What is a postpartum doula?

A postpartum doula is someone trained to support families after the birth of their baby through evidence-based education and information, emotional support, resource referral, and practical hands-on help. This often includes:

 

• infant feeding guidance

• handling infant care so parents can rest

• light household tasks or errands

• being a companion for the mother

• preparing simple meals or snacks

• caring for older siblings

 

A postpartum doula’s role is to “mother the mother” through the fourth trimester, and to nurture the family by creating and holding space for rest, recovery, and bonding.

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What will a postpartum doula not do?

Perform medical tasks or in-depth housekeeping, care for a baby or children without the parents being present, make decisions for the parents, or project personal beliefs on the (birth and postpartum) experience of the family.

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How can overnight assistance help me if I’m planning to breastfeed and will be awake anyway? 
Any family can benefit from overnight services, not just families with multiples. For first time mothers, or experienced mothers who have other children, it can be hard to function during the day when you have a lot of broken sleep. A postpartum doula can bring the baby to you if you are exclusively breastfeeding, or assist with bottle feeding. Once the feeding is complete, your doula can handle the diaper changes and soothing your baby back to sleep.

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When should I hire a postpartum doula?

Ideally, it is best to hire a postpartum doula before your baby arrives. However, sometimes parents choose to wait until after the baby has been born and they decide they would benefit from the services of a postpartum doula. I am not currently part of an agency, and scheduling is done on a first-come basis.

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How long will you provide support as a postpartum doula?

This is based solely on the needs of the family, and support generally occurs during the fourth trimester (birth to 12 weeks).

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What areas do you serve?
Los Alamos, White Rock, Espanola, Pojoaque, Jemez Springs, Santa Fe