So what is a doula and why might I want one? A doula is a professional who helps you through the transition into parenthood. There are two different types of doulas. The first is a birth doula who helps you through your pregnancy, labor, and delivery. The second type is a postpartum doula who helps to guide and support you through your time after giving birth. Doulas are trained in all of the normal things that occur during pregnancy and postpartum and are here to provide education for you to make informed decisions.
During pregnancy, a doula can offer the emotional and physical support needed to get through birth. They offer a lot of education regarding the normal process of labor and delivery and help you to come up with a birth plan that meets your needs. They are very helpful during labor as they are trained in pain relief and comfort measures that can help ease any uncomfortable sensations.
Postpartum doulas offer full family support once baby has arrived. During the day, a postpartum doula will work with your family to educate you on things such as swaddling, feeding, baths, and general newborn care. They can help with meal preparation, folding laundry, and integrating siblings. They will help to care for the birthing parent so that they can rest and heal as well as the non-birthing parent to help them find their new roles. At night, the postpartum doula can help with feeding, burping, and swaddling baby so that parents can go back to sleep. They can also offer full newborn care at night so that parents can rest.
So why might you want a doula? It takes a village to raise a new family and a doula can help with any questions or support needs you might have. Doulas can promote an easier transition into parenthood and allow for parents to have more bonding time with their baby. Our postpartum doulas are also trained in mental health and how to recognize and help with baby blues or postpartum depression. Having a doula can provide you with valuable education on how to care for yourself and your newborn while also allowing for the rest you need to recover after childbirth. Bringing a baby into your home is one of the most challenging things you will do; a doula can help make this transition easier.
