‘When a baby is born, a family is born’
What is a Postnatal Doula?
A Postnatal Doula provides practical, physical and emotional support to you and your new family
in the postnatal period, once baby is born.
Support can be flexible depending on your individual requirements and can be for varying amounts of time,
from a couple of days to regular weekly slots over a couple of months.
A Postnatal Doula can provide comfort and care for you in your own home whilst you take care of your new baby and heal from birth.
A Postnatal Doula is a trained support person and not medically qualified so cannot give medical advice.
As a Postnatal Doula I can provide emotional and physical back-up that you may not receive in the same way from elsewhere.
I will be there to encourage, listen, cheer you on whilst you grow in confidence at the beginning of your new journey as a family.
Why is postnatal support is important?
Pregnancy and birth are an incredibly powerful experience for all involved.
It takes 9 months to slowly grow, develop a baby within your body,
so why would it not take time to recuperate and heal after a birth?
The immediate days after a birth are a huge adjustment, not only is pregnancy and birth
a massive physical feat, it is a remarkably emotional one.
A Postnatal Doula can provide care for you in your own home whilst you
fully focus on your birth recovery and new baby, that you may not receive from elsewhere.
Everyone within the family needs time to grow and adapt to their new dynamics.
This requires the same treatment as the birth; space, quiet, limited but supportive people around, calm and most of all love ‘Oxytocin’ to flow to support
bonding, skin-to-skin, feeding, recovery and adjustment to new family life.
Bonding is one of the essential parts of parenting as it supports
the development of a baby's neurological pathways.
In a nurtured environment it can create an emotionally well-balanced foundation for them.
Having a dedicated person to be there for you and your needs so you can
focus fully on your new baby totally enables this.
Have you ever heard the phrase...
'It takes a village to raise a child'
What type of support can a Postnatal Doula offer?
I am a fully insured, qualified Postnatal Doula and trained with Nurturing Birth.
I also use all my experience and knowledge from the 10 years I have worked in the community
supporting pregnant women and families, in all of the work I do.
Support needed will vary from family to family but there are 2 basic elements; emotional and physical.
Emotionally
The need for emotional support should not be underestimated with a new baby! Adapting to your new family-life,
changes to your relationship can all feel overwhelming, challenging and tiring at times so I can be there for you on many levels!
Someone to listen to you and your birth partner in a non-judgemental way so you feel heard!
You may want to discuss your birth story, or any thoughts / concerns and I will provide a reassuring, comforting ear.
Supporting you and your birth partner to be aware of and manage your
well-being and mental health in the short and long term is essential too.
Physically
Resting and taking time for you all is so important in the first couple of months.
I can provide you, your birth partner and baby with practical support and help you make a postpartum recovery plan
including any practical and psychological elements that can assist with the adjustment to new family life.
This may include looking at baby-feeding choices, how to manage sleep changes, bathing, nappy choices, identifying support systems, outings, simple household tasks,managing realistic expectations and much more!
Keeping healthy is vital during recovery so I can prepare nutritious meals for you or your family.
I can provide practical support with baby or other family members so you can rest or take a shower.
Using my knowledge I will provide you with relevant evidence-based postnatal information and signpost to appropriate services
so you can make informed choices about early parenting that suit you.
As your Postnatal Doula I am there for you to provide the nurturing space you deserve
to heal and strengthen, holding you all as you grow and move forward in confidence as a family.