education, companionship and nonjudgmental support,” says Barbara Heid, another DONA certified postpartum doula. She explains, “By mothering the mother, [the postpartum doula] allows the mom to mother the baby, which helps the whole family make that transition to life with baby or babies.” Heid adds that postpartum doulas are “specifically trained to help care and support a family during the fourth trimester,” the period of time after the baby is born.
What does a postpartum doula do?
A postpartum doula provides physical, emotional and educational support to new parents during the postpartum period. Their important role includes:
Transitional support for parents
For many new parents, the support provided by postpartum doulas is essential in order to transition to life with a new baby at home. “We live in a society where we don’t have a lot of family support,” Heid says. “In past generations, there was more of a village where people lived close by and helped each other out, but that’s not so true in our country today.”
If you don’t have family or other support in the area or haven’t had time to build up your social community after a recent move, you might be grateful for the extra postpartum help.
Emotional support
Doulas also help parents with the emotional transition that comes with bringing a new baby home. They are there to validate the emotional challenges that may arise and allow parents to rest a little more, which can take the edge off of the emotional vulnerability.
Baby care and breastfeeding support
According to Heid, postpartum doulas can provide new parents with baby caring skills, as well as support with breastfeeding issues.
Household care and support
Sauter adds that some postpartum doulas can help families with practical household duties, such as putting in a load of laundry or taking the dog for a walk, as well as taking care of an older sibling.
All that said, it’s important to remember that doulas do not have medical degrees. Both Sauter and Heid say doulas are not able to diagnose or treat medical conditions but can advise or suggest a new parent to seek medical advice if necessary.
How to find a postpartum doula
Ready to take the plunge? First, decide how long you’d like to hire a postpartum doula for. The amount of time a doula stays with a family can vary — sometimes it can be just one visit, and other times it can span the course of a few months.
To find a postpartum doula in your area, visit Care, DONA International and DoulaMatch, all of which offer tools to search for a doula near you and peruse a variety of doula profiles, as well as find information about how long a doula has been practicing.
How much does a postpartum doula cost?
While the rate of a postpartum doula varies depending on the doula’s experience and where you live, generally speaking, it can cost anywhere from about $23 per hour on up. DoulaTraining.net recommends starting at $45 per hour but also says a salary method may work better for postpartum doulas.
Hiring a doula might be one of the best choices you make for yourself after your baby is born.