what is a postpartum doula?
A postpartum (period following childbirth) doula (companion to the birthing person) is a support person that meets families on the other side of their birth outcome.
A postpartum doula offers physical and emotional support, evidence-based information, and in-home assistance to families as they experience the early stages of this profound life change. Parents may have received lots of education, resources, and support through pregnancy, but have none of that infrastructure when they are at home with a newborn in your arms.
Historically, postpartum support was provided by other family members, but any postpartum support has become an exception in the United States.
A postpartum doula fills in that gap of care as a professional, non-medical care provider.
what are the researched benefits of a doula?
greater self confidence
less postpartum depression
greater breastfeeding success
lower incidence of abuse
DONA International, the world’s first and largest doula certifying organization, has researched the benefits of a birthing person having doula support. when it comes to postpartum doula support, their research and position paper concludes: “Research by experts tells us what many have long suspected-that those new parents who have support and feel secure and cared for during this time are more successful in adapting than those who don't. Studies have shown that cultures in which women are cared for by others for a defined period of days or weeks and are expected only to nurture themselves and their babies during that time have superior outcomes in postpartum adjustment.” You can read more in their position paper, here.
how do i know if i need a postpartum doula?
Every birthing person needs support. Birth is a major medical event (and about 30% of the time, a major surgery) and lifestyle transition, and you need physical and emotional support to recover. You also have a completely dependent baby to take care of, which is difficult to do when your body is sore and you are sleep deprived. Most partners cannot support the parent-and-baby dyad without getting support themselves. The majority of people becoming parents today are millennials - a generation with significant less childcare experience before they actually become parents. There is very little knowledge about the fourth trimester recovery or infant care for new parents.
Depending on your life circumstances (like your income and proximity to helpful family members and friends), you need varying levels of help. Because postpartum doulas are typically not covered by health insurance, paying for one may seem like an expense or luxury you can’t afford. (See “how can i pay for doula support?” below on suggestions on how to pay for one).
I have had clients who had very present grandparents or family members and a partner with generous paid time off, clients who have had no family nearby and a partner with no family leave, clients having their first baby and clients having their seventh baby, and everything in between.
As a postpartum doula myself, I have hired a postpartum doula for support when I had my second child.
what does an actual support session look like?
A typical support session varies depending on the client and the doula. It also depends on what stage of the fourth trimester the family is at (newborn development changes the family’s needs from day to day).
I usually support families in the early morning, to help them stay in bed and maybe get a couple of hours of sleep before they start their day. I wear the baby in a baby carrier, or put them in a safe sleeping position close to me and out of the parents’ room. I do quiet household chores (like dishes or a laundry load, organizing changing tables, meal prep). When baby is hungry, I bring the baby to the parent to nurse or body feed (or bottle feed). I spend at least half of the session sitting and talking with any present family members, but mostly the birthing person. I practice empathetic listening, answer all newborn care and postpartum recovery questions, and offer resources and suggestions. I hold baby while parents shower or get ready for the day. Sometimes I take baby on a walk outside. I am trained to look for the typical signs of PMADS (perinatal mood and anxiety disorders).
As a postpartum doula, I have supported clients by:
showing them how to wear their baby
coming to medical appointments with them
showing them soothing techniques (swaddling, bouncing, rocking)
answering their questions about which newborn behaviors are normal
meal prepping family meals for the week
helping parents give their baby a bath
taking a fussy baby on a walk to give parents a break
organizing baby supplies and clothes
When a client works with me, they can text or call me at any hour of the day, and expect a response between the hours of 9am-5pm.
what’s the difference between a postpartum doula and a nanny? night nurse?
A nanny is a care provider who is responsible for the child/ren. a night nurse is a care provider who is responsible for the child for the night (they feed and soothe baby throughout the night).
Doulas are care providers for every member of the household, and primarily the parent-and-baby dyad.
what is a lactation educator?
There are many types of lactation specialists. There are IBCLC’s (international board certified lactation consultant), who are medical providers that might visit you in the hospital and you can usually bill your health insurance for. They can create feeding plans based on your infant’s needs. they can write referrals for medical issues.
Certified lactation educators (CLE’s) or CLC’s (certified lactation counselors) are educators, peer counselors, and care providers with 45+ hours of lactation intensive training. A CLE is not a clinician, but can work in medical settings.
Lactation educators provide evidence-based information and education about normal infant feeding behaviors and issues. CLE’s support families from the beginning of their feeding journey, and support them in meeting their nursing or feeding goals.
As a lactation educator, I have supported families by:
teaching classes to new parents about normal infant feeding
showing parents, hands on, how to get their baby to latch
physically helping parents optimal nursing positions
showing parents Safe Sleep guidelines in their homes
taught families how to bottle feed their infant, how to burp their baby
helping parents use their pump for the first time
answering questions about normal milk production issues and physical changes for nursing parent
walking them through the first hours of how to nurse their baby over the phone while they were in the hospital
how can i pay for doula support?
Like anything in life, expense is relative. If you value your lifelong health, there are many ways to afford a postpartum doula.
The market rate for a postpartum doula is usually $30-$50 an hour, depending on the region of the United States (or world!) you are in. Most doulas see a client for a minimum of 3-4 hours per session, with at least one session a week. (Night doulas or night nurses typically have a higher rate, and longer sessions). When you sign a contract with a doula, you typically set up a schedule and agree to a set number of total hours of support.
you can budget for postpartum doula care while pregnant, and decide on the total number of hours/weeks that you want support ahead of time
you can crowd source the funds, and ask for your family and friends to contribute money to a doula fund instead of gifts for your baby shower
you can ask grandparents or other family members who can’t physically be present to pay for doula support instead
you can ask your doula if they offer payment plans
you can seek out doulas who offer sliding scale pricing, or have room in the practice for discounted rates