What is a Postpartum Doula?

A Postpartum Doula is a woman who comes into the home and helps take care of new moms as they recover from childbirth and/or learn to adjust into life with their new baby. This includes many different aspects of aiding in recovery that a woman might need, as outlined below.
Many people hear the word "Doula" and automatically think "crunchy granola mom thing." But this is not the case! Far from it, even. While yes, "crunchy granola moms" can and do hire doulas, we also serve parents from all sorts of different lifestyles. Whether or not you plan to feed your baby with a bottle or a breast, whether or not you use disposable or cloth diapers, whether you had your baby in a hospital or at home, whether or not you had one baby or three, whether or not you delivered your own baby or have adopted one, a postpartum doula is for you!

So, what does a Postpartum Doula do? Here's a list of just a few things a Postpartum Doula can do for you--

- Help you learn to care for your new baby
- Take care of baby and/or older siblings while you shower, nap, eat, etc.
- Make sure you eat on a regular basis
- Help relieve stress about entertaining guests
- Help organize and contact those who have offered to help
- Depending on the doula, light housework and sometimes overnight help
- Help with meal prep and/or freezer meal prep to help you survive those days you aren't blessed with meals from friends and neighbors or when you don't have leftovers
- Monitor your mental health and look for signs that you may need to seek professional help
- Listen when you need someone to talk to
- Help you type your birth story
- Help you organize your home to be more suited to your new lifestyle with a brand new baby
- Run errands for you so you don't have to
- Help you learn to manage outings
- Provide mental and emotional support
- And more!

Additionally, there are things that a Postpartum Doula DOES NOT do, such as:

- Provide medical advice in any way, including diagnosing issues and prescribing medications
- Provide childcare for you while you leave the house, or watch older siblings during the birth of your baby (a doula is not a nanny)
- Drive you and/or your baby anywhere
- Buckle your baby or any other children into the car
- Sleep train your baby
- Potty train older siblings

As a rule of thumb, a Postpartum Doula is an expert on Normal. If you are worried about a problem, a Postpartum Doula will explain what is normal and let you decide whether or not the problem is normal.
A Postpartum Doula can help you with and make your life a little easier while you recover and adjust into life with a new baby.