The adjustment to postpartum life can be a lot: emotional changes, physical recovery, sleeplessness, figuring out how to feed and care for your baby, learning their unique personality, reorganizing your household, etc. 

Furthermore, you may not be aware of what constitutes normal newborn growth and development, and normal postpartum recovery.

My role is to provide education, non-judgmental support and companionship; to assist with newborn care; to nurture the entire family; and to help with light household tasks. I believe you have the wisdom and decision-making abilities you need to be the perfect parent for your baby. My goal is to validate your intuition and “build your toolbox” so that at the end of our time together, you feel confident and secure. If everything goes well, I work myself out of a job.

• Debrief (“how has feeding been going?”)

• Troubleshoot (“if you want, we could explore a couple different soothing techniques”)

• Coach you through early feeding sessions, provide information about early hunger cues and normal feeding patterns, (if breastfeeding) suggest positions and techniques for optimal latch and milk transfer

• Model techniques for diaper changes, swaddling, bathing, burping, early “tummy time,” babywearing, etc.

• Organize your home for the baby (nursery; sleeping environment; stations for diapering and feeding; system for washing bottles / pump parts)

• Answer questions (e.g., about newborn appearance, development, and behavior; about postpartum recovery, including emotional changes)

• Care for the baby while you rest, shower, practice self-care, bond with older siblings 

• Assist with household maintenance (do the baby’s laundry, wash pump or bottle parts, run errands, prepare occasional meals, etc.)

• Teach older siblings about the baby’s needs, show them age-appropriate ways to be involved, help them feel secure and loved in the new family structure

• Listen actively and nonjudgmentally as you describe your postpartum experience (with an awareness of perinatal mental health disorders)

• Accompany you to a pediatrician’s appointment

• Help you recall and make sense of your birth experience

• Provide suggestions of local professionals (e.g., lactation consultant, pediatric dentist, parents’ support group)

If you’re breastfeeding or pumping, I assist by bringing the baby to you, cleaning pump and bottle parts, storing milk, and / or feeding and burping the baby. If your baby eats from a bottle, I feed the baby (or provide company and support as you do). I soothe and comfort the baby between feedings. While the baby rests, I take care of quiet household tasks (e.g., laundry, tidying up) and then rest (unless I’m providing “awake care,” in which case I remain alert the entire shift).

Our opportunities for education, to debrief and process how things are going, to discuss options, to ask and answer questions, etc. occur mainly before you go to sleep or after you wake up.

• Performing clinical or medical tasks (e.g., checking temperature, applying antibiotic ointment, giving medications) 

• Assessing or diagnosing medical conditions

• Telling you how to care for your baby

• Driving you or your baby

• Caring for your baby alone in the home 

• Heavy housework (cleaning bathrooms, washing windows, yard work)

A postpartum doula might be a good fit if you’re looking for someone

• to help you gain confidence in your parenting skills and instincts,

• to provide information and options,

• to care for you during your postpartum adjustment and recovery,

• to care for your baby and the rest of your family,

• to be a companion, and

• to ease the transition into life with your new baby.

A nanny or Newborn Care Specialist (NCS) might be a good fit if you’re looking for someone to take over complete care of your baby for long periods.

For a more thorough discussion of the differences between a postpartum doula, an NCS, and a nanny, see this essay by Kathrin Auger.