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Written by Damaris Lee
Why Every Mum Needs A Postpartum Doula
A postpartum or postnatal doula is a trained professional who provides emotional, physical and informational support to new parents in the weeks and months following the birth of their baby. Postpartum doulas also provide support and information about infant feeding practices such as breastfeeding, and also tips for keeping your newborn calm and dealing with new parent duties and responsibilities.
In the past, the community took care of a new mum and her baby. Knowledge about the needs and care of a new mum, breastfeeding and newborn care was passed on and embedded in the community. With the “loss of the village” we not only lost the practical support but also the knowledge and experience surrounding postpartum which leaves most parents overwhelmed, exhausted and isolated. A postpartum doula is a bit like the wise ladies in the village – offering support, experience and a deep understanding of the postpartum period.
What does a postpartum doula do?
The beauty of postpartum support is that it is very fluid. It is totally adaptable to the individual needs and circumstances of each woman. The only agenda of a postpartum doula is to “mother the mother” so that you, the new mum, can rest and recover well, establish breastfeeding and get to know your baby in a peaceful environment.
Oftentimes the support looks like the following:
1. Emotional Support: A postpartum doula can offer emotional support to you and your partner, as you adjust to the new changes and challenges that come with parenthood. She can provide a listening ear, encouragement and strategies on how to cope with common postpartum challenges such as sleep deprivation, mood changes and relationships.
2. Breastfeeding Support: Breastfeeding needs time and practice. It works best when you are close to your baby and you feel calm, loved and supported. A postpartum doula helps to create that environment. She makes sure that you can rest, eat well and always have a drink next to you. Additionally, to this, the postpartum doula can give evidence-based information on normal breastfeeding and can help navigate through conflicting advice.
3. Newborn Care: A postpartum doula can provide guidance on newborn care, including feeding, diapering, bathing and soothing techniques. She helps you and your partner have the time and space to get to know your baby to understand their needs and personality. She provides evidence-based information about newborn care and behaviour and holds space for you to discover your instincts. No baby and no family are the same. The doula knows and honours that and works closely with you and your partner so that you can find your way of parenting.
4. Practical Support: The doula helps you in setting up a strong support network because “It takes a village to raise a child”. She can give tips on how to ask for help and how to set healthy boundaries. But the doula can also do some light household work herself. For example, she cleanes the dishes, does the laundry or tidies up around the house so that you have time to take a nap, a shower or simply lie in bed starring at your baby. Some doulas also prepare or cook a nourishing meal.
5. Physical Support: The postpartum doula can support your physical recovery in various ways (depending on her skills and qualifications) such as cooking postpartum specific meals, belly massage, belly binding, full-body massage, yoga and recovery exercises. Again, the doula can give tips and information on perineum, breast and scar care so that wounds can heal well. One of the main factors for physical recovery in postpartum is rest. In creating a peaceful and supportive environment the postpartum doula helps reducing stress and responsibilities so that you can rest and recover well.
6. Referrals: If you need additional support that is out of the scope of a postpartum doula, she can provide referrals to other health care professionals or support groups.
Because postpartum support is always tailored to the unique needs and wishes of every single mum, it is for every new mum. The doula supports women after a vaginal and a caesarean birth. She supports first-time mums and fifth-time mums, mums who breastfeed and those who bottle feed, mums who have family around and those who don’t. Every new mum and family can benefit from the support of a postpartum doula. You don’t even need to know what kind of support exactly you want. You and your doula will identify that together. The number and length of visits varies depending on your needs. Most doulas offer support for six weeks and stay for a couple of hours during the day. Others offer overnight support.
Evidence-based benefits of Postpartum Doula support:
- Improved maternal mental health: Studies show that there are reduced rates of postpartum depression and anxiety in mothers who have assistance from a doula. This is because doulas help mothers process their experiences and offer practical assistance, which reduces the factors that contribute to postpartum depression and anxiety.
- Enhanced breastfeeding: With the help of a postpartum doula, studies have shown that there are higher rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration among mothers. They are more likely to start breastfeeding within the first hour after birth.
- Improved mother-infant bonding: Support from a postpartum doula can lead to more positive interactions between mothers and their infants and more closer emotional connection and attachment.
- Long-term child development benefits: There has been evidence that mothers who had a doula's support after childbirth lead to better cognitive and social-emotional development of children by the age of 2.
It is never too late to reach out for postpartum support but it is advisable to hire a postpartum doula whilst still pregnant. This of course secures your spot with the doula but it also means that once your baby is born, support will turn up and you don’t have to call different doulas whilst breastfeeding and changing nappies. Many doulas also offer a postpartum preparation session in your pregnancy so that you can get to know each other, plan for your postpartum and set realistic expectations so that you can enter your postpartum with calm and confidence.
About the Author
Damaris Lee
Damaris is a Doula for your pregnancy and postpartum. She is there to educate, encourage and support you into a peaceful postpartum.
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