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. 

A nanny is a childcare 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). A newborn care specialist is trained to focus on infant care, providing education and support for feeding, sleeping, and typical development.

Doulas are care providers for every member of the household, and primarily the parent-and-baby dyad. Depending on the doula, they may provide light household chores.

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.Tthey 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, Mary has 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 get into optimal nursing positions

• showing parents Safe Sleep guidelines in their homes

• teaching families how to bottle feed their infant or 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 are in the hospital

• helping a parent find medical resources when feeding or nursing issues are out of the doula scope

• 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.

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. 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).

Mary has worked with parents who had very present grandparents or family members and a partner with generous paid time off, parents who have had no family nearby and a partner with no family leave, parents having their first baby, their seventh baby, and everything in between.

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).

Visits in the morning, for example, usually start with a middle-of-the-night text, where you tell Mary what kind of support you need when she arrives for your scheduled visit. Sometimes this looks like Mary coming to get your baby from the room, wearing your baby in a carrier, and making breakfast. This means you can stay in bed and maybe get a couple of hours of sleep before you start your day. Mary will wear your baby in a baby carrier or put them in a safe sleeping position within reach and do quiet household chores (like dishes or a laundry load, organizing changing tables, meal prep). When your baby is hungry, Mary brings them to you to nurse or body feed (or bottle feed). Mary talks with and listens to any present family members, but mostly the birthing person. Mary provides empathetic listening, answering all newborn care and postpartum recovery questions, and offering resources and suggestions relevant to your needs. Mary holds your baby while you shower or get ready for the day. Mary can take your baby on a walk outside. Mary is trained to look for the typical signs of PMADS (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders) and will provide resources for you if she notices you are in need of support. Visits in the afternoon might be similar, focused on helping you get a nap. Families who book in the evening can expect help with the transition through dinner time and into bed time.

As a postpartum doula, Mary has 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 family works with Mary, they can text or call me at any hour of the day, and expect a response between the hours of 9am-5pm.

Everyone deserves quality perinatal care, and every day doulas, birth professionals, and advocates are fighting for expanded doula coverage. Healthcare costs are high right now, and, understandably, doula care might seem way out of your budget. But there are ways to pay for this care even when it seems you can’t afford it!

The market rate for a postpartum doula is usually $30-$75 an hour, depending on the region of the United States (or world!) you are in, as well as the doula’s education and experience. 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

• ask your employer if your health insurance covers doula support or if your employer offers additional benefits for the cost of care