You've built a strong support team for your birth. Wonderful! But what happens when you return home with a brand new baby?
New families often need support in the days and weeks after they return home more than ever. Whether this is the first or the fifth baby, parents can often benefit from an extra set of hands. Did you know that there are doulas that specialize in postpartum care? Postpartum doulas are specifically trained to provide education as well as direct support through the postpartum period.
Why not just have family come help? They don't charge!
It's wonderful if you have family close by that can come visit. In many cases, family and friends can be very helpful! But sometimes, new babies can be very distracting for visitors. Who wants to chip in washing dishes when there's an adorable baby to snuggle?
Families often don't live as close to one another as they used to; for many people, having family come by isn't even an option.
Hiring a trained and certified postpartum doula ensures that you have a capable, professional support person available to help, whether that means running an errand, caring for baby so you can get a nap, or prepping dinners for the next week. Your doula doesn't come over to see baby; we come to help meet your needs for the day. You focus on bonding with your baby; we'll handle the rest!
Another benefit of having this professional support is that these doulas are trained to recognize the signs of postpartum depression. Doulas are not medical providers, but we can start that discussion and provide resources when needed. The postpartum time can be a hormonally-charged period of emotions; postpartum doulas are trained to help notice when things are no longer quite normal and can point out these changes so that additional help can be sought.
While many families feel the greatest need for support during those first few weeks, there is no time limit for finding a postpartum doula. Need a couple nights of sleep while your child hits a sleep regression? There's a doula for that! Need help prepping meals and setting a pump routine for when you return to work? There's a doula for that! Our doulas tailor their assistance to whatever you need; there is not just one plan to fit everyone.
So what all does a postpartum doula do?
Postpartum doulas can fill in many different capacities depending on what is needed. The support they provide can include:
Running errands
Meal planning and preparation
Teaching and demonstrating infant care tasks
Basic infant care
Basic housework tasks
Educational support
Caring for baby so parents can nap or shower
Overnight care
There is a postpartum doula for every situation. Whether you are a first time parent who just needs a confidence boost or you've adopted a toddler and need help adjusting, we can support you through your parenting journey.
The Little Orchids Difference
There are many postpartum doulas, so how do you choose? When you hire the doulas of Little Orchids, you have the benefit of working with the only local group of doulas. What if your regular doula gets sick? We can send a backup so that your schedule is uninterrupted. What if you need an emergency last-minute shift worked in? Between all of us, we can usually accommodate late scheduling. What if you feel you would better connect with a different doula? That's fine! We can change assignments until you find someone you are most comfortable with.
Interested in our postpartum doula services? Check out our website or contact us to schedule a consultation.